The Boer Goat Advantage

Boer goats are the most sought-after meat goats in the United States. The Boer is an improved goat that is bred primarily for meat. They grow so big and their meat is lean, especially in its younger stage. The meat is also flavorful, tender, and succulent.

The Philippines is also seeing the potential of these quality meat goats in the Philippines, as evidenced by the many strains coming into the country. Despite its foreign origins, the Boer goats are a tough breed that is highly adaptable to a great variety of climatic and pasture conditions. It has sturdy legs that enable it to move easily in mountainous areas or among dense foliage. These goats prefer small trees and shrubs for their basic diet, but for better nutrition and increased yield, they may be supplemented with formulated feeds. It has also been established that Boer goats consume more leaves than grass, so this is good news for those with cattle ranches, as these goats can co-exist simultaneously with cattle in a single area.

Economically speaking, Boer goats produce up to about 10 years, which results to a very low percentage requirement for percentage does. The females are very fertile and are not seasonally bound. Because of this, the kidding season then may be made to coincide during the period when food supply is abundant. 

Yearling kids may be bred in the first year at 7 to 10 months of age, depending on breed, if they have grown well to about 40 kilos and are of good size and condition. Body weight relative to breed is more important than age and can influence a goat's lifetime performance. The doe kid may be able to reproduce at three months of age but should not be allowed to do so, as her growth may be permanently stunted. To prevent this, buck kids should be separated from doe kids at an early age and should only put together in the breeding pens for the purpose of mating. If breeding doe kids is postponed much beyond 10 months of age, they will be less productive. Older kids are not as easily settled at first      breeding and may have lower lifetime productivity.

One good thing about Boer does is that they are very good mothers. They have been observed to have good nurturing instincts towards their young, unlike native goats. They also produce sufficient milk for the dietary needs of two kids. Multiple births are also very common instances in Boer production. But in cases where a single mother gives birth to more than two kids, the extra kid is then given to a mother with only one child. Otherwise, farm hands manually pump the goat's breasts and feed the kids through a bottle, which is being practiced at RGA Farms. Pure Boers produce kids that weigh five to six kilos at birth and they grow to about 40 to 50 kilos when they reach a year old. Meanwhile, the crosses with the local breeds produce kids that are around three kilos at birth.

The also require very low maintenance compared to pigs and cows, as they have the inherent ability to resist diseases, such as blue tongue, prussic acid poisoning, and enterotoxaemia. Their grazing habits also make them less susceptible to infection caused by internal parasites. Miles Abello of RGA Farms said that aside from regular de-worming, these goats just need occasional spot treatments as needed for respiratory problems.

Boer goats present great potential in the Philippine market, and are especially promising for those in the meat goat business.