# Kikos - Talk to me about them



## SuburbanFarmChic (Jul 30, 2011)

We are looking at running a low maintenance meat herd on about 6 acres of pasture.  I would love to hear from people that have had Kiko goats the pros/cons of this breed. Are they what they are hyped to be? Are there, like there can be in any breed, a few great ones that are setting the standards and the rest are eh.  We will be shelling out money for good foundation stock and are also interested in breeders.  


Our replacement barn is being started soon and should be done by the end of Sept.  Then we're running a water line, then dropping in the fencing. Then goats.  So we might not be looking at purchasing until Spring but want to start making the contacts and putting out feelers now.   About a 4hr driving distance from Shepherdstown, WV is the goal for breeders so think PA, MD, VA, WV, maybe DE.   I am going to make the usual craigslist and website round but would love to keep the business "in the family". 




How are your kiko goats selling? Are boer bringing better money for straight up meat? Are crosses better?    I'm reading all the "this breed of goat rocks" websites but I'd love to hear from people that actually have them.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 30, 2011)

For those interested in Kiko's:

Three years ago we went to "goat boot camp" put on by Oklahoma State University and Langston University in Ada, Oklahoma.  It was three days of intense goat information.  

The lead professor was Dr. Dave Sparks, who breeds Kikos.  He has a farm about 20 miles from us and we have been over to see his operation.  He is very big on Kikos and shows and sells them.

If I were interested in learning about Kiko's I'd get in touch with him.

Go to www.stookeygoatfarm.com to see an interesting story about raising goats in Oklahoma, plus they have great photos.

DonnaBelle


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## jodief100 (Jul 31, 2011)

I have them and I love them.  The ones I have are more hardy and more parasite resistant than my boers.  They also do much better on my foarge based program.  There is variance, just like with the boers.  I get a little less per pound for them at auction but I do not have to put as much feed in them so I come out ahead. 

The kids with kiko dams and boer sires are the best.  Small at birth, fast growing and very hardy.


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## Roll farms (Jul 31, 2011)

I don't believe Dave "shows" kikos...he participates in performance tests.  I've never heard of a Kiko show...production sales yes, shows, not so much.

Kikos 'ain't' show goats...they are purpose animals...and they will strengthen your genetics if you have boers.

I really, really like Kiko x (boer, Nubian, etc.) better than pure Kiko.  Hybrid vigor rocks.  I think if you get GOOD proven stock, you'll be pleased.  I predict that in another 15 yrs the gene pool of the Kikos will be just as polluted as the boers...I hope not, but us humans LOVE to muck up a good thing.

We had a son of Loverboy....he made awesome kids...but was meaner than any 10 bucks I've had.  
We have a Keeper grandaughter...she's not huge, but she hasn't been dewormed in 3 yrs (we can't catch her usually) and her hooves only get done 1x a year.  The biggest 2 kids I have right now are a Boer x Nubian kid of mine and a Kiko x boer from Jodie.

As far as I can tell, I was one of the 1st people in IN w/ Kikos.  I don't have a big meat market, and most folks wanted the redheads for show....so I sold the mean buck and just started breeding for better udders, parasite resistance, and hardier stock w/ our boers, kept a few Kiko / kiko x and still 'play' w/ making 'SUPER GOATS' every year.

If  / after you contact Dave....Contact Troy Loehman in IL...he was one of the original Kiko people and knows more about Kikos than a lot of folks.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 31, 2011)

Yep, Rolls is right, production shows.  I knew Dr. Sparks had been to some kind of show in Tennessee, he showed us the advertisment at the goat camp.  

He does raise a lot of them on his 80 acres!  His wife is active in the raising of them, and does a lot of the paperwork, or should I say computer work.

I am so lucky to be in Oklahoma, as far as having OSU, etc. close by.

Not so lucky with Oklahoma weather this year.  In February we had a record snow fall, now it's record heat. LOL.....

DonnaBelle


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## 20kidsonhill (Jul 31, 2011)

We looked into boer and kiko. We decided only having 6 acres wasn't enough room for kikos, since they have a tendency to be on the wildier side and harder to fence in.  Plus we have children and we wanted an animal that was easier to handle. We have mostly boer/nubian crosses, a couple full-bloods that we added a couple years ago. The full-blood babies always sell the fastest.  Followed by the dark headed crosses, unless a light headed cross just has an amazing frame on it. We added more new full-blood does this year and expect babies on the ground in the spring. Looking forward to seeing how well they sell. 

Our children show in 4H and I have never seen a goat appear to be a boer kiko cross at the show or heard anyone mention having one. I guess it is possible, but normally you can tell by their horns, since we don't need to dehorn.   

Having kiko would limit your sale as far as show whethers go. 

Families with children don't want to deal with them.

Your market would be more limited, you would have a market for replacement stock to other farms wanting to raise kiko and the meat market. 

personally I htink they are harder to sell in this area anyway. But I don't have first hand experience. I saw a couple really nice boer kiko crosses for sale on craigslist this summer, she wasn't asking a whole lot for them. and they had black heads, and it still took her a while to sell them. If I had put up for sale black headed percentage boer does, I know they would have sold right away and for more money than she was asking. 

