# Boer or Kiko?



## gingersnap (Dec 20, 2012)

Hi everyone, we're thinking about raising meat goats and I wanted to get opinions. Do you think Boer or Kiko's are the way to go and why?

Thanks so much, Donna


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

gingersnap said:


> Hi everyone, we're thinking about raising meat goats and I wanted to get opinions. Do you think Boer or Kiko's are the way to go and why?
> 
> Thanks so much, Donna


I personally would go Kiko if I ever ended up with a meat breed. Mostly because up in WI they are more of a dual purpose breed than anything. So we'd still get milk along with meat later. They're also more structurally sound around here. Boers are kinda backyard bred around here with all sorts of flaws. Far too common. I don't mean to stereotype but seriously. Lol


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## Pixie13 (Mar 2, 2013)

My husband raises both boer and kiko goats as well as boer/kiko crosses. We love them both. Our kikos are more hardy than our boers when it comes to dealing with worm issues ect .However; seems like our boer goats sale better than our kikos do. Just from our own personal experience, our Boer goats have cost us more money with medical issues. We acutually have never had any medical issues with our kikos, doesn't mean will not in the future though. Like I said, I love them both, but our boers have been much more costly to us. We also live right in the middle of what I like to call the Kentucky rainforest so there ya go LOL. I don't think you could go wrong with which ever breed you choose. Investing in higher quality Boer bloodlines may help with hardiness if you can afford it. This is just my opinion though. Both breeds are unique and beautiful.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We have a backyard herd, but we have a kiko/cross doe and boer percentages/fullbloods. We breed her to fullblood boer bucks, and she's always given us really nice kids who grow fast. She had triplets 4 months ago tomorrow, and kept 1 of her daughters and 1 wether. Her daughter is at least 70-80lbs. Not sure on the wether, we're trying to not let him grow too fast since he's for 4-H lol

I think kiko fullbloods are nice, but IMO I think Kiko/boer are better if you want to get into meat.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

From what I understand Kiko takes longer to pack on the meat than Boer so if you have the time & the resources go for it.
If there are Kiko breeders here in the Pac NW they are hiding, Ive only run across one.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

That's interesting, nancyd. From what I've read in goat test articles, I was under the impression Kiko's outdid Boers in every phase pretty regularly. Maybe I misread them.

Gingersnap I started out with Boers about 5 years ago. I now have Kiko's or Kiko% because, in my experience, they run circles around Boers. Kiko's are better mothers, better milkers, more hardy, more resistant to parasites, I don't have to trim their feet nearly as much - just overall better goats. Boers do sell better because they have been around longer, and they are the breed everyone knows. I do not mean to offend anyone, just stating what my experience has been.


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

Never knew there were so many people who preferred Kikos!

Boers are my choice, from my very limited perspective. I have never seen a nice, thick, Kiko goat before. For some reason, they always seem more lithe, with less bone and mass. They come off as dairy rather than meat IMO. I would love to see some of your herd GoatCrazy!!!!


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## SCRMG (Oct 24, 2012)

It all comes down to personal preference and your market. Do you plan on selling goats for meat or raising them for your own consumption? If I were raising them for my own consumption I would lean towards the Kiko because of their hardiness. I sell my kids at market, and the bottom line from what I've seen is the red heads and floppy ears bring the better prices mostly due to ignorance on the buyers part. The best example that stands out in my mind was a solid red buckling I ran through a sale last year. He was everything a good meat goat should be, nice thick muscling, a good long loin, looking at him I would guess he would dress out at greater than 40%. When the gavel fell, he sold for $1.60 per pound. The very next goat to run through was a red headed buckling. He was thin, leggy, obviously heavily crossed with dairy, and I would guess he would dress out at less than 30%. He went for $2.00 per pound. My other kids that ran through the sale were similar to the red buckling, but traditional colored (one was even a brother). They averaged $2.20 per pound. 
It's even worse with good Kikos, because the buyers look at them in my area and think they are dairy goats. Unfortunately, they just don't bring any money, so I personally focus on traditional boers for my market goats.

There is no denying that the Kikos are much hardier, lower maintenance goats. Unfortunately, we forget that the boers were once that way as well. The problem becomes single minded breeding. Breeders have focused on loin length, muscle mass, ADG, and overlooked hardiness. As a result, a lot of boers now look like weight lifters but drop dead at the sight of a worm. IMO this is a shame, and I really hope the Kikos can avoid a similiar fate, but sitting through sales, I am not optimistic. In order to be close to competitive price wise, these goats will have to be distinct to uneducated buyers as meat goats (this is why red heads sell so much higher, because buyers see the red head and think meat goat regardless of the body type). Creating that distinction will come from single focused breeding.

Sorry for the soap box. To answer your question, I prefer Kikos, but raise Boers.


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## pubgal83 (Oct 31, 2012)

My herd sire is my only full blood kiko and he is so hardy! I almost never have to worm him and his hooves stay maintained almost completely by themselves. The two boer does I have are difficult to keep wormed. All my kiko/boer does are much hardier against worms than my two boer does. This all being said, I like the look of boers more than the kikos. This is why I decided to raise boer/kiko crosses  meeting in the middle I suppose.


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## gingersnap (Dec 20, 2012)

We're looking to raise and sell them. I've read about them and everything I've read also says the Kiko's are hardier and easier to maintain. However, I want something that will sell. I've noticed in my area there are a lot of Boer farms, but not really Kiko. I was thinking if we got into Kiko, people would have a local place to buy them. Now I'm kind of on the fence. What to do, what to do?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If your area is mostly boers, it must be high in demand over kiko's. Know your market. 
I find, boers over rule in popularity, in over all everything here, from meat to show animals.

It is also preference, be happy with what you have in your field.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Maybe it has been just plain dumb luck, but we have never had parasite or cocci around here with our Boers.


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## gingersnap (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks everyone! Pam, can you give me some advice on how to find out about the market in my area?


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## ogfabby (Jan 3, 2013)

I don't have problems with my boers either. I have OLD lines though. They aren't near as line bred as most of the show lines. They are hardy, pack on the meat, and I have no trouble selling market goats. My registered stock, takes a little longer to sell but not to bad. Kikos are more hardy but just don't pack on the weight not do they sell as well as the boers. Honestly, if I was going completely commercial, I would do kiko does with a boer buck. That cross seems to really pack on meat well and they keep the "color" of the boers.


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## gingersnap (Dec 20, 2012)

If I did Kiko Does with a Boer buck, does that mean people couldn't show them if they wanted to buy them for that reason? I mean, they couldn't be registered, correct?


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## iloveboergoats (May 4, 2013)

I raise boer goats they gain way faster than kiko and I like them better the are easier to maintain to me but for someone else may be different .


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

gingersnap said:


> Thanks everyone! Pam, can you give me some advice on how to find out about the market in my area?


 Contact your local Auction yard and ask if they see more boers then Kiko's running through, each week
Look up breeders in your area. Like websites or Ads for boers and kiko goats. Which ever is the most of, is the goat of demand for your area.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

gingersnap said:


> If I did Kiko Does with a Boer buck, does that mean people couldn't show them if they wanted to buy them for that reason? I mean, they couldn't be registered, correct?


 The Boer Buck would have to be Fullblood registered. The kiko Does offspring would be 50% registered, then their offspring would be 75 % registered, then 88% registered, 94 % Purebred Registered status, but they will never be FB boer. 
If someone wanted to show them, it would be in a percentage class.


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

I prefer boer I've not yet been impressed with the kiko size as I have with boers especially when it comes to neck and legs. To me they look like a fat body on thin limbs. Just my opinion


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## 1ryan231 (Feb 14, 2013)

I have both and can tell you that my boers seem less interested in finding holes in the fence to escape out of, but the kikos are what I'd go with because they are less maintenance and can thrive under less-than-optimal conditions which is probably what you'll have at first not due to improper planning but just lack of experience. Although Boers size is better, the maintenance factor makes me say Kiko.

When I had to choose, I just decided why not have both?


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## 1ryan231 (Feb 14, 2013)

toth boer goats said:


> Contact your local Auction yard and ask if they see more boers then Kiko's running through, each week
> Look up breeders in your area. Like websites or Ads for boers and kiko goats. Which ever is the most of, is the goat of demand for your area.


onder:
Although if you pick the one there is the least of there might not be as much of them, thus they might sell for higher prices.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

TrinityRanch said:


> Never knew there were so many people who preferred Kikos!
> Boers are my choice, from my very limited perspective. I have never seen a nice, thick, Kiko goat before. For some reason, they always seem more lithe, with less bone and mass. They come off as dairy rather than meat IMO. I would love to see some of your herd GoatCrazy!!!!


That's because most of their ancestors were dairy. They are cross bred
dairy goats that lived wild in New Zealand. Some of them carry some meat, but so do some Nubians and Lamanchas. Ha.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

1ryan231 said:


> onder:
> Although if you pick the one there is the least of there might not be as much of them, thus they might sell for higher prices.


Gingersnap asked, how to check the market for which is most popular for her location. Our Auction here, has a lot of boers going through, never see a Kiko, that is our area.


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## gingersnap (Dec 20, 2012)

I will have to make a trip to the auction soon and check things out!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Just bleach your shoe soles, when you get home.


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