This time we will talk about meat goats. We do not eat our goats, nor do I have the desire to eat one, we consider our goats pets, but we also realize and have not problem with those that raise and butcher goats. We have raised Boer and Kikos and love both breeds. This last breeding season the sire to our herd was a Kiko buck and he produced some really stocky and good looking offspring.

Kris

ABOVE--Boer goats are easily recognized my their red faces and what bodies. They are stocky built goats and orginated in South Africa. They were introduced to the U.S. in the early 1990's. They have long ears and roman noses. Boer goats are used for meat due to their stockiness. The word Boer means Farmer. They are noted for being docile, fast growth, and having high fertility rates. Does are reported to have superior mothering skills as compared to other goats. Mature Boer bucks weigh between 110-135 kg (240-300 lb), and mature does between 90-100 kg(200-220 lb).

ABOVE--This is a kiko. All of our does were bread by a kiko buck this year. The appropriately named Kiko goat was purpose-bred in New Zealand for meat production – the Maori word “kiko” meaning flesh or meat. The Kiko breed was established by crossbreeding selected feral does with Anglo-Nubian, Toggenburg and Saanen bucks, with further cross-breeding in the second and third generations. After four generations of selective breeding – selection being on the grounds of survivability and growth rate in a hill country environment – a dramatic improvement in liveweight and animal performance was achieved. By 1986 the Kiko breed was established and the herd was closed to further cross-breeding.Within New Zealand, control of the breed has remained with the original developers. However, Kikos were exported to the United States in the 1990s, and there are now a number of enthusiastic breeders of Kikos in that country.

ABOVE--Spanish meat goats, also sometimes called "Brush goats", are the descendants of goats first brought to North America by European explorers. They are a medium sized goat; short, stocky and heavily muscled. Spanish Meat goats are very hardy and can come in a variety of colors. Spanish Meat goats breed year round.

ABOVE--Tennessee Fainting Goats are also know by many other names: Myotonic, "Stiff-legged", "Nervous", Tennessee Meat, Wooden Leg, and Scare goats. They are a small to medium sized goat (not a miniature). These goats possess a genetic characteristic, called myotonia congenita, which causes their muscles to lock up when they are startled or surprised resulting in them falling over. Their coats can be long or short, but never curly like Angoras. They come in a variety of colors including black, tan, red, brown, and white. Fainting goats can have a at least three types of ears to be correct. There should always be a crease in the middle of the ear. One type of ear would be the long, "airplane" ears. These don't point straight out to the sides, but angle more toward the eyes. Another type is a shorter ear. A third type of ear can have a crimp across the end of the ear.Fainting goats breed year round.

NEXT TIME--"OTHER GOAT BREEDS"

~Kris