THE BOER GOAT - MEAT FOR THE FUTURE

THE BOER GOAT - MEAT FOR THE FUTURE

By Dick and Andrea Dixon

The Boer Goat originated in South Africa where the word "Boer" means farm. The Boer has been a registered breed in South Africa for fifty years and is raised strictly for its meat. The Boer Goat can be easily recognized by it's beautiful full white body, roman nose, pendulous ears, and reddish brown or light to dark brown head.

In the US the term "full blood boer" is used when a goat has always had Boers in its pedigree. When another breed of goat is crossed and continues to be crossed with a Boer buck at the 31/32 generation it will be called a "purebred".

GOAT LANGUAGE

Doe-adult female Doeling-young female Buck-breeding buck Buckling-young male Kids-offspring Whether-castrated male Intact Male-uncastrated Kidding-giving birth Gestation-length of pregnancy To Wean-no longer nursing Dairy Goat Breeds-Nubian, LaMancha, Alpine, Saanan, Toggenburg, etc.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A BOER DOE

The Boer doe is a very gentle animal. She is not flighty or a fence jumper. She can be bred at 8 to 9 months depending on her size. Gestation for a goat is five months. She is capable of producing 3 sets of kids in two years. A yearling doe will produce 1 to 2 kids per birth. After first kidding, she will usually produce twins, triplets or quads. Boer mothers supply very high butterfat milk to suckle their young. A Boer doe is much like a beef cow as she will produce ample milk for her kids but at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 months she will start to dry up. She will have from 2 to 4 teats but may not produce milk from all 4 teats. Within 17 to 21 days after kidding she may cycle and can be bred back safely in 2 to 3 months. Rapid tail movements called "flagging" can detect heat. A Boer doe is capable of producing kids for 8 to 9 years or more. Mature (2 to 3 yrs.) females will weigh 175 to 225 lbs. Both male and female Boers have horns.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A BOER BUCK

The Boer buck is hardy and exceptionally well built. He is broad at the shoulders with a muscled rump. The Boer can withstand very cold (-30 F) and very hot (+120 F) temperatures and readily adapts to weather changes. The Boer Buck can also be a very gentle animal even though he will grow to weights of 275 to 330 lbs. We discourage anyone from scratching bucks on top of their heads, pushing against their foreheads, or wrestling with them by holding on to their horns because this is seen by the buck as aggressive action. Instead we scratch and rub them under their necks, ears and down their backs. Thus they will approach humans with their heads up, not down. The horns make handling easier as a mature animal. Boer bucks can breed any month of the year but it may not take place in daylight. They are smelly as this attracts the females. A buck can actively breed at 7 to 8 months of age but it is recommended that he not be allowed to service more than 12 to 15 does. A mature (2 to 3 yr.) buck can service 40 to 50 does. It is recommended that all bucks be separated from females at 3 months of age so that no unplanned breeding takes place. Bucks can breed for 8 to 9 years or more. The buck kids will gain from .40 to .80 lbs. per day weighing 50 to 70 lbs. at 3 to 5 months of age depending on the amount of milk their mother gives them and their feed ration.

WHERE DO YOU START

It is possible to raise 7 to 8 adult goats in the place of one cow. A cow will produce one calf per year that can be sold for $300 to $600. Seven to eight goats will produce approximately 12 to 16 market meat kids that generate a $700 to $1500 return in 8 months. Start where it is financially comfortable--looking at the amount of land and the time that you desire to invest in this new meat industry. The number of meat kids produced determines the profit. A beginning workable herd is 25 to 30 dairy or 1/2 Boer does. One full blood Boer buck can easily breed this number. These does could produce 40 to 60 kids every 8 months (half males-half females). The males can be sent to the meat market and the does can be added to the herd. A starting herd of 30 does can become a herd of 240 does in 39 months producing 480 meat kids. The size of the herd can be controlled by sending both males and females to the meat market or by marketing your females as percentage Boer Does. The question is whether to start by purchasing good quality, young dairy does or 1/2 Boer does. By breeding a dairy doe to a full blood Boer buck, the result will be 1/2 Boer kids. The disadvantage in using dairy does is that it takes effort to dry them up when the kids are ready to be weaned. Dairy does are also harder to keep fenced. Half Boer does, when purchased as a starter herd, carry the genetic tendencies of the Boer in that they dry up easier and faster with fewer complications and are more docile in nature and are easier on fences. The greater the Boer genetic influence --the more efficient the meat production. Carcass yield, which is the relationship between live weight and hanging carcass weight is 28 to 32% on a dairy wether but increases to 40 to 42% on percentage Boer wethers and up to 48 to 53% on full blood or purebred Boers. Half Boer does when bred to a full blood Boer buck will produce 3/4 Boer kids and so on until a herd of purebreds is produced. A half Boer wether can reach a weight of 50 to 70 lbs. in 5 to 7 months of age. A 3/4, 7/8, 15/16, 31/32 (purebred) can each reach market weights quicker thus saving money in feed costs.

