Boer & Spanish goats for meat: it takes less time to feed 120 goats than to milk 10.

Many goat raisers have goats for milk supply, brush control, or both. Because of the many false rumors about how goat meat tastes and smells, the general public has not considered goats to be a useful animal for meat. Herd owners have been struggling to change this misconception, and feel that meat prices don't indicate the true worth of their surplus bucks.

Enter the Boer goat from Africa. They are the only true meat goat in the whole world. They have some of the same qualities of the Spanish goats mainly found in Texas, but the Boer has improved meat qualities, a faster rate of gain, and makes better use of browse.

Boers have short, bright white hair and a certain pigment to the skin. The head and neck are dark reddish-brown, possibly with a white splash running down the nose. Some fullblood Boers are solid white or red, but the white with dark head is considered more acceptable. They have the same head features as Nubians, with a Roman nose and long floppy ears, but the ears are wider and hang closer to the face.

Because of the desire to obtain breeding stock (or recipient does for embryo transplants), this similarity has driven up the price for common (dairy stock) Nubian goats greatly, leading to Boer owners searching registered Nubian bloodlines for enhanced breeding characteristics. Other dairy breeds such as Saanan and Alpine are being used occasionally, mostly because of the lighter colors, as the pendulous ear feature will be compromised. However, the price between registered and dairy stock is still well separated.

Because the Boer has been required to go through quarantine before becoming available in the USA, owners are careful about exposure to other goats. Animals purchased from sale barns are not accepted as breeding stock, as a rule, but there are exceptions. Registration is no indication of being disease-free; additional testing is required besides the normal testing of a certified herd.

As the Boer breed tends to be docile in temperament and heavily framed, expected weight gain under basic management is estimated to be 0.25 pounds per day after weaning. This indication of superior genetics is the basis of the Boer's expected impact on meat markets.

Birth weight is usually larger than dairy breeds, depending on number of kids born. Single kids have been known to have a birth weight of 12 pounds. At weaning, they should be about fifty percent heavier than the average dairy kid. Mature (buck) weight at two years of age is expected to be 250-275 pounds, with projected "full" weight near 300.

The Boer goat is strictly a meat animal, but the milking ability is greater than in Spanish goats, which may be a factor in the increased rate of daily weight gain. (Boers are known to have four teats as a breed trait more than the usually accepted two in other meat goats.) The muscling of the Boer combined with the meat and hardiness of the Spanish produce a highly desirable carcass. However, most Boer crossbreds are too expensive to be considered for meat at this time.

Spanish goats are mostly shorthaired, with occasional curliness being acceptable in individual animals. They are almost any color imaginable, including solids, two colors of brown, black with tan, silver, or unusually spotted with any color combination. The ears may be erect, half erect and then bent, or hanging down similar to a Nubian, but shorter.

As Spanish goats are used in large numbers in rough terrain as a measure of brush control, they require almost no management other than being rounded up twice a year for worming and vaccination. Because they forage over such a large area, internal parasite control is mostly a preventative measure. They have two teats which are well attached and protected.

Meat goats are extremely hardy in nature, and kid without assistance. The young kids are the most at risk unless adequate predator control is in effect. The use of guard dogs (such as the Great Pyrenees) is regarded as a necessity under range conditions, but Boers are usually confined to well-fenced areas in order protect the owner's investment.

Because the Boer and Spanish breeds reach breeding age at 8 months and rebreed at about 6 to 8 weeks after kidding (usually with twins), it doesn't take long to experience growth in the herd, with minimal management.

Weigh tapes don't work for Boers

Meat goats cannot accurately be measured with a weigh tape. Because muscle weighs more than fat, the size of a meat goat can be misleading. Actual weight may be 10 to 25 pounds heavier than a (dairy goat) weigh tape may indicate. (Buyers who market goat meat regularly know this, and usually purchase by number of animals, not weight. This way they get more for their money.)

Although most goat raisers live in Texas, other areas are successfully raising goats of all breeds with availability of quality browse and forage. Oklahoma is no exception, as midway point between Missouri and Texas seems to be an area of high interest in Boer and Spanish goats.

