We eat more and more goat cheese, but that has major consequences for the goats as for the goats that are born. Just like cows, a goat must also produce lambs every year. But as a result, there is a problem: a growing bulk surplus. Because we are not really bokkeneaters in the Netherlands, they are worthless for farmers and want to get rid of the animals as quickly and cheaply as possible. As a result, goats often have a short and not so fun life. A farmer has to pay 10 euros to lose his cube.

 

Bokjes the brunt of scaling in goat farming - Animals Today

Due to the popularity of goat cheese and milk, the number of dairy goats has increased almost fivefold since the year 2000. From 98,000 in 2000 to more than 476,000 in 2020. This also means that more and more male lambs are born due to this increase in scale; the cubes. Although the goat farming has been in good financial waterfor years, they are not getting the 'problems' with the goats solved. Most of the cubes go to slaughter at the age of 7-10 days.


Save a buck, eat a buck

Should we just eat cubes?
Lambs are removed from the mother immediately after birth and placed only in a plastic container. Care often falls short in cubes. Because they have little value, they often get less (good) colostrum. Cubes that are slaughtered after 7 days sometimes do not get colostrum at all. When they die, they don't have to be transported to the slaughterhouse and that saves money.

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