HOUSING

Goats require an open-front shed for shade and shelter from wind, rain and snow. They will need shelter at kidding time. Mothering up pens are recommended--where an individual doe is placed after kidding for a day or so until she bonds with her kids. The shelter need not be heated but heat lamps are required if kidding during cold winter months.

FENCING

Hog wire (37 to 39" high) or woven wire can be used--stretching it tightly between wooden or metal posts every 8 feet. We advise a barbed wire be stretched next to the ground on the inside. A second barbed wire on the inside at the top of the woven wire and a third barbed wire 3 inches above the woven wire. This will keep goats from going through, under or over the fence. Electric fences work very well but training is required.

FEEDING

Goats can utilize feed sources other than those used by cattle because they are a browser. They do eat and grow rapidly on grass-alfalfa hay with some grain, but also thrive on brush, weeds and leaves. This is why they are a great animal for farm diversification, or when brush and weed control is needed. It is important to understand that protein builds muscle. Goats grow fastest on 14 to 16% protein feeds. When dry-lot feeding 5 to 6 lbs. of grass-alfalfa hay per day, per adult is recommended with 1/2 to 1 LB of grain mixture. Oats, barley, corn wheat bran, rice bran, soy meal and canola meal are grains that can be used. This does not need to be rolled. They need free choice range cattle mineral (1.1) and iodized salt. Kids should have free choice grain creep feed and hay or pasture from the time that they are one week old even though they are nursing off their mothers. Approximately 8 to 9 lbs. of feed is needed to produce 1 lb. of growth. CAUTION--Goats can tolerate only minimum amounts of urea.

PREDATORS

Llamas, guard dogs or donkeys serve well as protectors against predators.

WEANING

Kids grow rapidly during the first 3 months of life. At 3 months of age they can be taken off their mother easily because they are a ruminate and will already be eating along with the rest of the herd.

HEALTH PROTOCOL

An annual health schedule should be followed. The Boer goat is very hardy and not prone to disease but "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". A deworming by mouth or injection 2 to 3 times a year depending on location and climate is advisable. If your soil is deficient in selenium, a selenium shot is recommended at birth and once a year thereafter. All farm animals carry coccidiosis bacteria. It is important to include a coccidistat in either the grain or mineral for at least 30 consecutive days per year. For dry-lot conditions, use twice per year. Hoof trimming is very important for both the young and adult animals as it produces a breeding animal that will stand on strong, straight legs for many years. This should be done at least 2 to 3 times each year or as needed. We recommend that castration take place within the first month using a green rubber elasterator. The rubber rings should be stored in the refrigerator to preserve their elasticity. REMEMBER--some religious cultures prefer meat animals that are "intact males".

HANDLING

A squeeze is not needed but sufficient paneling is needed to enclose the working area. One or two persons can easily hold an animal for injections or inspection. A wooden goat box is recommended for disbudding or tattooing.

TAGGING, TATTOOING AND RECORD KEEPING

A plastic ear tag can be used for identification. A tag can identify an animal on site by name, number, birth date, parents or percentage Boer. We do not recommend neck chains or neck ropes. Record keeping is essential. By keeping birth, pedigree, weights and feeding records, it is easier to determine what methods of feeding, breeding, etc., are working best to meet your goals. All animals to be registered must be tattooed. The use of green tattoo ink is recommended.

