# Thoughts?



## twokidsandafarm (Dec 27, 2013)

Hi everyone! 
I would like some opinions. I currently raise show quality dairy goats, my goal has always been to breed and show nationally, so far I haven't even shown at the nationals yet.  But lately I've been looking into breeding show quality, colored Boer goats. From what I've been seeing, those spotted/dappled Boers are going for $500 to thousands. Are meat goats bringing in more money than dairy? I guess you don't have to feed the Boer does as much, since they aren't milking, and if they're quality, then they're kids would easily pay them off, right? It just seemed like colored, show Boers are in high demand right now. Should I have a similar goal and do colored show Boers on the side, or even get more into them? Any thoughts? 
Thanks in advance?

Raising ADGA Oberhasli, Alpine, LaMancha, and Nubians for milk, show, and fun!
www.twokidsandafarm.com


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I think it depends on your area, around here, you rarely see any that are $500.. All mostly in the $300-$350 range.. Of corse I haven't gone looking for one those are only what I see on CL..
But if they sell well in your area you could test it out on the side and then decide if you want to get more into them


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I agree you have to look at your area do the people with goats seem to have more boer or more dairy goats. One easy way to tell is go to your local fair and see what is shown more. The other big thing is your name. So the first few years may be rough to get the big money until you go to enough shows and get enough wins. If you are already doing that with your dairy girls it may be easier. I didn't show goats and my nieces showed all the ones we raised in 4-H but that's it so we didn't really have our name out there. My kids usually sold for 150-200. But when I sold out they went to my buddy that raised show calves and sheep he was just getting into goats so buying my 8 does was about half his herd. His name is already out there in the show world. His kids from my same does go for around 500 and go up from there. They are almost all sold before they are born. So look to make sure boers are popular in your area and unless your name is out there remember it may take a few years to start getting the bigger money


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

Quality colored Boers are definitely in demand right now...  We have 27 farms from all over the US on our waiting list for mostly kids and only 5 does currently due. I've got our price range listed on our website as $800-$2,000 and all 27 farms are fine with that... unless they missed that page.  We've been raising Boers for 8 years. Colored Boers for probably 5 years. We've been showing our own Boers for only 3 or 4 years. I think our name is fairly well "out there" now, but it did take time. Just in the last year or two we've started to ask more than $500-$900 for our goats, and people seem more than willing to pay that now. Taking your goats to shows is going to be one of the best ways to advertise and get your name out there. Having a website (and keeping it updated!) is also a GREAT way to get buyers. Once you have a website, get on as many breeders listings as you can find to get your name out there. 

Like Roger said, your name and reputation is really important in order to get those high prices. At least most of the time. If you don't have the name yet, buy from somebody who does and you can sell those genetics.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes!!! Keep your page updated. As someone who is goat shopping right now nothing is more annoying then getting on their page and still seeing new born kids for 2 years ago, then I have to go back and back just to get to my search page. I don't get why people have a web page if they won't keep up on it??? 
Ok had to chime in 


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

twokidsandafarm said:


> Hi everyone!
> I would like some opinions. I currently raise show quality dairy goats, my goal has always been to breed and show nationally, so far I haven't even shown at the nationals yet.  But lately I've been looking into breeding show quality, colored Boer goats. From what I've been seeing, those spotted/dappled Boers are going for $500 to thousands. Are meat goats bringing in more money than dairy? I guess you don't have to feed the Boer does as much, since they aren't milking, and if they're quality, then they're kids would easily pay them off, right? It just seemed like colored, show Boers are in high demand right now. Should I have a similar goal and do colored show Boers on the side, or even get more into them? Any thoughts?
> Thanks in advance?


I'll be the naysayer :lol:

I hugely disagree, my Boers eat a TON and still need more feed to just maintain condition. I'd say my boers eat 2x what my Alpines do, in hay and grain. And you do still have to grain them when they kid, because they are milking to nurse the babies, and they have more fat in their milk so they drag down easier. 
My non-grained MILKING Alpines stay fatter than my dried up, grained Boers. I don't understand it. And with as tough as the competition is in the boer world, newbies are going to have a harder time rising to the top and becoming one of the "elite breeders" so to say.

It's a lot harder getting an ennoblement on a boer than it is to get a permanent championship on a dairy goat.

And while you can't make as much off the dairy goats generally speaking, you can still get $1000-$1500 a kid depending on the breeding, how well known you are, if the dam is a CH, if the sire is really nice, etc. And you can still get $500 for a good quality dairy kid.

And me personally, I have the genetics, but not a name in the boer world, so the kids I would normally be selling at $800-$1000 a kid all day long, I got tired of sitting on them for months, and sold them WITH papers for $100-200 each.

