How to Butcher a Goat

Butchering animals in an inexpensive way to fill the freezer. Whether it's from the hunt or the culmination of a domestic project, butchering a goat is similar to the butchery of other animals. Be sure to take all precaution when using sharp implements such as butchering knives and meat cleavers.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Goat
• Cleaver
• Knife
• Saw
• Packaging

1. Begin by removing the head and skinning the goat completely. Sever the head using a meat cleaver. Remove the skin after the head by cutting with a sharp knife around the goats ankles and then in straight lines to the torso, following a straight line out to the neckline.
2. Place skinned and headless goat on a clean flat non-porous surface. Make sure the animal carcass is at a comfortable height for cutting. Use sharp blades suited to the butchering process.
3. Cut the shoulder behind the shoulder blades removing both the shoulder joint and the front two legs from the goat. You cut the legs further with a sharp blow at the elbow joint of the goat. Not usually eaten, the lower half of the leg may provide a strong soup base.
4. Choose whether you want goat chops or a boned out muscle, or backstrap, from the goat. A meat saw is necessary for cutting through the backbone between each of the ribs for chops. Alternatively, severe the back flesh along the line of the backbone for backstraps.
5. Sever the ribs from the backbone before cutting in half and freezing. This is a good time to remove the tenderloin meat that lies under the backbone.
6. Chop off the back feet before cutting the legs at the elbow joint. These meat shanks are great for roasting. Be sure to separate the legs from the pelvic area by twisting on the joint or chopping with your meat cleaver.
7. Package all the joints and severed meat into freezer paper or plastic freezer packaging before storage.