Frequently Asked Questions  ( FAQ )

The primary use of the South African Boer Goat is human consumption.  There are three markets for this animal in the U.S.:  Breeders, Slaughter, and Show Animals. 

The Boer goat emerged in the early 20th Century when Dutch ranchers in the Eastern Cape of South Africa started breeding for a superior meat goat with a high growth rate and fertility.  They were called Boerbok, which means ‘farmer’s goat’ in Dutch.  The South African Boer Goat Breeders' Association was founded July 4, 1959 to establish standards for the emerging breed. Since 1970 the Boer goat has been incorporated into the National Mutton Sheep and Goat Performance testing scheme, which makes the Boer goat the only known goat breed involved in a performance test for meat production.

The first export of Boer Goats was to Germany in 1977 followed by New Zealand and Australia.  The first import of Boer Goats to the U.S. came via Canada in the form of embryo transplants at Olds College in 1993.

The Boer is very hardy, heavily muscled, gains weight quickly, and reproduces prolifically.  Currently, there are only 3.1Million head in the U.S. and demand is greater than supply.  In 2007 the U.S. imported 22 Million pounds of goat meat from Australia alone.  Current estimates indicate the U.S. herd of meat goats is 750,000 to 850,000 head short of meeting demand. 

The following are some of the frequent questions we get:

·        Why Boer Goats?  They are the preferred meat goat.  They gain muscle weight quickly.  It is not uncommon for a Kid to weigh 75lbs – 95lbs in 100 days.  Mature Does weigh up to 200lbs, Bucks 300lbs.

o       Half the calories of beef

o       1/6 the total fat of beef

o       1/8 the saturated fat of beef  

·        How Many Can I Graze Per Acre?  Always depends on the condition of your pasture but ten per acre is not unusual in north-central Texas.  Contact your local county agricultural extension agent for his assessment 

·        What Do They Eat?  They prefer browse like weeds and brush, and love goat feed but will also eat hay, your hat, your trousers, …… but not tin cans!

·        What Are Their Basic Requirements? 

o       Food & clean water. 

o       Protection from rain & winter winds.  Fancy barns not required.

o       Protection form predators!  Good fences and maybe a guard animal or two, like Great Pyrenees Dogs or Llamas.  (One of our favorite subjects!)

o       Worming

o       Hoof trimming every four to six months.   

·        Reproduction?  Their gestation period is five months and their kids are ready for weaning at three to four months.  Normally, they produce two kids per cycle but three and sometimes four are not uncommon. 

·        How Do They Behave?  Very curious, lots of fun and they love to climb!  Does can get a little rambunctious occasionally.  As with any mature male animal (i.e. bulls, stallions, rams, bucks, etc…) you need to be on the look out for unruly behavior in your bucks and adapt accordingly.  

·        Do I Have To Have A Buck?  Not necessarily.  Most breeders can provide stud services and some can also provide Artificial Insemination (AI) or Embryo Transplant (ET) services.  The issue is the number of does that need to be settled and the associated logistics. 

·        What Is The Financial Story? 

o       Demand is greater than supply.  Aprox 30 million pounds of goat meat were imported into the U.S. last year!  The current U.S. herd cannot support the demand.

o       The meat goat business is real!  Worldwide, more goat meat is consumed than any other red meat.  The increased demand is being driven by the growth of the ethnic consumer population in the U.S. over the last ten years and health concerns in the general population.  Regardless of market trends, you can always take them to the sale barn.

o       Higher reproduction rate than cattle

o       Require less land and less equipment 

·        What makes you different from the others?    Our business model: Good genetics at reasonable prices.  Our prices are very competitive because we do not participate in the show circuit and avoid the cost associated with having a large number of goats in a large number of shows  – we let our customers do that at their own discretion.  We also work very hard to control our costs through limited automation and we grow hay.