So personally, Boers are not my faves for the cost you put into them for the return you get from the kids. 
And most people wait to kid boers out at 2yrs old instead of as yearlings. So thats a whole nother year you're waiting to see if the doe makes the keep or cull list. 
And mine are loud, I HATE their voices :lol: My dairy goats don't make a peep


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

As far as the feed for weight gain goes... it's hugely genetic. I have extremely limited experience with dairy goats, but just this year I was feeding the one (DRY) dairy goat we had 2x as much feed as my Boers and she wouldn't hardly gain an ounce. My Boers would have gained 50lbs with the amount of feed I was giving our dairy goat. Some of my Boer does don't get ANY grain right now, and they are still too fat for my liking. I don't know what to do to keep weight off of them other than get a treadmill! lol My goats are on alfalfa, so if you don't feed a quality hay like that you would need to supplement grain to keep them in good condition. Or if they aren't easy keepers you would need to supplement with extra grain, but that goes for the dairy goats too. 

Most people breed Boers at a year old just like the dairy people breed their dairy goats at a year old. I've actually never heard of someone intentionally waiting to breed Boer does until they were two years old.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good advice.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Well, we obviously weren't cut out for the breeds we tried :lol: I'll take feeding a dairy doe over a boer any day, because I have a genetic line of Alpines that will get fat if I grain them while milking :lol:

And I meant have them kid at 2yrs old, instead of kidding at a year old. So instead of breeding them at 7-8 months old, a lot of people out here breed them at 18-19 months old.


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

Crossroads Boers said:


> As far as the feed for weight gain goes... it's hugely genetic. I have extremely limited experience with dairy goats, but just this year I was feeding the one (DRY) dairy goat we had 2x as much feed as my Boers and she wouldn't hardly gain an ounce. My Boers would have gained 50lbs with the amount of feed I was giving our dairy goat. Some of my Boer does don't get ANY grain right now, and they are still too fat for my liking. I don't know what to do to keep weight off of them other than get a treadmill! lol My goats are on alfalfa, so if you don't feed a quality hay like that you would need to supplement grain to keep them in good condition. Or if they aren't easy keepers you would need to supplement with extra grain, but that goes for the dairy goats too.
> 
> Most people breed Boers at a year old just like the dairy people breed their dairy goats at a year old. I've actually never heard of someone intentionally waiting to breed Boer does until they were two years old.


Genetics plays a huge role in how much you end up feeding we had an alpine who ate as much as our boers and we didn't milk her and she had one kid to feed


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces said:


> I'll take feeding a dairy doe over a boer any day


LOL, same here. Although the other way around.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

My advice, if you want to show nationally with Dairy goats, stick with the dariy goats  Eventually, you will have too many of each thing, and can't do a great job with each breed... If you stick with one or two, you can  And, I have noticed, it's a lot harder to get your name everywhere with the Boers than it is with the dairy goats. Much more expensive to get into them, as well.. Expect to pay at least $900 at the very least for a nice show animal. Most top breeders charge $1500 to $2000 for show quality bucks, it seems, and that's for traditionals. I honestly don't like people who charge _more_ for colored Boers than the same quality of a traditional. Victoria and Caroline don't, which I greatly admire. The Boers are also much harder on fences, and you have to deal with horns if you will be showing... Also, since I am only 120 pounds, having a goat that is 200 lbs of muscle trying to drag me around gets very frustrating after a while :lol:


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

^^ Yep, horns are a PITA and the 300lb+ bucks and does will break welds on panels if they stand on the fences, which they will do!


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Also another thing to think about is they have triplets and quads often, so you will most likely be bottle feeding 1-2 kids from each doe if they don't produce as much or they get pushed away.


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## twokidsandafarm (Dec 27, 2013)

Thanks for all the feedback! All great info! So, if I show the Boers, they MUST have horns? If so, this may not be a good idea. I've only had one goat with horns, and in couldn't stand them! I'm not too scared to bottle feed, since I'll already be bottle feeding my dairy kids. Lots to think about!  Thanks!

Raising ADGA Oberhasli, Alpine, LaMancha, and Nubians for milk, show, and fun!
www.twokidsandafarm.com


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I have a lot of variance in my dairy does....some require more, others less.
I have had one boer wether...and he stayed fat on grass hay LOL...but I don't have a lot of experience to really say much...so I'll shut up now :rainbow:


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces said:


> ^^ Yep, horns are a PITA and the 300lb+ bucks and does will break welds on panels if they stand on the fences, which they will do!


My_ YEARLING _doe, Ellie, busted down a whole cattle panel that was reinforced with a re bar in the middle, and stapled with those huge heavy duty 2 inch long staples to rail road ties.... We then had to put two more pieces of re bar to hold it up, and re staple it...


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

twokidsandafarm said:


> Thanks for all the feedback! All great info! So, if I show the Boers, they MUST have horns? If so, this may not be a good idea. I've only had one goat with horns, and in couldn't stand them! I'm not too scared to bottle feed, since I'll already be bottle feeding my dairy kids. Lots to think about!  Thanks!
> 
> Raising ADGA Oberhasli, Alpine, LaMancha, and Nubians for milk, show, and fun!
> www.twokidsandafarm.com


You will rarely see a Boer at a show that has horns... Horn shape and width is part of what they are judged on, so typically goats with out horns do not place as well... Unless it is an exceptional animal in every other way. A lot of people don't like Boer goats without horns, anyways.


