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In our country, breeding goats is something frivolous. An old woman in a white kerchief immediately appears, with one milking goat and a couple of kids. In other parts of the world, they are seriously engaged in this, new breeds of goats are being developed, the characteristics of which are much better than ordinary outbred animals.
Description of the breed
Boer goats were bred in South Africa in the early 20th century. The name translates as a farmer. Animals of this breed are used only for meat, because the milk they give is enough only for feeding the kids.
An adult goat weighs 120-130 kg, but can reach 150 kg of live weight. The goats are slightly smaller - 80-100 kg.
The color of the purebred representatives of the breed is white with a golden brown head and neck. The coat is short and smooth. The physique of the Boer goats is stocky, proportional. Powerful short legs support an equally powerful body. The ears are large, 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 per udder. You can see all the beauty and harmony of this breed in the photo.
The calm and friendly nature of these animals should be noted separately. In addition, they are very tolerant to drought and heat, less susceptible to various diseases.
The meat of these goats is tender, has a pleasant taste, reminiscent of veal. The meat of purebred animals of the Boer breed is very much appreciated by gourmets.
How to feed Boer goats
Like all goats, the Boer chew everything, but still prefer the leaves and twigs of bush growth. They can eat in areas with very poor vegetation. Thanks to their calmness, these goats can be allowed to graze with other animals.
It is very good if there are areas that need to get rid of bush growth, these animals will cope with this perfectly. Sometimes Boer goats are brought up for an aesthetic purpose: the goats delight with their appearance and ennoble the area entrusted to them, saving it from overgrowing.
In winter, hay will become the main component of the diet, vegetables and food waste can serve as an additive. These goats are good at eating a variety of mixed feed and mash. Goats are so unpretentious in food that they can be accustomed to any type of food.
Content
Only a few points are important conditions for keeping these animals:
- Maintaining the room temperature for goats above +5 degrees;
- Vaccination of animals, preventive examinations of the veterinarian;
- Providing an adequate supply of clean fresh water;
- Room humidity control. The indicator should not exceed 80%, but preferably 60-70%. High humidity in a closed room with animals leads to the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria, increasing the risk of animal disease;
- Provide insulating bedding, as legs are the weak point of the Boer goat;
- Hoof trimming should be done twice a year. The animal, spending the whole winter in a stall, is not able to walk on solid ground, thereby sharpening the growing hooves. During the winter, growths appear that will interfere with walking, they also do this before wintering;
- Daylight hours in winter should be at least 8 hours;
- In summer, Boer goats should be provided with a grazing area; if there are valuable and useful plants, shrubs and low trees nearby, they must be protected from goats.
Breeding
The breeding process itself is quite simple, thanks to the rapid puberty of these goats. Puberty is 5 months, but there are some nuances. The goat will better tolerate pregnancy if you wait up to 7 months with mating.
Pregnancy in these animals lasts 5 months, plus a couple of months for recovery, pregnancy again. Thus, three lambing takes place in 2 years.
The first time one kid is born, in subsequent lambing - at least two. The offspring of a purebred Boer goat is always strong.
The only problem is that it is difficult and expensive to find a purebred Boer male in Russia. If, nevertheless, it succeeded, it is possible to cross it 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 up to two weeks old, kids are best kept with the goat to ensure that they have sufficient 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 broth are added to milk. From the age of one month, hay broth, finely crushed wheat bran are added. They switch to two meals a day. Usually kids begin to eat hay and mixed feed themselves, refusing to use the bottle.
Since this is a meat breed, it yields less milk, so it makes sense to let the kid suck his mother's milk in the amount he determines himself, without taking it away from his 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
Produced in Africa, the Boer goat breed is nevertheless adapted to the hot, arid climate. 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 fast as they could.
Boers are not widespread in our country, therefore it is extremely difficult to find them, and the cost is estimated in tens of thousands.
Otherwise, even under the 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
Summing up, I would like to briefly highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of this breed.
Pros:
- Delicious dietary meat that 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.
Testimonials
The opinion of an experienced goat breeder about the Boer breed can be viewed in this video:
