As expected, prices drop for Boer goats.

It was bound to happen: prices on Boer goats (even fullbloods) have dropped considerably.

This same time last year, weaning age fullblood Boer goat kids were going for roughly $14,500 for bucklings, and $17,500 for doelings. There were about 1,000 Boer goats registered at that time, most of them in Texas.

Now, there are more fullblood goats in the U.S. (about three thousand), and more imported animals are being released from quarantine. This was bound to make a dramatic impact on the breeders' market which led to unusually high prices.

The average price for weaned fullblood Boer kids is now $4,000 for bucklings, and $4,500-$6,000 for doelings -- a considerable drop in twelve months' time.

I'm not surprised; it was inevitable that more goats would result in lower prices. Also, more fullbloods to choose from results in more competitive pricing, and negotiations become more reasonable, putting quantity discounts into effect. Many interested people are quick to ask prices, but fail to realize that quality animals differ greatly. Reasonable prices should be based on the quality of the individual goat, not what the market average is.

Some initial investors (who were uneducated in the goat raising process) will have to sell their goats at a loss to get back any of their investment. Also, there are many fullblood Boer goats that are not quality breeding stock, which were sold to make a fast profit, and are now realized to be faulty in some characteristic.

Also, because there are so many people willing to make a fast buck and create a bad reputation, many herd owners have lost large sums of money in trying to use artificial insemination, only to end up with no animals (or very few) that actually conceive. Fingers have been pointed at the quality of the semen straws, the person performing the insemination, and lack of quality care of the does to be bred artificially. This is only confirmation that when dealing with Mother Nature, you cannot expect excellent results. There are too many factors involved to achieve breeding under these circumstances, especially when hormone injections are used to manipulate the natural breeding cycle. It can be done, but it takes quite a bit of knowledge, experience and trust to achieve it.

Don't despair, would-be Boer goat raisers. In a few years you will be able to afford a Boer buck to improve meat qualities in your dairy herd. The time is not far off.

But it is still a matter of "buyer beware" as to the authenticity of the registration. Some fullblood Boer goats are being sold as "purebreds," which does not mean they are registered with the American Boer Goat Association.

People interested in learning more about the Boer goat and its impact on goat-raisers should contact the association and request more information. They have a nice information packet, including estimated price ranges in purchasing other (mostly Spanish) goats for crossbreeding, estimated transportation costs per mile, etc.

Membership price is high as compared to other (dairy) goat associations -- $100 a year. Membership brings all kinds of publications and mail being sent to members, including minutes of board meetings.

For more information: American Boer Goat Association P. O. Box 248 Whitewright, Texas 75491 1-800-414-0202