But as far as I know there may be a big market for them in the mountains, and meat prices are cetainly doing well. your best time to kid out would be fall so you can get the kids to market before easter and it seems to always be easier to sell breeding stock in the spring. People starting new ventures, atleast in my experience. Kids also always grow better over the winter than during the summer. 

Good luck on your decisions.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks guys! This is exactly the kind of information I need.  We will be selling directly to a restaurant and direct meat sales to individuals so I hopefully won't have to deal with the 4H preferences for boers.  Also kicking around the potential of a boer/nubian/kiko cross and hard culling that which does not cut the mustard for maintenance stuff.


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## Roll farms (Jul 31, 2011)

If you don't, start reading "Goat Rancher" magazine.  IMHO, it's the best goat information out there...lots of good info on Kikos, and general goat info.


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## TheMixedBag (Aug 1, 2011)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> For those interested in Kiko's:
> 
> Three years ago we went to "goat boot camp" put on by Oklahoma State University and Langston University in Ada, Oklahoma.  It was three days of intense goat information.
> 
> ...


Just a note-I do know these people apparently (I work with their stepson, which is something I didn't know 'til yesterday) and thanks to this thread-I'm picking up my first kiko doeling in 2 months! (I know, total thread hijack, but still).

BUT-(and I haven't had the chance to ask her yet)flicking through this thread more, it seems kikos tend to run on the wild side. Just how wild can I expect my doeling to be if she's dam-raised? Once she gets home I'd be treating her the same as my dairy goats (constant attention and handling), but is it possible she'd always be fairly wild?


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## Roll farms (Aug 1, 2011)

All I can tell you is that all of mine (7 over the course of 6 yrs) have been harder to tame down than any other goats I own.  I literally cannot catch Nissan.  Can't.  Takes 4 people to corner that heifer.


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## DonnaBelle (Aug 1, 2011)

Wow!!  Now that is some interesting information regarding the Kikos being "wild" 

Don't want any wild goats.  I like my Nubians because they are very easy to handle.

Hmmmm doesn't anyone on here know anything about the Savannas??  Or had any??

DonnaBelle


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## Mugen (Aug 4, 2011)

Hello everyone! 

I'm also interesting in Kiko goat. What is reasonable price for bucks and does? It seems like everyone is asking $3-500 each. Thanks!


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## Roll farms (Aug 4, 2011)

I'd imagine that if handled early / often, they could be tamed some....Nissan was 6 mo. old when we got her and she'd never been touched.

I bought a BoKi doeling from Jodi that I bottle raised, and she LOVES us.

If I could find more breeders willing to sell bottle babies / newborns, I'd get more...but that screws up their production records.  They wanna know what they weigh at 30,60, and 90 days and see how well the mamas raised them, etc.

Some Kiko breeders I've talked to about buying newborns act like I'm speaking of Blasphemy -  What do you mean you want to bottle raise it?  That's the mama's job!!!


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## jodief100 (Aug 5, 2011)

Mugen said:
			
		

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm also interesting in Kiko goat. What is reasonable price for bucks and does? It seems like everyone is asking $3-500 each. Thanks!


300-500 is not out of the ordinary for registered stock. I know where you can get unregistered stock for far less.  What part of the country are you in?  I may be able to point you better prices.


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## Mugen (Aug 5, 2011)

Jodie,

I am from NE Georgia. Thank you! 





			
				jodief100 said:
			
		

> Mugen said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## jodief100 (Aug 8, 2011)

I have bought some unregistered ones from farms in Kentucky and Illinois.  It is a bit of a haul from Georgia.  I recomend going through the breeders list at NKGA and IKGA and calling people near you.  Ask about unregistered ones.  I have bought some nice ones from $150-$200.  I also got some for good prices at the doe auction during the MD buck test field day last year.  

http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com/

I also suggest find a GOOD buck and some kiko mix does and make your own kikos.  You should be able to get a decent registered buck for $300-$500.  Look at the birth and weaning weights of kids sired- or those of his parents if he hasn't had any.  That is far more important than the bloodlines.  Or better yet, buy one at one of the forage only (MD) or forage based (IL) buck tests.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Aug 8, 2011)

I am in eastern WV.  Sorry I missed your post earlier.  At this point we are probably going to be buying stock in the spring. Potentially late Oct early Nov but the water lines have to be installed first.  I ALMOST went to the last MD forage test because it was 15 minutes from us.   Probably going next year to see what we can pick up.


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## spanish goatee guy (Oct 7, 2011)

i have had kikos there great mommas ,better at battlin worms , downside they are just a little wild dairy goat with a tad more meat , than adairytype  ihave seen quite afew at2 OR OLDER with blown out udders ,ino longer raise them


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## austintgraf (Oct 12, 2011)

I used to raise them until I transfered to purebred registered nubians cause I wanted milk to make cheese and show goats. But may I recommend a rather new breed if thats what you call it. The Genemaster goat this is 7/8ths boer and an 8th kiko. Kiko goats doe have some parasitic resistance but the meat yield is low seeing as there size just isn't comperable to the boer. It only takes a touch of the wild kiko blood to strengthen your goats. Kiko kids are also smaller than boers so with the genemaster goat you get a hardy goat who kids small and easily but has kids that will put on the pounds fast and grow to the size of boers. Highly marketable but seeing as it takes a while to breed them themselves you may just start by buying them out right. Would be pricey more than likely but may be a good investment in the long run. Good Luck


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