Bloat?

There are quite a few people out in my part of CA that breed their dairy stock to Boer bucks. I've done it quite a few times myself. Kidding difficulties are no more prevalent than breeding dairy to dairy bucks, the kids are very very similar in size when born.
 
babsbag said:
There are quite a few people out in my part of CA that breed their dairy stock to Boer bucks. I've done it quite a few times myself. Kidding difficulties are no more prevalent than breeding dairy to dairy bucks, the kids are very very similar in size when born.
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Why is that done? Just FF?
 
Good to know! The idea always interested me but a lady I met said her dairy does had issues with kidding. Her boer was HUGE though!
 
Dual purpose kids, if you're homesteading like me or aren't breeding for replacement milkers or showing. Boer puts some meat on the kids. It's totally the way I would go if I ever go into full size goats
 
@Green Acres Farm Mostly it is done because it is easier to sell a chunky kid for meat than a lean dairy kid. There is a much bigger market for meat goats than there is for dairy. The dairy does have more milk, the kids typically grow faster, and if you need extra milk for other kids you will have it. It seems that every year Boer producers are looking for dairy does in milk to supplement their kids so a lot of them just keep them with their herd. Boers can be really crappy milkers. For about 4 years I had a Boer buck and would always breed a few of my Alpines to it for meat for our freezer. I had Boer does too but I was selling their kids as market wethers or breeders.
 
NH homesteader said:
Dual purpose kids, if you're homesteading like me or aren't breeding for replacement milkers or showing. Boer puts some meat on the kids. It's totally the way I would go if I ever go into full size goats
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The Kiko IS a dual purpose meat and dairy goat and was bred specifically for that purpose.

If raising kids for the meat market the yield on a kiko is better. They grow to wean weight faster and without feed feed feed. The dams can raise twins and trips with ease. Not prone to kidding issues and they pretty much live off the land.
Once they hit that prime market weight they grow slower. Many look at the big huge Boers and think better meat goat. Big bones don't equal meat. What needs to be looked at is weight gain til weaning age, feed consumption, parasite resistance, ability to forage and live off the land.
 
Kinders are another dual purpose breed. I have no experience with them so nothing more to say.
 
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