# Breed Critique-- Boer vs. Alpine



## 1ryan231 (Feb 14, 2013)

I've had Alpine and Boer goats, and currently have both with a Kiko buck.

The alpines are the wild type. They get out, they try to snatch the bucket out of your hands, they climb and rear up and knock you down. 

Boers, on the other hand, are like little cows. They like to graze, they're very docile... I've had so many sweet pet Boers, but all my Alpines have always been getting into trouble. 

We had an alpine wether climb a chain link fence once. A chain link fence. We had the same one get out of a stall in our barn be repeatedly headbutting the door, causing the latch to slide a little each time, until finally the door swung open. He also liked to charge down corridors and headbutt people. All in good fun, of course, he was a sweet boy, but damn if it didn't get old 

Meanwhile, we also had a wethered Boer whom nothing bothered. Dogs could bark at him, you could shove him, try to spook him to corrall him, it didn't matter. He wouldn't budge, and would keep on grazing without a flinch.

Anyone else have similar experience?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Breeds are different. Some can be a handful.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Our Alpines were fine, but my current breed is extremely naughty!


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

my Boer buck sounds just like that, big tank of sweet unmovable puppy dog! LOL!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I have two alpines that I got talked into buying. Wasn't very happy about it but when you sell your sons favorite dos because you can't contain one kinda gives in lol. They were bottle babies, grew up to be so BAD! Snuggles was the ring leader and Lolly kinda just followed along. At times I swore I was cursing or thinking about how to murder them then I was liking them. I have a boer herd by the way. Snuggles and Lolly kidded for the first time this year. Snuggles was surly on her way to the sale because she would leave her kids to go out with the pregos. She finally calmed down and turned out to be a good mom. Lolly kidded a single and I had a rejected kid so thought hey let's see what happens. She took that kid no questions asked. The kids didn't grow very well and she was thin and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Come to find out she was the community milk supply and was raising another kid that was a triplet!! Snuggles still tests me at times, she's a little hard to gather but really since they kidded they are so much better. Lolly isn't up snuggles butt any more so she is perfect. The one thing I have to admit that I'm loving about the alpines is their feet! They are about 2 1/2 now and I have yet to have to trim their feet. I keep checking on them but they are perfect. Snuggles also weaned her kids, boer alpine at 3 months old and the boy was 72 and the girl was 68. I'm pretty impressed with that as well. Lolly hers were nothing to sneeze about but she was also raising at least 3 kids lol she gave it her all. So although I totally detested those two to start with I think I'm pretty impressed with them!


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

I ended up hating the boers, sold all of them a while ago. They were loud, obnoxious, escape artists and didn't seem to be nearly as thrifty as the alpines. I could have probably fed 3 alpines on what one boer ate here, and the boers still didn't look great. The babies were always born weaker, took way longer to figure out how to nurse, stand, walk, eat etc. They were more prone to being wormy too.

My alpines on the other hand stay in their pen even when the fence is only 6 inches high :lol:
I rarely ever hear them make a sound, only when it's time to milk. I worm the adults maybe once a year, they can easily feed their kids and still often have a surplus of milk. Average weaning weights are 70+lbs at 3 months.
I just like my alpines better :lol:


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