# do I need to hang a goat carcass?



## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

We're slaughtering 5 goats on Friday. The meat locker will charge 2 dollars a day per goat if we don't want him to butcher. He charges .60/lb to cut and wrap. I wanted to do this as cheaply as possible. Do I need to hang the carcasses or can I keep them and debone them/cut them myself?


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Why not just butcher yourself? It's not difficult and would be free.  With a helper I bet you could get all 5 done in a day or two. 

I don't hang carcasses. I also cut them all up by hand. In fact, I do the entire process beginning to end.

I just cut up the meat then let it sit in my fridge for 5-7 days to tenderize it. It is then packaged, labeled, and frozen in regular freezer bags. I don't let young kid's carcasses sit - just older ones. I'll immediately freeze young carcasses.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

We also do everything ourselves.
But we dont hang or anything.
We go from butchering, to freezer, minus some to cook right away that is tossed in a pan.

We never age any meats. I like fresh not partially broken down after a long sitting period in a fridge.

I also cook all our meats slow. I'm in no hurry. 

I cant help if aging helps bacteria to grow like e-coli and salmonella.
I refuse to buy store meats because of having to cook it black to keep it safe. I sure dont want my meat sitting in a fridge, raw, for days on end. Its butchered and frozen or cooked immediately.

Fresh meat always.


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## [email protected] (Jul 5, 2007)

I believe hanging is important for meat I think it helps it firm up and improve the texture. I have always only hung it over night I find this gives it enough time to drain and meat is so much easier to cut up chilled. I like it when my meat is hanging in mid 30 degree temperatures. Today I posted a thread titled "Butchering Done!" in it I described how I cooled my meat in summer temperatures to might find reading it helpful. Best of luck [email protected]


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Read posts #28 and on in this thread. It is about aging goat meat.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=253491&highlight=Hanging

I never age any goat meat and we do all the butchering at home. The only meat we age is beef.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Just wrap the quartered meat and age it in a spare refridgerator...or just put it in a five day cooler, keep it covered with ice and open the drain plug....age for 3-5 days....then de-bone.


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## Scrounger (Jan 6, 2007)

KKK
Kill it....
Klean it.....
Kook it......

Hanging the meat is nothing else but starting the rotting process, even at low temps. Just as stated above, it is also a breeding ground for bacteria - especially this time of year. We NEVER age meat. If I want to taste spoiled meat, I go to a steak house that "ages to perfection". YUCK..


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

Thanks for the replies; we've got two older does that will be the choice of the buyer if they want to age or not; otherwise, OUR goats will be butchered and frozen.


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