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In our country, goat breeding is something frivolous. I immediately imagine an old woman in a white headscarf, who has one milking goat and a couple of kids. In other parts of the world, they are doing this seriously, creating new breeds of goats, the characteristics of which are much better than ordinary outbred animals.
Description of the breed
Boer goats were bred in South Africa at the beginning of the 20th century. The name translates as farmer. Animals of this breed are used only for meat, because the milk they produce is only enough to feed kids.
An adult goat weighs 120-130 kg, but can reach 150 kg of live weight. Goats are somewhat smaller - 80-100 kg.
The color of purebred representatives of the breed is white with a golden-brown head and neck. The coat is short and smooth. The build of Boer goats is stocky and proportional. Powerful short legs support an equally powerful body. The ears are large and hanging. The horns are practically invisible, they are small, moreover, they are directed back and pressed to the head. Goats may have not two, but four teats on the udder. You can see all the beauty and harmony of this breed in the photo.
It is especially worth noting the calm and friendly nature of these animals. In addition, they are very tolerant of drought and heat and are less susceptible to various diseases.
The meat of these goats is tender and has a pleasant taste, reminiscent of veal. The meat of purebred Boer animals is highly valued by gourmets.
What to feed Boer goats
Like all goats, Boer goats chew everything, but still prefer leaves and twigs of bushes. They can feed in areas with very poor vegetation. Due to their calm nature, these goats can be released to graze with other animals.
It’s very good if there are areas that need to be rid of bush growth, these animals will cope with it perfectly. Sometimes Boer goats are bred for aesthetic purposes: the goats delight with their appearance and ennoble the area entrusted to them, saving it from overgrowth.
In winter, the main component of the diet will be hay; vegetables and food waste can serve as an additive. These goats eat a variety of feed and mash well. Goats are so unpretentious in food that they can be accustomed to any type of food.
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The important conditions for keeping these animals are just a few points:
- Maintaining the room temperature for goats above +5 degrees;
- Vaccination of animals, preventive examinations by a veterinarian;
- Providing sufficient amounts of clean, fresh water;
- Control of room humidity. The indicator should not exceed 80%, and preferably 60-70%. High humidity in an enclosed area with animals leads to the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, increasing the risk of animal disease;
- Provide insulating bedding, since the legs are the weak point of the Boer goat;
- Hoof trimming should be done twice a year. An animal, spending the entire winter in a stall, does not have the opportunity to walk on hard ground, thereby grinding down its growing hooves. During the winter, growths appear that will interfere with walking; this is also done before wintering;
- Daylight hours in winter should be at least 8 hours;
- In summer, Boer goats should be provided with an area for grazing; if there are valuable and necessary plants, shrubs and low trees nearby, they must be protected from goats.
Breeding
The breeding process itself is quite simple, thanks to the rapid sexual maturation of these goats. Puberty time is 5 months, but there are some nuances. A goat will tolerate pregnancy better if you wait until mating for up to 7 months.
Pregnancy in these animals lasts 5 months, plus a couple of months for recovery, then pregnancy again. Thus, three lambings occur in 2 years.
The first time one kid is born, in subsequent lambings - at least two. The offspring of a purebred Boer goat is always strong.
The only problem is that finding a purebred male Boer breed in Russia is difficult and expensive. If this is successful, it is possible to cross him with females of the Nubian breed, which also gives good results.
The main breeding of this breed is concentrated in South Africa and the USA.
Raising kids
From birth until two weeks of age, kids are best kept with a goat to ensure adequate milk supply. From the age of two weeks, the kid is separated from the mother if they want to get milk for their own consumption. Then they begin to bottle feed the baby three times a day. Carrot juice and oat decoction are added to the milk.From the age of one month, hay decoction and finely crushed wheat bran are added. Switch to two meals a day. Usually, goat kids themselves begin to eat hay and feed, refusing the bottle.
Since this is a meat breed, it produces less milk, so it makes sense to let the kid suck its mother’s milk in the amount that it determines for itself, without taking it away from its mother. If the kid is already big, but continues to suck milk, then a linen bag is put on the udder.
Features of breeding the Boer breed in Russia
Originating in Africa, the Boer goat breed is still adapted to hot, arid climates. These goats wait out the harsh Russian winters indoors, and this can affect their growth and weight gain. Therefore, in central Russia, animals of the Boer breed do not grow as quickly as they could.
Borers are not very common in our country, so they are extremely difficult to find, and the cost is in the tens of thousands.
Otherwise, even under harsh Russian conditions, Boer goats grow to the required size. The quality of dietary meat is in no way inferior to foreign meat.
Pros and cons of breeding
To summarize, I would like to briefly highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of this breed.
Pros:
- Delicious dietary meat, which can be called a delicacy.
- Rapid growth of animals.
- Large weight of an adult animal.
- Unpretentiousness in food.
- Rapid reproduction.
- Lack of aggression.
- Good health.
Minuses:
- It is difficult to find purebred representatives.
- High price.
Reviews
The opinion of an experienced goat breeder about the Boer breed can be seen in this video:
