# Boars or Spanish Goats?



## goatygirl (Feb 16, 2013)

So my parents really want to get meat goats. My mom wants spanish goats but I want boars. I've have heard that boars are very susceptible to illness? Opinions.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Boers are the most popular meat breed, so they'll show well and sell for a good price. They also have a good growth rate and muscle build. 

Spanish goats don't have the muscle mass of boers, they have smaller leaner carcasses. Spanish are hardier and more worm resistant, and produce fast growing lean market kids (especially when mixed with boers or kikos). 

It all depends on what breed is available in your area, your management practices, and what your goal are for the crop of kids produced.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I know a lot of people are.not very happy with the boer breed, mainly parasite issues. It doesn't stay wet and green here but maybe 6 months out of the year so I can't really say I agree or not.
This is what I do know on top of what's already been said. For the most part boxers are very docile, I've had a few Spanish goats over the years....so NOT docile lol. So between that and them being more meaty I went with boers.
But what's your master plan with goats?


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

spanish goats were created from a cross breeding of this and that to weather the conditions and parasites down south. So they are pretty hardy goats. Up where you are, you would be better to go with boers IMO as thats a completely different environmen . AND there is a much broader market for boers. Might give both a try and see what you like best.


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## goatygirl (Feb 16, 2013)

We want a couple to raise just for our family to eat and breed so being docile is very important sense we handle our goats daily. My mom also heard that they are prone to teeth issues I don't know if I 100% believe that or not, I kind of sort of don't know what to believe since the boars up here are absolutely horrid so I would have to buy some down South and ship them up no matter what breed we get maybe a cross would be good? The breed would have to be good in freezing temperatures and hot weather.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

http://smokeridge.net/

If the link works, this website will show you what Spanish goats look like and what their advantages are. Spanish/Boer or Savannah crosses are supposedly the "Best of both worlds" . But I'm guessing it would be easiest to start with boers in your area.

OR, if you just want a couple kids to butcher every year, breed a couple nubians to a boer buck. Nubian/boer crosses make great market kids, and the nubian moms will have plenty of milk for them to fatten up on.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

My Boers are very healthy. Have never lost one due to parasites.
If you start out with good stock from a reputable breeder & good management practices you will be ahead of the naysayers.
They are also VERY docile & gentle; most of the time.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Btw, almost any goat will be docile if you tame it from a young age. It's just that spanish are bred to thrive in the pasture without much human intervention, so Spanish goats tend to be on the flighty side. Of course this isn't 100% true, since the lady I bought my Spanish/boer buck from (smoke ridge) had VERY tame does...considering there were about 300


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## goatygirl (Feb 16, 2013)

I am still having a hard time convincing my mom, she becomes very narrow minded once she hears something bad about anything. So I'm thinking maybe raising one of each next year to see which one we prefer. But still we would have to ship them up to New Hampshire sense meat goats up here sell like they are going out of style and most of the time they are very poor quality.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I think you're on the right track, raising a couple of each breed to see what fits your situation better. As said above start with the best stock possible, even if it means paying more or looking harder than usual. 

And like I said, don't be afraid of cross breeds if their kids will be for home consumption only! Crosses are hardy and can still produce bulky kids...


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## goatygirl (Feb 16, 2013)

okay thanks I'll talk to mom and see what she thinks.


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

Compromise cross boer with spanish then you have a more boer type goat with the parasite resistance on a spanish or at least my lil spanish cross nanny is that way


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I have boers and they do very well for me. I find in our area and my buyers, boers are more popular and sell easier than spanish goats.
Know your area first.

I love my boers and would not trade them for the world, LOL.

I want to educate you on the spelling of "Boer" Goat. If I may, "boar" means pig, if you were to place an ad out to sell boar", people are going to think pig.
Just to let you know. ;-)


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## midlothianffa (May 5, 2013)

Also if you decide on spanish know what they look like tons of people will call any black goat a spanish in my area they try to pass black pygmys off as spanish and at our sale barn the auctioneer was calling oberhasli / boer crosses as spanish kids


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

You know. Even if a spanish goat is more parasite resistant, you are still going to have to deworm them just like any other goat. If done correctly and timely, there is no difference in goats.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I'm a boer person, so I am not neutral. But I agree that boers tend to be a little more "naturally" docile. For instance, some boer breeders/owners would *avoid* bottle baby boers because they are so "in your face". Whereas the dam raised boers with medium human contact are just right. Compare this to *some* dairy goat breeders that only want bottle raised kids, or they say they are "too wild". 

As for the spanish goats. If I had a situation where I was going to try a herd in a very low management situation, I would consider them. But I would not just buy any ol' goat on Craigslist that was said to be "a spanish" goat. I would buy the goats from someone who raised spanish goats on scrub brush somewhere under tough conditions and they still looked relatively good. This would likely be a tough search if you lived in New Hampshire.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Spanish goats are popular in the Western and Southern regions of the country, but I agree with the others that you'll be hard pressed to find them in your area..REAL Spanish anyways. Look what's available in your area, there are more meat breeds around then just boers and Spanish..


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Though boar is not the correct spelling, most of mine are pigs complete with sound the effects.
It is at feeding time I get yelled at, crowded & pushed around because they are always trying to convince me they are starving. :grouphug:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

LOL Nancy, I agree on that one.


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## goatygirl (Feb 16, 2013)

I am having a hard time finding Spanish breeders anywhere. I sort of compromised with my mom and agreed that we could buy one Spanish and one BOER:GAAH::shrug: and raise them to slaughter and see by that point which one she likes better. I would really like to show them too so I want a boer so we will see how it goes. But when we do get a boer I would really like to get them somewhere down in the lower states not necessarily in New England sense we have the worst boer farms.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

goatygirl said:


> But when we do get a boer I would really like to get them somewhere down in the lower states not necessarily in New England sense we have the worst boer farms.


Pennsylvania: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spring-Valley-Boer-Goats/196657997131963

New York: http://www.wagester.net/

Virgina: http://www.eandlboers.com/

I'm sure there are more breeder than this in you area. These three breeders did well in a show in New York last year.


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

I don't find there to be a lack of quality boers in New England. Have you looked everywhere? I know a few extremely competitive boer breeders that do very well in shows in that area. There are a lot of quality breeders west of you as well.


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