Boer Goats

Boer Goats

Boer goats are a hybrid breed of European, Angora, and Indian goats. They have horns and lopped ears and come in a wide range of colours and patterns; however, the most typical combination is a white body and a redhead with a muscular frame. Good carcass qualities include a goat’s full body, respectable form, and Roman nose, as well as its short, well-fleshed thigs and hind legs. 

Mature bucks weigh 100–135 kg, while they do weigh 90–100 kg and are favoured for their foraging prowess and little influence on grass cover. The average ovulation rate per doe in a feedlot is 1.7 eggs, with a range of 1-4 eggs, and the kidding rate is 200%. Because of the extended mating season and the later age at which men and females attain sexual maturity, three offspring may be produced every two years.

Boer goats are well-liked for their kind demeanour and capacity to thrive in a variety of settings. They have muscular legs, dark eyes, loping ears that dangle downward, and horns that curve backward. They are able to adapt to both hot and cold temperatures, as well as different types of terrain. 

Farmers throughout the globe place a high value on them because of their ability to produce high-quality meat. Large and small-scale farmers alike may benefit from raising Boer goats as part of a diversified economic strategy. In a browse-friendly environment, the Boer goat makes a great addition to a herd of cattle or sheep. Goats can graze most broadleaf plants that other animals leave behind; thus, they are a valuable asset in pasture management. More animals per acre and higher profits are possible with diversification.

Characteristic

• One of the most disease-resistant cattle breeds because of its exceptional hardiness.
• The Boer goat is a hardy animal that can survive in a variety of climates and grazing situations.
• They’re hardy enough to make it even in dry climates where most livestock would perish.
• They have powerful legs, so they can go quickly and easily across rough terrain like mountains and thickets.
• Because of their voracious appetites, Boers are able to remove dense undergrowth and maintain a healthy ecosystem even in the most challenging environments.
• They may keep reproducing for as long as ten years or more, until old age.
• Because of its high protein level and low fat content, boer meat is becoming popular in the United States. It has the same number of calories as chicken.
• When compared to other mutton breeds, the Boer goat has the greatest dressed weight percentage.
• The meat from Young Boers is very tasty and tender, with just the right amount of fat marbling and a pleasant texture.
• Goat ranchers like Boers because of their better genetics and their predisposed tendency towards dominance.
• The breed is also employed in the United States and elsewhere in aggressive crossbreeding programmes aimed at improving other goat breeds.
• The leather made from Boer hides is of such excellent quality that it commands a premium price when used to make items like shoes, gloves, and books.

Feeding

Food for Boer goats is the same as that for other domestic goats. Tree leaves, maize, green grass, and various supplemental feeds are some of their favourite foods.

Large display goats need a lot of food since they become so hungry. Farmers that breed goats for profit often focus on medium-sized goats. Because they eat less and are simpler to care for.

When feeding your Boer goats, you need to use extreme caution. When you eat well, you feel well. They consume a lot of water every day, so be sure you always give them enough to drink.

Breeding

When it comes to raising goats, most farmers strongly like Boer goats. Boer goats may be crossbred with other popular goat breeds to provide healthy, high-yielding youngsters.

Boer goats are often and widely crossed with other breeds, including Spanish goats, Angora goats, Kiko goats, Nubian goats, Osmanabadi goats, Jamunapari goats, and Sirohi goats. The result of all this interbreeding is a new generation of very productive goats.

Boer for crossbreeding

The hybrid potency of the Boer goat means that its offspring are more disease-resistant than native breeds, and this resistance is passed on to their offspring. Due to research by NARC, ARSs, DLS, and others, the top private goat impresarios have switched to Boer goats, either through natural mating or artificial insemination using frozen semen. Recently, Khari goats have been heavily crossbred with Indian Jamunapari and Barberi goats for increased production. 

Due to the ease with which the exceptional phenotypic traits of the Boer breed may be imagined in its crossbreed offspring, the Boer is the best choice for this purpose. Adaptability, toughness, superior development, early maturity, disease resistance, lower kid mortality, a higher twinning rate, increased milk production, and lactation are just a few of the numerous benefits that may result from crossbreeding.

Advantages of Boer Goats

The Boer goat breed has many advantages, one of which is that it produces the highest quality meat. From a business perspective, these goats have limitless earning potential for farmers.

Kids from these goats are prized for their size and health, making them ideal for exhibiting. Making money at breed exhibitions is a simple way for farmers to enrich their families. In addition to being excellent sources of protein, their milk is also very nutritious.

Boer goats have a high rate of conception and excellent mothering skills. The meat from one of these big goats may bring in a lot of cash because of how much there is.

The main benefit of raising Boer goats is the high value their meat has on the international market.

Boer goats may need fewer toys in the form of climbing structures and romping areas because of their more laid-back nature.

Poor, destructive, and even violent behaviours manifest in even the most gentle goat breeds when living in congested quarters or having nothing else to do all day than wait to be fed.

Tips for raising

• Take special care of the newborn Boer children. Give them frequent feedings of breast milk. Separate the mother and her children for a few days.
• Make sure the new mother and her children have a set routine to follow each day.
• Vaccinate the youngsters to keep them healthy and safe from sickness.
• Build a goat shelter that is totally bug and worm-free.
• They should feel at home in the Boer goats’ enclosure. Put the Boer goats up in the trees. The home will remain dry at all times.
• Keep a pot of clean, fresh water in sight of the goat at all times.
• Make sure the goat has access to plenty of healthy, new grass. Finding a suitable grazing area for your goats close to your property is ideal.

Performance

Adaptability and hardiness

Reproductive performance with a reproductive life of 10 years is a better indicator of the economic significance of farm animals’ adaptability to different climates and production methods. Boers are one of the hardest of the small stock breeds, able to acclimatise to environments ranging from the hottest deserts to the snowiest mountains, although the process may take a year or more.

Growth performance

The growth rate of Boer goats is known to be higher than that of other types of goats. The rate of development may be influenced by weaning strategies, stress, and compensatory development. The most obvious signs of superiority are a larger body size and a quicker pace of growth. Understanding a child’s genetic makeup in terms of productivity and efficiency relies heavily on genetic parameters and developmental features. Based on data collected at GRS Bandipur, the average birth weight of a pure Boer kid was 3.79 kg, with further increases in weight at weaning (18.59 kg) and at eight months (28.34 kg). The typical Boer calf weighs 45.74 kg at one year of age.