The Boer
goat has received considerable attention in the world and
has become the main component in many goat improvement
programs in less developed countries. This interest stems
from the increase in the worldwide demand for goat meat
and from the adaptability, productivity and carcass
quality of the Boer Goat.
The South African
Boer Goat Breeders' Association was founded in 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 Boer goat is a
large framed animal with mature weights between 260-380 lbs.
for males and 210-265 lbs. for females. The potential for
growth is outstanding. Under intensive performance tested
conditions, males averaged 80 lbs. at 3 months of age; 160
Lbs. at 8 months; 222 Lbs. at 12 months; 257 Lbs. at 18
months; and 313 Lbs. at 25 months. Females averaged 63 Lbs. at
3 months; 139 Lbs. at 12 months; 165 Lbs. at 18 months; 220
Lbs. at 24 months.
The Boer goat is
capable of attaining an average daily gain of over 400 gr. or
0.88 Lbs. daily in feed lot situations. The Boers average
daily gain potential on pasture or rangeland is outstanding
and offers great possibilities for selecting to improve growth
rates.
The Boer goats
dressing weight percentage is over 50%. Compared to South
African sheep, the Boer goat had the higher dressing
percentage with carcasses having more total tissue in the fore
arm, neck and ventral trunk, and less tissue in the hind limb.
Boer goats seem to
yield a carcass superior to Angora, dairy and over meat goats
and that fat content and muscling of Boer goat carcasses
compared favorably with those of specialized mutton producing
breeds.
Thus, it is not
surprising that with their excellent growth and carcass
qualities many well known goat specialists listed the Boer
goat as one breed that could make a major contribution to
increasing productivity of meat goats worldwide.
A good meat goat
should also be fecund and prolific. More kids born per doe
will result in greater profit margins for the producer. The
ovulation rate for Boer goats ranges from 1 to 4 eggs per doe
with a mean of 1.7 (plus or minus .9). A normal kidding rate
of 200% is common for the Boer goat. This is higher than most
other goat breeds, thus the Boer goat can be considered a
prolific breed. This conclusion was also reached in New
Zealand and Australia, based on the number of super ovulated
embryos (9) harvested from the Boer goat donor program.
The Boer goat
reaches puberty early, usually about 6 months of age for males
and 10-12 months for first-mating females. The Boer goat has
an extended breeding season and it is possible to achieve 3
kidding every 2 years.
Boer goats give
good milk, which enables them to successfully raise their
multiple offspring with excellent weight gains and with little
pre-weaning mortality. A South African study indicated that
lactation length was 120-140 days for Boer goats and their
yield was about half that of South African, which had a
lactation length of 278 days. Boer goats had a higher
butterfat (5.6%), total solids (15.7%), and lactose (61) than
any other goat breeds in South Africa. It has been postulated
that for the Boer goat to attain its high pre-weaning average
daily gain, the doe must produce up to 5.5 Lbs./day. Actual
milk production of Boer goat does under extensive management
systems is actually less, ranging from 3.3 to 5.5 Lbs./day,
depending on age of doe and lactation number. These milk
yields are not impressive by dairy goat standards but for a
goat that has not been selected for milk yield, it is
considered excellent. This demonstrates the superior maternal
capabilities and the ability to rear multiple young of the
Boer goat doe.
Boer goats have
been developed for over 40 years through intensive breeding
and selection as a meat type animal and have also benefited
from over 20 years of performance testing. This excellent
breed of meat goat has the necessary characteristics
Lacking in Spanish
meat type goats. These characteristics are large size, uniform
carcass, fast growth rate, fecund and prolific, long breeding
season, good browser, good milk and excellent mothers for
profitable meat goat production. Because of its large frame
and faster growth rate, it will need more nutrients to
maintain and support optimum growth rates. Therefore, while
Boer goats may not be suitable for all ecosystems or
affordable by all producers, there is a need to match type of
goat with feed resources a producer has available.
Goat Keeping
in India:

Suresh Bharwad, a traditional goat
keeper, is feeding his goat with Greenfield's Hydroponics
Fodder in Pimplej Village, Ahmedabad District, Gujarat
State, India
Goat
Keeping is followed in arid and semi-arid regions where
rainfall is less and uncertain and hence incomes from Crop
Production are low and also uncertain. The goat keeping is
mainly carried out as subsidiary activity (enterprise) to
supplement incomes from crops. In such areas, goat keeping
is an almost fully free-range type i.e. allowing goat to
graze in open fields and wastelands. In addition, they are
also fed some by-products of crops, which otherwise go
waste.
Breeds;
There
are nearly 102 breeds of goats in the world, of which 20
breeds are in India. Goats are reared for two purposes
i.e. meat & milk. But meat production is the main
objective. According to the purpose, following are the
important breeds.
-
Milk
and Meat (dual purpose) – Osmanabadi, Barberi, Jamnapari
(U.P.) Sangamneri, Mehasa & Zalwadi (Gujarat) Beetal
(Punjab), Ajmeri & Kachhi (Rajasthan).
-
Meat –
Assam, Kali Bengali, Brown Bengali and Marwari.
-
Wool –
Angora, Gaddhi (HP) and Pashmina (Kashmir)
Foreign
Breeds :
-
Sannen
-
Anglonubian
-
Tonanburg
-
Alpine.