Boer Goat

The Boer goat is a breed of goat that was developed in South Africa in the early 1900s for meat production. Their name is derived from the Afrikaans word “boer”, meaning farmer.

Although Boer goats raised specifically for show purposes may seem to have little in common with pastured commercial goats, the difference is superficial. They are bred to be larger than normal goats, and meet specific visual appearances, but these very characteristics are valuable genes to add to the commercial herd. Boer goats were originally imported into the US and other countries for this very reason. Their value to ranchers lies in the improvement the addition of their unique genes can offer any breed of goats being raised for meat.

Few producers could afford to maintain a herd of essentially useless animals. Show goats are bred to represent the most desirable characteristics of the Boer goat, and their main purpose is to introduce these animals to the public. It is also a method of recognizing the best of the best, although some really superior goats are not show. preference. Bucks and does bred for show can be and often are used for commercial breeding stock. To show, most Boer goats have to be registered with either the CMGA, ABGA, IBGA, or USBGA. Though Boer goats are often bred to be shown they can also make very good pets.