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

twokidsandafarm said:


> Thanks for all the feedback! All great info! So, if I show the Boers, they MUST have horns? If so, this may not be a good idea. I've only had one goat with horns, and in couldn't stand them! I'm not too scared to bottle feed, since I'll already be bottle feeding my dairy kids. Lots to think about!  Thanks!
> 
> Raising ADGA Oberhasli, Alpine, LaMancha, and Nubians for milk, show, and fun!
> www.twokidsandafarm.com


If you show 4H or wethers, then they cannot have horns. If you want to show in sanctioned ABGA national shows, they need horns.


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

Scottyhorse said:


> I honestly don't like people who charge _more_ for colored Boers than the same quality of a traditional. Victoria and Caroline don't, which I greatly admire.


Well, that's nice of you Sydney... but we do charge more for our colored Boers. I would definitely sell a colored goat for more than a traditional goat with equal conformation. I think it's more than fair to ask more for a quality colored Boer, as they are harder to come by and more valuable to a lot of people... like me.


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

Scottyhorse said:


> My advice, if you want to show nationally with Dairy goats, stick with the dariy goats  Eventually, you will have too many of each thing, and can't do a great job with each breed... If you stick with one or two, you can  And, I have noticed, it's a lot harder to get your name everywhere with the Boers than it is with the dairy goats. Much more expensive to get into them, as well.. Expect to pay at least $900 at the very least for a nice show animal. Most top breeders charge $1500 to $2000 for show quality bucks, it seems, and that's for traditionals.


Good advice! I agree!


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## twokidsandafarm (Dec 27, 2013)

Well, I'll still be thinking about it. If I happen to come across a nice doe or two, maybe I'll give it a try. If I don't like, them I can always stick to my dairy goats!  Ok, I had another thought, I guess I feel like I need to try some thing different lately.  Is there any success in raising Myotonics/Fainting goats? They seem like more pet goats to me, but I've heard they have awesome meat qualities. How much do they usually go for price wise?

Raising ADGA Oberhasli, Alpine, LaMancha, and Nubians for milk, show, and fun!
www.twokidsandafarm.com


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Crossroads Boers said:


> Well, that's nice of you Sydney... but we do charge more for our colored Boers. I would definitely sell a colored goat for more than a traditional goat with equal conformation. I think it's more than fair to ask more for a quality colored Boer, as they are harder to come by and more valuable to a lot of people... like me.


That's understandable  I guess what I meant to say was, the people who charge 2-3x as much for a colored goat than a traditional colored goat that has 2-3x better conformation. That irks me :GAAH:Now colored goats of your quality, it is fair to ask more. And for some reason, I thought you asked the same price :doh:


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

CountyLineAcres said:


> If you show 4H or wethers, then they cannot have horns.


That depends on the area... In two counties here, you can have horned goats, (no horned dairy goats, unless they are pack wethers, obviously) and have horned wethers. It depends on the area and show


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

Scottyhorse said:


> That depends on the area... In two counties here, you can have horned goats, (no horned dairy goats, unless they are pack wethers, obviously) and have horned wethers. It depends on the area and show


Oh really? That's good information to know! Thanks!


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Yep


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

twokidsandafarm said:


> Well, I'll still be thinking about it. If I happen to come across a nice doe or two, maybe I'll give it a try. If I don't like, them I can always stick to my dairy goats!  Ok, I had another thought, I guess I feel like I need to try some thing different lately.  Is there any success in raising Myotonics/Fainting goats? They seem like more pet goats to me, but I've heard they have awesome meat qualities. How much do they usually go for price wise?
> 
> Raising ADGA Oberhasli, Alpine, LaMancha, and Nubians for milk, show, and fun!
> www.twokidsandafarm.com


Sounds like a great plan. 

I know nothing about Myotonics and Fainters... hopefully somebody who does can chime in about that.


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## Crossroads Boers (Feb 19, 2011)

Ok *almost* nothing... I do know that Fainters "faint". LOL


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

I'm not very knowledgeable about the fainters either but people don't seem to sell them very easy in my area


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## surveyman (Jan 19, 2013)

Scottyhorse said:


> I honestly don't like people who charge _more_ for colored Boers than the same quality of a traditional.


Those prices are set at what they are because that's what people are willing to pay. If you don't want to pay a premium to get colored boers, don't buy colored boers.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Crossroads Boers said:


> Ok *almost* nothing... I do know that Fainters "faint". LOL


You're a hoot :lol:


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## twokidsandafarm (Dec 27, 2013)

Crossroads Boers said:


> Ok *almost* nothing... I do know that Fainters "faint". LOL


Lol!

Raising ADGA Oberhasli, Alpine, LaMancha, and Nubians for milk, show, and fun!
www.twokidsandafarm.com


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