# boer kids



## billmac (Sep 8, 2008)

Well, I haven't even gotten my first goat yet, and already my herd is growing (theoretically). We picked out a LGD last week from a boer breeder and fell in love with boers. So in addition to two pygmys and three nubians, I think we'll add a boer buckling and doeling. We'll be getting percentage goats. Typically, what is the other breed that makes up a percentage boer?

Any cautions about raising boers with nubians, aside from the obvious breeding precautions?


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## badnewsboers (May 9, 2008)

Percentage Boers can be mixed with anything. They generally tend to be mixed with Spanish, an unregistered Boer or one of the standard Dairy breeds. My percentage doe is part Nubian.

The only thing I can think of is if the Boers are horned and the Nubians are not. Even then its not normally much of an issue. Boers tend to be more laid back and if anything I've found hornless goats to be much rougher than those with horns.


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## billmac (Sep 8, 2008)

The boer breeder I'm working with does not disbud his animals since he shows them. The kids I get will be just weaned, so I will most likely have to band the horns of the boers.

The boers are beautiful animals.


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## rgbdab (Nov 26, 2007)

You will need to keep the boer buck from breeding pygmys or there will be a lot of size problems for the pygmy.
Nubians are similar size, just not as "meaty" and should do fine.

I have all boers and boer%, some have horns and some do not. I have not had any problems and would be hesitant to try to remove horns at that age.

I may be prejudiced ) but I think boers are pretty awesome animals.

Enjoy!!

Denise


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am a boer goat breeder to ...and don't believe in dehorning, but others do here, on the goat spot ....each person has there own opinions ...and I do ...respect that.. :wink: 

Horns are radiators in the summer, they keep the goat cooler....I have seen my boers out in 118 degree weather, tolerating the heat..Also ...the horn is actually part of the goat’s nasal passage and they pass air into them to help keep warm in the winter... 
It is risky de-horning bucks, there scent glands are located behind his horns......

try to hold a goat without horns.... when you can......hold a goat with horns...LOL :greengrin: :wink: 

I had percentage nubian/boer X ....years ago..........they were good in 2 ways... milk production and meat, I like this combo the best.....they also grew faster .

But it is totally up to you....I just want you to be aware of the benefits of having horns.... :dance:


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## billmac (Sep 8, 2008)

I like the looks of the horns but I'm concerned about having some goats with horns and others without, and of course concerned about horned goats getting their heads stuck in the fence.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

All mine have horns. But the one thing I would be worried about is Pygmy goats with those big goats, unless they are wethers. If your Boer buck bred the pygmy it would kill her more then likely.


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## billmac (Sep 8, 2008)

The pygmys are wethers.


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## billmac (Sep 8, 2008)

Come to think of it, I seldom see a picture of boer goats without horns, and yet most of the reading I have done about goats in general emphatically recommends disbudding young kids. Why do boers seem to be the exception?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Example.. ABGA - Breed Standards :Horns should be dark, round, strong, of moderate length, positioned well apart and have a gradual backward curve before turning outward symmetrically.

Alot of people like to show there boers ,in which at the ABGA sanctioned shows they must ...have there horns ...it is the breed standard. 
I find alot more buyers .....(this is what ..I found anyway) ....that want to buy boers with horns,even when we had percenters ,I find very few , that want de-horned , usually when they want de-horned they want wethers, for 4h. we don't de-horn.... so we don't sell to 4hers..we mostly sell ABGA show type animals.

I know how you feel about your hornless goats, they can take alot of punishment from a goat that does have horns...think about going all goats ..either hornless or all goats with horns....it is up to you...


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## badnewsboers (May 9, 2008)

Technically you can show disbudded Boers. Its left to the judges discretion if they penalize. However the animal can never be inspected for ennoblement.


