# wanting to inprove my Boer herd



## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

My wife is from Texas she says that the Boers here in Montana are not very good.
we will be visiting San Antonio this winter. we would like to visit some Boar herds while we are there. I want to see realy good Boers any suggestions of herds to see.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Every time I see a drool worthy Boer for sale it seems they are in Texas! I don’t know how those Texans do it  
Are you wanting to see more show quality animals or ones that are turned out on 100 acres and survival of the fittest kinda deal? My favorite goats just off the top of my head in Texas is Gunn farm in plantersville Texas. I don’t know exactly their management but I know they sell a lot of show animals but their goats are freaking NICE! I have purchased from Orsak Boer goats before. They seem to diddle in showing but also have pasture boers. The doe I have you couldn’t kill that sucker and she gets fat off air and she is NOT a show animal......she’s kinda a winch too though. I don’t know if they have a FB page any more or a website but if you have FB her name is Melissa Orsak. I’m sure she would be ok if you sent her a message with questions. They were very nice when I bought my doe. It was kinda a last minute deal and the rest of the payment didn’t get to them before the hauler and she worked with me not even knowing me. 
I’ll have to go threw my FB likes and get you some more names. I’m sure there is also Texas Boer fb groups you could join and look for farms that would fit what your looking for.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Jessica84 said:


> Every time I see a drool worthy Boer for sale it seems they are in Texas! I don't know how those Texans do it
> Are you wanting to see more show quality animals or ones that are turned out on 100 acres and survival of the fittest kinda deal? My favorite goats just off the top of my head in Texas is Gunn farm in plantersville Texas. I don't know exactly their management but I know they sell a lot of show animals but their goats are freaking NICE! I have purchased from Orsak Boer goats before. They seem to diddle in showing but also have pasture boers. The doe I have you couldn't kill that sucker and she gets fat off air and she is NOT a show animal......she's kinda a winch too though. I don't know if they have a FB page any more or a website but if you have FB her name is Melissa Orsak. I'm sure she would be ok if you sent her a message with questions. They were very nice when I bought my doe. It was kinda a last minute deal and the rest of the payment didn't get to them before the hauler and she worked with me not even knowing me.
> I'll have to go threw my FB likes and get you some more names. I'm sure there is also Texas Boer fb groups you could join and look for farms that would fit what your looking for.


thanks for giving me a starting point


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Are you on Facebook? If so, look into joining Boer goat pages, you'll see a lot of goats and sale advertisements, etc. and can get an idea of who raises what, where they are located, etc. 

I definitely agree about Gunn Farm. Check them out on Facebook. Their goats look amazing! 
I am not real familiar with TX goats as we've never bought any, but that is certainly a great place to start. We're in KY and in the last 5 years we've not bought any goats from in state, we've bought from PA, IN and TN. We have 3 yearlings from the same herd down in southern TN and love them, looking forward to having kids in the winter/spring. 

I agree with Jessica again on what your use will be. Obviously, if you are not wanting show goats, then don't push to get from show herds. If your wanting good meat goats that are hardy and hands off, you need to look into herds who offer that. It may reflect price as well. Show goats are really expensive.

Very excited for you, I hope you are able to find what you are looking for


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Everything you've been offered is great advice, especially about sorting out the goats purpose and how that should affect how to look for them.

I'm just curious now, so if you don't want to answer, that's fine... What does your wife say isn't great about Montana Boers? You are in a vastly different environment than Texas...Heck, Texas is in a vastly different environment than Texas! Never saw such a State for having different environs! 

You'll also be dealing with goats who have been bred to do well with certain minerals, and tolerate certain parasites, than they will have to face on your ranch.

One idea I'd put forth is to focus on herdsires that offer what your local bucks seem to lack, and use them to breed the does that already stay healthy with what you can offer, and change (breed up) your herd from within, rather than bring in a whole bunch of newbies, all of whom may end up needing special treatment. Easier to give special treatment to a few bucks than a whole herd of does, is how I see it. And only focus on breeding the best to the best and keeping your doelings.

That's my way of looking at it. 

Good luck! Sounds like a great adventure!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All good advice.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

i am so new to boers that i need to see high quality boers so i can compair them with mine.
I want fast growing meat goats. that will pay the feed bill +


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

This is kind of on topic. How much have the Americanized Boer goats changed from the ones that were initially imported? Body style, confirmation, etc.? (Just curious).


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I have pamphlets that my mom got from the Tulare farm show YEARS ago when they were first starting to be imported in. I’ll see if I can find those, I put them away about 10 years ago so I hope I can find them.


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

Goats Rock said:


> This is kind of on topic. How much have the Americanized Boer goats changed from the ones that were initially imported? Body style, confirmation, etc.? (Just curious).


It would depend on which type of boer goat you were looking at. There are so many different styles in the USA that it would be hard to lump them all together. We got our show stock, wether stock, commercial stock, etc. The "traditional" South African style is still available here in the US as well.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

fivemoremiles said:


> I want fast growing meat goats. that will pay the feed bill +


My biggest fast-growingest kids always seemed to come out of my Boer/dairy cross does. Lots of really rich fatty milk made them bulk up like crazy. They grew much faster than my purebred Boer kids did and for less money.

Now, when full grown, the purebreds were bigger and heavier, so I'm just talking about the growing time. I made a lot more money on the crosses.

So, just an idea there.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

mariarose said:


> My biggest fast-growingest kids always seemed to come out of my Boer/dairy cross does. Lots of really rich fatty milk made them bulk up like crazy. They grew much faster than my purebred Boer kids did and for less money.
> 
> Now, when full grown, the purebreds were bigger and heavier, so I'm just talking about the growing time. I made a lot more money on the crosses.
> 
> So, just an idea there.


I have a 3/4 boer doe that has had the nicest kids of any i have. i thought that it might have just been that doe. thanks for the heads up. I also have three 1/2 blood kids that i am going to keep.
like so often happens we find our selves on the right trail but we think we are not.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Maverick Show Goats - Shepherd, Montana
Jessi L. Ross-Mead- Ramsay, MT


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Maverick Show goats is 360 miles from or a 6 hour drive. i understand they are the best in the state
Ramsay is only 110 miles Just under two hour drive I have not herd about them.

I understand there are two Boer registration organizations is that true. I can only find one on the net.
and witch one is the better one and why


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

fivemoremiles said:


> I understand there are two Boer registration organizations is that true. I can only find one on the net.
> and witch one is the better one and why


ABGA and USBGA
ABGA is much much bigger
USBGA allows Native on Appearance (NOA) registrations


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes ABGA and USBGA. ABGA is better. ABGA will not except USBGA papers, but USBGA will except ABGA papers. So if you go with USBGA then you will loose anyone that are ABGA members buying anything from you. If you go with ABGA then USBGA buyers can still buy from you and register their stock. The thing that turned me away from USBGA was having to wait 4 months for my papers after I sent them in. A friend of mine sent me a email last month asking if they went out of business because it has been 6 months and she can’t get ahold of anyone and no papers yet. They very possibly might have gone out of business but I have not heard for sure.


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