# Cross Nubian to Savannna or Kiko for 4-H project?  CAE?



## Providence Hill (Aug 13, 2013)

We are first-time goat owners so this is our first breeding project.  DD is a 4-Her and has a Nubian doe who delivered purebred twins easily this year as a FF.  She is a big-bodied doe, probably around 140-150 lbs.  DD wants to breed her to a meat goat this fall so she has a market goat for the fair next summer.  We had thought to breed to a Boer at first, but the local Boer breeding options look a little sketchy or are too far away.  There is a local breeder of Savannas and Kikos whose setup looks really good.  We could breed to either buck, but are not sure which breed would be the better choice.  DD likes the looks of the Savannas but that's not really the main consideration.  She does not expect to win the market class because anyone with a Boer or Boer cross will doubtless place first, but she at least wants to make a good showing (and it would be nice to be able to easily place the extra kids as dairy or meat goats if the doe has multiples!).  Can someone offer advice as to which breed you might choose to cross to and why?  My understanding is that Kikos are smaller, but do they grow faster?  Anyone have one of these two breeds crossed on Nubian?

Also, I am finding it next to impossible to find a meat breed buck owner who tests for CAE.  My understanding is that CAE is pretty much passed from mother to kid, not buck to doe.  If my doe is bred to a non-CAE-tested buck, she will not contract the disease, correct?  And if her kids are destined for slaughter anyway (not breeding) than the stakes are much lower, is that right?


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## jodief100 (Aug 14, 2013)

If she wants one to show, I would go with the Savanna buck.  

Kikos are very hardy, parasite resistant and low input goats but they do not have the big solid frame you want to see in one for show.  They also grow slower and it may not be big enough by fair time.  Mine do great on forage but are not well suited for dry lot or being fed a lot of supplemental feed.  

Meat goat operators rarely test for CAE because it is a disease that almost always shows up with age.  Since most meat goats are terminal animals, diseases that take years to present are not a concern.  I do not know enough about transmission to advise you on that.


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## goatboy1973 (Oct 27, 2013)

I would definitely breed to the Savannah buck. The Kiko is not as meaty looking as a Savannah even though a Kiko has a finer bone and their meat to bone ratio is better than the Savannah or the Boer. For show purposes though, breed that Savannah buck to your Nube doe and you should have some awesome show goats. Good luck!


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