Safehaven Boer Goats (2025)

FAQs

What is the mortality rate for Boer goats? ›

Results The mortality rates of kids and adult goats were 0.629 and 0.302 per animal year, respectively. The 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles of survival time of kids were 5, 162 and 1300 days, respectively, and those of adults and goats were 280, 828 and 1,735 days, respectively.

Goats are similar to sheep in that you can support about 6-8 goats on an acre of land. Because goats are browsers, not grazers, it will be important that the land you have will supply them with the sort of forage they like to eat—see below.

Distribution: Boer goats were developed in South Africa in the 1900s from a cross of indigenous goats and Indian or European goats and are bred mainly for meat production.

The Kiko breed was developed to be a low input goat. They are easy keepers, require very little extra maintenance as they tend to be more parasite resistant, hearty, and have fewer hoof issues. Kikos tend to have strong maternal instincts, and good milk production for raising kids.

Teats – a Boer goat should have no more than 2 distinct teats on each side. Blind teats, split teats, fish teats, and teats with double orifices are undesirable, as they may cause problems with kids nursing, especially newborns.

Overall, coyotes and dogs accounted for almost 80,000 goat and kid deaths, or about 65 percent of all losses due to predators. There was also a smaller number of goats and kids (about 14,500) that were injured but not killed by predators.

The average Boer goat grows to around 76cm and can weigh between 20-150kg. They can live up to anywhere between 15 and 20 years old. There are apparently over 2 million Boer goats in the world.

Viral diseases like PPR, goat pox, contagious ecthyma and viral pneumonia and bacterial diseases like enterotoxaemia, tetanus, brucellosis, mastitis and metritis, mycotic diseases such as dermatophytosis and rickettsial infections like conjunctivitis are common causes of goat's mortality in rural areas while, ...

It's best to raise at least two goats at a time. Preferably, we recommend purchasing both goats from the same herd so they're comfortable with one another. This will keep your goats healthy, happy, and in good company. However, while your goats may be happy together, you may not.

In dry climates with a rainfall of 50 to 75 cm a long shed open on the sides, little exposed to weather and built on well drained ground makes an excellent shelter. A goat, when reared singly, can be housed in any building provided it is dry, free from draft and well ventilated.

How often should I rotate goats? ›

Fence off your land into small paddocks (sections of land) with portable electric fencing. Move your goats every 1-2 days to a new paddock based on how much they've eaten and what's left for forage. You still want to have standing grass, at least 3-4 inches.

Expect to pay $600 for a quality, registered Boer goat doe and $1200 for an untested buckling from good breeding lines.

The Boer or Boerbok is a South African breed of meat goat. It was selectively bred in the Eastern Cape from about 1920 for meat qualities and for the ability to survive by grazing on the thorn veldt of that region. It has been exported to many countries, and has been used to improve the meat qualities of other breeds.

Best Goat Breed For Meat

The lowest maintenance meat goat is the Kiko. They can survive on very little vegetation and still produce a good amount of quality meat when they are harvested. Also, they tend to be hardier, and less prone to problems with parasites and disease than some other meat goats.