Nubian or Boer

[daisychick]

Hi all! I am new to this forum, I spend all my time on BackYardChickens but I need some input. I am in love with floppy ears. I used to have alpine goats when I was young. I have also owned Nigerian Dwarfs. I am wanting to get back into goats and would love to get a few nubian or boer goats. I know nubains are known for being LOUD, but what about Boers??? Are nubians truly loud even if all their needs are met? What if they are raised with a quiet wether, do you think he could "teach" them to be more quiet??? My husband and neighbors are probably against me (because of possible noise issues), but darn it I really wish I could own a floppy eared cutie.

 

[Pampered chicken]

What about a mini Nubian? Maybe not so loud. I have one loud Nubian and the others are only loud when they see us.

 

[ksalvagno]

You could also look into a Nubian Boer cross.

 

[daisychick]

I wonder if boer goats are a quieter breed? Even though most Boers in our area are crosses that do have nubian in them.......hmmmmm.

 

[20kidsonhill]

We have nubian boer crosses and full-blood boers. The boers never scream like some of the nubian crosses do. Most of the crosses are okay, but holly cow they can scream when they decide they are wanting to be noticed. Like as in peal yourself off the ceiling of the barn kind of screaming.

we pretty much gave one doe away this summer because of how loud and obnoxiuos she was. 75% boer 25% nubian. I have never noticed one of my full-blood or non-boer goats screaming quit the same way.

What is your goal with the goats? pets? meat? sell some breeding stock?

 

[daisychick]

My goals for them are pets first, then possibly milk or selling offspring, so meat or milk qualities are really not first and for most in my decision. We have a small pasture that is fenced for goats so I just really want some to graze in the pasture and enjoy. Can Boers be friendly if raised from weanlings???

 

[20kidsonhill]

boers can tame when purchased as weanlings off the dam. We sell many at around 10 weeks of age, to 4H kids and families starting out and most of them tame quit well, Occasionally you will get a stubborn one, Even though we handle ours very little after birth, they still tame pretty easily for the 4H shows.

Although dam raised kids will tame very very easily when handled some each day for the first week of their lives. It is amazing how friendly some of our dam raised kids will get, just because our kids think that particular one is cute at birth and they carry them around a couple times a day for the first few days.


Keep in mind boers are for meat, and some if your culls or offspring may head in that direction.

How much space do you have? They say around 6 to 8 standard size goats per acre of good pasture.

Personally I really like the boers. But some of our nubian crosses are real sweet also. we sell for meat, 4H show, replacement breeding stock and the occasional pet.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

I have both. We started with Boers with the intentions of raising goats for meat. Because of their personalities, we just couldn't bring ourselves to actually process any of them. So, we sold all of our registered Boers and got Nubians for milk production. We kept 2 Boer un-registered does that we just love so we can do Nubian-Boer crosses for 4-Hers.

 

[Roll farms]

Some of our boers are just as loud as the nubs at feeding time, but as a general rule they're not as obnoxious as Nubs are. Boers seem to be more about FOOD than any breed I've had.
I mean, all goats are hogs, but Boers are x10 about it. If I'm late to feed, they're the ones bellowing for me, while the Nubs are complaining about needing milked.

I know you want floppy ears, but if you can't have them b/c of noise and still want goats, go w/ Obs. Never met a more quiet, polite breed of goats in my life.

 

[manybirds]

My goals for them are pets first, then possibly milk or selling offspring, so meat or milk qualities are really not first and for most in my decision. We have a small pasture that is fenced for goats so I just really want some to graze in the pasture and enjoy. Can Boers be friendly if raised from weanlings???

If you want milk get a nubian (or a nubian/boer cross if you don't care if it's a mutt). You can milk a boer (i asked the same question but i cant find the thread) but nubians will give more milk longer and sweeter milk.