WHO CAN RAISE MEAT GOATS?

Because the goat is a very social, personable animal, it can be easily handled by males and females of all ages.

WHAT DOES GOAT MEAT TASTE LIKE?

It is a very mild, tender, sweet red meat tasting very much like beef when eaten young. Goats raised on sagebrush will taste differently from those raised on grass or hay. The meat is very low in fat and cholesterol. It does not have the inner-muscle (marbling) fat like beef. The fat on a goat lies on the outside of the body where it can be trimmed off. It can be cooked "western style" just as beef is prepared roasted, sliced cold for sandwiches, stir-fry, barbecued chops, shish-kabobs, stews, etc.

SLAUGHTERING

An individual is allowed by law to slaughter on his own property any animal that is owned by him for his own consumption. He is not allowed to slaughter and sell the meat to anyone else. Encourage customers to purchase goats and take them to a local slaughter plant or do it themselves on their own property.

MARKETS---WHERE ARE THEY?

Our neighbors are our market. Start selling meat kids off your own premises by putting up signs "MEAT GOATS FOR SALE" in your yard, supermarkets, Laundromats and beauty parlors, etc.

You should be getting approximately $1.00 to $1.50 per lb. live weight. Have meat goats ready for sale near important ethnic holidays. A satisfied customer is your best advertisement, as he will recommend you to his friends. Why? Because you are offering a meat goat with 10% to 15% more meat on the carcass at a younger age. There are individual contracts available at present that require 20 to 100 meat goats per week in the cities along the eastern and western sea coasts of the United States and Canada as well as all other large cities in every state and province. These neighbors come from Fiji, Greece, Switzerland, England, Italy, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan, China, the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Central and South America. Our markets are all around us!!!

WHO EATS GOAT MEAT?

You are asking the wrong question. The question to ask is "WHO IS GOING TO SUPPLY THE MEAT NEEDED TO SATISFY THE EXISTING DEMAND?" Goat and sheep are the number one source of meat protein in the world. In North America there are over 63 million people from an ethnic background that traditionally eat goat meat. When available goat meat would be eaten weekly and not just for a special occasion. Six years ago about the only goats in North America were dairy and hair goats. It is difficult and costly to get dairy animals of any breed up to the standards of meat goats. This is why the Boer Goat's entrance into North America has had and will continue to have such a great effect on the Meat Goat Market.

BOER

Contributed by Poot's Evergreen Acres Goats

Line drawing "Highlander 97" by Keith Smith, boergoats.com.

The Boer Goat is an improved indigenous breed with some infusion of European, Angora and Indian goat breeding many years ago. Several researchers agree that the indigenous populations were probably from the Namaqua Hottentots and from southward migrating Bantu tribes. The name is derived from the Dutch word "boer" meaning farmer and was probably used to distinguish the native goats from the Angora goats which were imported into South Africa during the 19th century. The present day Boer goat appeared in the early 1900's when ranchers in the Easter Cape Province started selecting for a meat type goat.

The South African registry was established in 1959. Since 1970 the Boer goat has been incorporated into the National Mutton Sheep and Goat Performance Testing Scheme making it the first goat breed involved in meat production performance testing.

The Boer goat is primarily a meat goat with several adaptations to the region in which it was developed. It is a horned breed with lop ears and showing a variety of color patterns. The Boer goat is being used very effectively in South Africa in combination with cattle due to its browsing ability and limited impact on the grass cover. Producing weaning rates in excess of 160% the Boer goat doe is a low maintenance animal that has sufficient milk to rear a kid that is early maturing. The mature Boer Goat ram weighs between 110-135 kg (~240-300 lbs) and ewes between 90 and 100 kg (~200-225 lbs).

