This is a brief outline of the history of the Boer goat. It is a specialised meat breed and cannot be compared directly with the usual dairy goat in terms of behaviour and growth rate.

Natives in South Africa kept a short haired speckled goat which possibly originates from the Nubian types. Records of this type of goat go back to the 17th century. Due to improvement by crossing with European and Indian types the animal grew in size and its appearance became broader and  “meatier”.

 At the beginning of the 1940’s a small group of farmers got together to specifically develop this  breed further to make it suitable for the meat production.The breed standards are more or less accepted world-wide, being based on the original South African Breed Description and Standards.

The South African Boer Goat Breeders’ Association was founded in 1959 and since 1964 they have used a evaluation or assessment programme for the selection of good breeding stock. Farmers used the Boer goats for bush control as well as meat production so the breed is especially capable of foraging in rough country for its food supply.

Apparently the first ‘export’ took place in 1977 from Namibia as lion fodder for German zoos. Then, because of a growing demand for goat meat,[ not just amongst the lions !]  the Germans started to breed their own version of a meat goat firmly based on the Boer. A herdbook was formed in 1980 and in 1988 the first goats where exported to Britain. The hardy Boer goat adapts well to the damper and colder climates of the British Isles.

Breed Description

The general appearance is that of a strong averaged sized heavy goat for maximum meat production. Ideally it should be a rectangular goat with a long, deep, broad barrel. A strong slightly curved head with dark curved horns and broad smooth hanging ears of medium length. Neck and forequarters should be in proportion to the rest of the body and well fleshed. The legs should be of medium length and strong. The Boer goat should have a long broad rump, well fleshed buttocks and thighs.The skin is fairly loose and pigmented dark. The colour of the Boer goat is ideally white with a reddish brown head and a blaze.

 As the Boer goat is a very “young” breed it is fair to say that they are still very much under development and there are still noticable differences in type within the breed.

With a spotted goat in their history, it is not uncommon that goats with various colours and markings are born. Some people reject anything other than white, whereas in other countries the coloured Boer goat is very fashionable. Personally we like and prefer the white goat with the brown head because like the South African farmers years ago we can spot them when they are deep in the wood and bushes where they would be well camouflaged in other colours. We don’t mind a good strong goat with “faulty” markings though and still use them for breeding purposes! We need as well the strong constitution of the Boer goat with the thick strong legs, browsing freely in our steep scrub woodland.

The Boer is a very friendly docile goat which we find very much enjoys human company. The males are fairly easy to handle - of course it is difficult to stop 100 kgs or so if he decides to go elsewhere !

These animals are slow maturing. A male will reach his mature size of between 90 and 120 kg in three to four years, a female goat will reach her adult weight of 65 - 75 kg with two to three years of age. Nevertheless for meat production the Boer goat is ideal because of the fleshier conformation compared to the boney dairy breeds. The killing-out percentage is 50% which is 10 - 20 % better than the milk types.

With the current market requirement of 12 - 16 kg carcass weight the Boer and Boer X kids should be ready in 5 - 6 months with little input of fattening concentrates.

A lot of fuss and arguement is going on amongst some breeders about fertility, number of teats, milk yield and colouring of the Boer goat. However, we breed these magnificent animals primarily for the meat and select replacements accordingly. At the end of the day, if we can wean healthy, strong and fleshy kids that grow well, and the mother has a adequate milk yield and shows good mothering instinct then that is the sort of family line worth keeping in the herd.

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Last update: 10-04-2008 © Goats ‘n’ Roses