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

correct me if i'm wrong...
boer horns are usually left on for showing because in Africa, where they originated, it was crazy hot, so the goats neededs to keep cool and their horns would act as radiators.

thats why its an important part of boer goats and boer goat showing. alot of the u.s standard came from the south african standard.
__________________________________________________________
I'm switching to boers with all horns here...i dont like to disbud, goats w/o horns will get hurt by those with, they look better, handle better, and can be shown in usbga, abga, and ibga shows. but my market wethers do get bisbudded, but i usually keep them separate anyway.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

You are correct Katrina  That is the same reason why horns are left on fiber goats as well, for heat regulation.

Also boers horns tend to grow strait back and curl around their head, therefore they don't really pose as much of a risk to other goats like dairy goats. Dairy goats horns grow strait up out of their heads before they curl back. We do have a few boers that their horns don't curl back around their head but they don't stick strait up in the air either like dairy goats, boer horns seem to grow fairly close to their head.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

good point sarah..... :wink: :greengrin:


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## barnyard (Feb 10, 2009)

I have to agree about leaving boer horns on. I have no problems with my boers and their horns. However, my Saanen who loves me and rubs all over me- has these straight up sharp horns that are dangerous. I have one 5 yr old Saanen that has no horns. I must say that the dehorned Saanen doesn't take anything from the other boers, in fact she is high on the pecking order. Boers generally are milder in temperment and don't use their horns so aggressivly. That's my experience anyway. I do disbud the weathers as they will be shown by my 4H lovin' children. :wink: I don't think pygmies would be much competition with a boer, they will be the low guys on the pecking order.


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## lesserweevil (Oct 5, 2007)

toth boer goats said:


> try to hold a goat without horns.... when you can......hold a goat with horns...LOL :greengrin: :wink:


...why God created collars... :ROFL:


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## karmouth (Dec 1, 2008)

I have both horns and collars and the 2 do not go well together . The other morning one doe had her horn hooked on the collar of the other . This am I went out to check the collars on all the babies to make sure they were loose enough and found one missing . It was on the horn of a doe ,looked like a bracelet. We now going to start removing the horns. A few weeks ago I had a doe get a 6 monthold wedged in her horns and toss him .I love the look of the horns but have been finding they are not worth the damage they could do.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I will never leave collars on my goats....when we started out in goats.... we had purchased 2 orphans....we asked the lady we bought them from... what happened to their mother...she said that her collar managed to slip over her nose and she suffocated .......the goats can also get them hung up in fences....hang themselves in tree's....hook themselves on horned animals....or other odd places...so it isn't a good idea ...to leave them on them... when you aren't working with them......just my 2 cents worth.... :wink:


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## lesserweevil (Oct 5, 2007)

I don't have any horns for them to get caught on. If I had horned goats I wouldn't leave the collars on - when I had Samwell and he had horns, he used to fight the other goats and get a horn in their collar and twist it. 

Where the goats are, though, is fairly safe. 

I would appreciate that there are risks though - and definitely would be something I would consider if I got a horned goat. However with all the lil kids at my place (human ones) I wouldn't be able to justify having a horned one any more. The boys are allowed to climb in to where the goats are and that would change if I had a horned goat.

Anyway... getting OT!

How will you start removing the horns, Karmouth? Banding?


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## karmouth (Dec 1, 2008)

We are just going to remove horns on any new babies that are staying . The other are older and their horns are big. I will herd horn and hornless separately in the future.Collars for the hornless only.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

The only way I'll leave collars on any goats now, horned or hornless, is if they are the ones with the pull apart plastic snap closure. Just in case. Since I lost Matilda last year - she was wearing a collar cos I was milking her daily, she had horns but she wasnt kept with any horned goats, so I thought it was safe. Well she managed to hang herself in the shade tree in her pen - she was standing up eating leaves and she must have slipped, and her collar got hooked on a tiny branch and she couldnt get her feet back up and she strangled/hung herself.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am sorry keren ...you lost one that way...that is why ...I am so afraid when people leave collars on ...horn or hornless.....they can get into enough trouble without a collar on....let alone with.....accidents happen.....


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