He Breeds All-Black Goats

He Breeds All-Black Goats LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous  Tom and Meta Syfan’s black Spanish goats are unusual in a breed that normally comes in a variety of colors The uniform black color while maintaining all the hearty qualities of the Spanish meat goat is the result of four decades of selective breeding The Syfans have been raising sheep goats and cows on a central Texas hill country ranch since the early 1940’s “They’re not big but fast growing They mother very well against varmints like coyotes ” Tom says about his Spanish goats “They are very agile and will climb a tree to get something to eat They eat all kinds of noxious weeds ” During this season’s extended heat and drought the Syfans shipped out some of their other livestock because of lack of food but they still have their valuable 1 000-head goat flock Syfan is known for his black goats which start at $300/billy and $175/nanny Some goats do still have a badger face brown lines that’s common in the breed He was inspired to breed the all-black goats when he saw a uniform herd of goats at an auction many years ago “That’s where I got the idea ” the 87-year-old adds with a laugh He started with seven billies that were black with badger faces He adds that color is only a fringe factor for him His first priority is always to breed goats with the best Spanish goat qualities Some of his knowledge was acquired when he attended veterinarian school – leaving just short of earning a degree But his success with the goat and his prize-winning sheep came about through experimentation Now out of 700 kids a couple might be different colors The rest are black and they are popular with other Spanish goat breeders Yvonne Zweede-Tucker and Craig Tucker bought Syfan Spanish goats and discovered they thrived on their Choteau Mont ranch “They are pleasing to the eye ” Zweede-Tucker says of the black goats “They visually differentiate which is important in the auction ring It’s easier to bid on a group ” The Syfans and their ethical approach to caring for their land and animals – and their black Spanish goats – will be included in “The Meat Goat Handbook ” which Zweede-Tucker wrote and will be released in January Another great source for information about Spanish goats is Leslie Edmundson and the Spanish Goat Association website www spanishgoats org Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Three Mill Ranch Tom and Meta Syfan 170 Guajalote Lane Mountain Home Texas 78058 830 739-3388; www blackspanishgoats com

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