# Anybody using a Boer to drive?



## Jared77 (Apr 28, 2012)

I see a lot of folks using dairy wethers to drive but I'm wondering about using a boer wether? The size and muscling on the bucks I've seen is *IMPRESSIVE* to say the least. I want a wether to be help around the homestead. Mostly to haul loads, things I would normally have to get the wheelbarrow for like firewood, compost, manure, bags of feed, a garden cultivator (so I don't have to pull out the rototiller), and the kids on their sleds with me holding a lead line in the winter are what I can think of off the top of my head. I know loads can get heavy fast so while I don't doubt a dairy wether could do job, I'm wondering if a boer wether could be more effective. I'm using the 1.5 to 2x their body weight rule and looking at the standards for bucks as a guide and why I thought a boer could really make a difference.

I've also thought of a boer x dairy wether the few pictures I've seen are some pretty nice animals too.

At some point Id like to drive him, but the working potential based on their frame and muscle is what makes me wonder about using a boer as a draft animal.

Anybody have any thoughts please fire away. Thank you!


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## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

my full blood Boer Gyro pulls a cart like a champ. He is a great hiker and packer too, although we have run into a problem: he is five years old and is limping on one of his back legs. I took him to the vet and he said it may just be a strain, but it could be he has CAE. I knew when I adopted him out of a meat goat herd as a baby that the herd was not CAE free, meat goat herds hardly ever are-nobody keeps them long enough and anybody limping gets culled. I took the chance, and it may be that even with his fabulous temperament and strength he will have to be retired if he has it. If you get a packgoat bred goat you can get one from a CAE free herd, with the right temperament to work, and he will be plenty big too. My two alpine mixed packgoats are as heavy and strong as the boers and are much easier to work with temperment wise- they don't get as obscessed about food as the Boers.


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## Jared77 (Apr 28, 2012)

Thank you for the info. I didn't know about CAE. What are your 2 alpines mixed with?


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## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

My two great packers are alpine/la mancha, and an alpine/la mancha/little bit-o-nubian from Butthead Packgoats here in california. I highly recommend getting any goat you want to keep as a pet/working goat from a reputable packgoat breeder to avoid the heartbreak of CAE and CL, and give yourself the head start of having an animal who is likely to have the right temperament to work and hike with you. Especially if you are new to goats and don't want to end up with lots of them in the attempt to have one that will be your buddy/packer/draft goat.


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