Performance records for this breed indicate exceptional individuals are capable of average daily gains over 0.44 lb/day (200 g/day) in feedlot. More standard performance would be 0.3-0.4 lbs/day (150-170 g/day). The ovulation rate for Boer goats ranges from 1 to 4 eggs/doe with an average of 1.7. A kidding rate of 200% is common for this breed. Puberty is reached early, ususally about 6 months for the males and 10-12 months for the females. The Boer Goat also has an extended breeding season making possible 3 kiddings every 2 years

Boer

Also Known by: Africander, Afrikaner, South African common goat

The Boer is an improved indigenous breed with some infusion of European, Angora and Indian goat breeding many years ago. Several researchers agree that the indigenous populations were probably from the Namaqua Hottentots and from southward migrating Bantu tribes. The name is derived from the Dutch word "boer" meaning farmer and was probably used to distinguish the native goats from the Angora goats which were imported into South Africa during the 19th century. The present day Boer goat appeared in the early 1900's when ranchers in the Easter Cape Province started selecting for a meat type goat.

The South African registry was established in 1959. Since 1970 the Boer goat has been incorporated into the National Mutton Sheep and Goat Performance Testing Scheme making it the first goat breed involved in meat production performance testing.

The Boer goat is primarily a meat goat with several adaptations to the region in which it was developed. It is a horned breed with lop ears and showing a variety of color patterns. The Boer goat is being used very effectively in South Africa in combination with cattle due to its browsing ability and limited impact on the grass cover. Producing weaning rates in excess of 160% the Boer goat doe is a low maintenance animal that has sufficient milk to rear a kid that is early maturing. The mature Boer Goat ram weighs between 110-135 kg (~240-300 lbs) and ewes between 90 and 100 kg (~200-225 lbs).

Performance records for this breed indicate exceptional individuals are capable of average daily gains over 0.44 lb/day (200 g/day) in feedlot. More standard performance would be 0.3-0.4 lbs/day (150-170 g/day). The ovulation rate for Boer goats ranges from 1 to 4 eggs/doe with an average of 1.7. A kidding rate of 200% is common for this breed. Puberty is reached early, ususally about 6 months for the males and 10-12 months for the females. The Boer goat also has an extended breeding season making possible 3 kiddings every 2 years.

What is a Boer goat?

The Boer goat (also known as the Africander, Afrikaner, or South African common goat) is an improved breed, having been developed originally through crossbreeding indigenous goats with European, Angora and Indian goats. The indigenous goats probably originated from the Namaqua Hottentots and from southward migrating Bantu tribes. The name "Boer" means "farmer" in Dutch and was perhaps used to distinguish these goats from Angora goats imported into South Africa during the 19th century.

South African goat farmers began selecting for muscular and compact animals, and as a result were able to produce a strain of goat that bred true for high growth rate, muscular carcasses and good fertility combined with a very distinct color pattern (white body and red head). The South African registry was established in 1959 and breed standards were adopted. Performance records for this breed indicate individuals are capable of average daily gains over 0.44 lb/day (200 g/day). A kidding rate of 200% is common.

The first Boer goat genetics from South Africa were exported to Australia and New Zealand in 1987 and, after a five year quarantine, were eligible for export. The Boer goat industry in Canada began in 1993 when a New Zealand company (Landcorp Farming Inc.), working with Olds College in Olds, Alberta, brought the first Boer goat genetics to North America. Then the following year, Canadian farmers began to import frozen Boer goat embryos directly from South Africa.

Canadian Boer goat breeders now produce some of the best meat goats in the world!

What is a "Canadian Purebred" Boer goat?

A Canadian Purebred Boer goat is one that has been produced through generations of breeding crossbred animals to fullblood animals, until the individual is at least 15/16 Boer (for does) or 31/32 Boer (for bucks). The process (known as "breeding up") begins with breeding a domestic goat to a purebred South African Boer Goat - the resulting offspring would be registered 1/2 Boer. Then these 1/2 Boers are again bred to purebred South Africans, producing registered 3/4 Boer offspring. The 3/4 Boers produce 7/8 Boers and these produce 15/16 Boers, or Canadian Purebred Boer goats. All offspring of the Canadian Purebred does (when bred to either a Canadian purebred buck or traditional purebred buck) are considered to be Canadian Purebred Boer Goats.

This process allows breeders to create a herd of Purebred Boers at a lower initial cost and also allows for the infusion of selected genetic traits such as increased milk production, mothering ability and hardiness.