I was with the barn owner when the goat was found. No snooping, nothing nefarious. The barn owner didnt know the goat was on the property. This is not the barn owner’s home. The barn workers live on the other side of the property. The barn is within city limits, slaughtering livestock is not allowed.
I probably did screw up the slaughter, however, the BO owner helped with getting food and water.
Is there some ordinance in your city that does not allow any meat processing?
That seems like a weird ordinance to have, that is why I ask.
It seems that if they are allowed to keep livestock (horses) then they should be able to do other livestock things.
There are a number of horse facilities in the area however we aren’t allowed chickens in our backyard. I would assume it has to do with food production/processing.
The more that comes out about the scenario, it sounds like the barn workers come from a culture where eating goat around the holidays is a thing. Again, I sincerely doubt that they are going to be slaughtering a goat every time you ride your horse.
Do you eat meat? Do you think it makes the barn workers bad people because they eat meat? I agree, they shouldn’t have done it on-premises, but I don’t think this means they will give your horse poor care. If the BO wasn’t going to let them do that again, what is your main concern? That the workers eat meat?
If you’re otherwise satisfied with all of the HORSE aspects of your barn, I think this would be a silly reason to leave. And Ive been an albeit non ethical vegan/plant based for over a decade. I wouldn’t want to see/hear an animal being slaughtered, but I realize this is how they conveniently get to the grocery store and on restaurant menus.
I always found it fascinating at the local fairs that so many patrons really had no clue that the majority of livestock would be sold at auction, to become food, and weren’t trust there to be cute and cuddly.
But there are MANY diseases, parasites, and bacteria that can be found at livestock auction yards that can hitchhike on a goat. Since this is a meat goat and it sounds like the workers picked this goat up and are housing it temporarily at the barn, it’s likely it came from livestock auction. There are not many private meat sales for goats AFAIK, since it is not a common meat item for the average US palate.
They can eat whatever they want to eat. However, they dont need to be processing the goat at the barn.
I am hopeful the BO will address the situation and this was a 1 off.
Keeping a meat animal onsite for a few hours or days does not equal intention to slaughter and butcher onsite. It’s skilled work. There are lots of small processors and undoubtedly lots of “illegal” places in the rural areas where you can do your own meat animals and some favors for cash for friends.
I think that probably depends on where you live. I live in a large Amish population as well as an area for a lot of Mexican immigrants. There are “meat goats for sale” signs at the end of a lot of farm driveways
How is this much different than a pig roast, which is incredibly common. I’ve been to graduation parties that have had roasted pig on a spit. I guess most people don’t kill the pig at their house but out in the country, this wouldn’t be out of the realm of something that wouldn’t surprise me.
It’s not like it’s a meat packing plant operation; kill animal, probably skin it I assume? roast it and eat it 
Anyone familiar with hunting can handle that just fine.
I get being so appalled if you’re an ethical vegan, but most ethical vegans look pretty poorly on those of us with horses. But it is a spectrum.
Good to know. I’m in the NE, it’s hard enough to convince people to try goat meat let alone buy a goat at meat price.
In my area there is a huge demand for Halal meat, and most of it comes from goats. The goats are used to clear out the sunflower fields after harvest.
I guess it hasn’t made it to Dunkin’ yet in an English muffin, and doesn’t swap out that easily in a boiled dinner! Maybe curried with Parker House rolls and some cider…
Sorry, I lived in NE for many years. As a fish lover, it’s a great foodie region, though!
IF the grooms are buying goats to eat they most likely are well paid as our neighbor raises/sells meat goats, his start at $180 each… I kind of think a person could buy meat at Whole Foods cheaper
Don’t assume somone’s finances based off of one purchase. You do not know if the entire family and friends pitched in to purchase a goat.
Or there is always the option that someone they know raises them for meat and it was a holiday gift from one family to another.
So many options.
I dont know what prices are like in the US. Up here in Canada that might get you 6 ribeye beef steaks.
Of if it was a “friend who knew someone” who gave it to them for free or discounted. I sincerely doubt that a barn staff roasting a goat for a holiday feast and dispatching the animal themselves is rolling in cash.
so may be they stole the goat?
We have friends that host 20+ people clambakes and ask all the people that come to cover their own cost. They pick everything up and cook it. Could they afford to cover it all, sure. Does it mean anything that they don’t, or anything about the people that come? Absolutely not. It’s VERY common for people to pitch in for special occasions.
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