Since the arrival of Rex, a fullblood yearling Boer buck weighing 160 pounds in late August, and the addition of 60 Spanish (meat) does from Central Texas in September, our goat herd now totals about 120, including about 25 Nubians. They are an eye-catching sight while grazing 600 acres of highly variable land. Approximately 200 goat kids will be produced in the next eight months, with over half of them being Boer crossbreds, with values ranging from $500 to $2500 at weaning .

Things have been "stepped up" in order to accommodate a Boer buck. I give him lots of attention, and he has free-roam of the front yard where we can always see him. When you have thousands of dollars invested in an animal, you have to be cautious against injury. He gets a special Buck Power ration mixed with his grain, and I brush him every day, leading him around and talking to him - something he enjoys, along with being scratched behind his horns. The minute Rex sees me coming, he immediately comes over, just like a well-trained pet. He's the biggest buck I've ever seen, and I want to keep him as friendly as possible.

As with any newly-arrived "exotic" type of livestock, breeding stock prices are going to be downright outrageous for the first few years. As crossbreds become more available, prices drop considerably. Some new owners of Boer goats have never owned a goat before, and are learning the hard way (by financial loss) that they are novices, dealing with the most expensive livestock available.

The Goat Research Institute at Langston University in Oklahoma reported earlier in the year that they were receiving a minimum of 50 telephone calls a day, requesting additional information on Boer goats and seeking contacts.

Average prices of fullblood Boers vary considerably, as buyers don't seem to mind what each goat's individual strengths and weaknesses are. Sellers seem reluctant to give detailed information, perhaps because they have to deal with so many interested parties that there isn't enough time to get into specifics. Or it could be that they just want to have a Boer goat of any kind to get started with. It is a proven fact that some Spanish bucks residing in Texas have already achieved nearly identical weight gains, and certain breeding lines have been enhanced for future crossbreeding with the Boer.

The average goat owner can use A.I. (artificial insemination) to get halfblood Boer offspring, or arrange for stud service (if a Boer buck can be found) at a considerable difference in price. Boer buck straws are up to $100 each, and the breeding fee ($10-$25) by an experienced A.I. person with an average 70 percent conception rate allows a small-time breeder to try half-breeds with minimal risk. Also, by continued A.I. breeding to halfbloods, percentage of Boer is increased without ever having to purchase a buck.

Goat owners with many does to breed are using heat synchronization methods, which require hormone injections, to achieve planned breeding dates. Although this is against Mother Nature's methods, so is A.I. Natural breeding with synchronization has proven at least 90% successful, whereas A.I. usually achieves 60-75% conception. As new goat owners, heat detection in unfamiliar does can be very difficult to determine. A "teaser" buck or wether (sterile male) is usually used.

Average stud fee from a Boer buck of breeding quality is $250-$400, although some can be found for $100. This does not include transportation expense, and many interested breeders are having a difficult time locating a suitable buck without having to drive many hours (or days).

Since most breeding age Boer bucks start at $35,000, and just-weaned four-month-old kids are $10,000-$15,000, it will be many years before dairy owners can feasibly consider purchasing a fullblood. However, halfblood doelings ($1,000-$2,000) can be bred back (by A.I.) to obtain a 3/4 Boer whose estimated value is $5,000-$7,500. The most expensive goat recorded (publicly) is a newly improved Boer buck that sold in Texas for $81,000.

I would advise anybody thinking about getting into Boers to decide what their goals are. Long term improvements to the industry will last long after the money is gone. The most successful goat breeders are in it for future growth and improved meat qualities, not just profits.

Until the population is aware of goat meat as a healthful and tasty alternative, goat meat by-products will be much easier to market. Once people have tasted the best, they will not accept the rest. Muslims and Hispanics have long recognized the importance of goat meat over beef. The convenient size of a butchered goat allows a family to have fresh, farm-raised meat for their use.

I'm looking forward to being relieved of the routine of milking every day. In comparison, it takes less time to feed 120 oats every day than it does to machine milk 10 dairy goats!