RockyToggRanch
Overrun with beasties
I'm thinking of getting some boer goats. What is this whole percentage thing? can someone please explain? I feel dumb, but I really don't know..
Boer goat question
- Thread starter RockyToggRanch
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ksalvagno
Alpaca Master
There are a lot of Boer goats out there that aren't full blooded Boers. They are mixed with something and it is usually Nubian. So that is where the percentage comes in. If someone is saying it is a percentage Boer they should be able to tell you want the percentages are. Like 75% Boer, 25% Nubian.
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RockyToggRanch
Overrun with beasties
What is a good percentage and what is just ..well.. a mix?
ksalvagno
Alpaca Master
Unfortunately, that I don't know. I guess it would depend on if you are looking for particular characteristics for personal meat/dairy or if you are looking for registered stock that you would do more with.
Roll Farm would be a good one to talk to. She has Boers and she has all kinds of percentage Boers including 100%. Here is her website. http://www.rollfarms.com/
I think ()relics has Boers too but she doesn't have a website. You could probably PM her.
Roll Farm would be a good one to talk to. She has Boers and she has all kinds of percentage Boers including 100%. Here is her website. http://www.rollfarms.com/
I think ()relics has Boers too but she doesn't have a website. You could probably PM her.
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- #5
RockyToggRanch
Overrun with beasties
okay...thanks
()relics
Overrun with beasties
Yes He does have afew boer goats.....So, a full blood boer is a pure boer that's blood carries all the way back to South Africa with nothing but pure full blood...a percentage is an animal that at one time or another has been crossed with another breed of goat...Here is the catcher You ALWAYS need to use a full blood billy no matter what you do...
........SO for example I have some percentage does that I use for commercial animals...They are 88%...their dams were 75% bred to a full blood billy...their granddams were 50%; alpine does bred to a fullblood billy....Now their kids this season are 94% at which time they are considered purebred, still not Fullblood and never to be fullblood...All the does are registered while all the billies are wethered for market Because percentage billies are not breeders, only fullblood billies...So if you want to start a percentage/fullblood/purebred herd get yourself the best Fullblood billy you can afford, breed him to anything,tog,alpine,myo,grade, whatever doe you have and you will be able to register their girl offspring as 50% boers, you continue to grade up from there every year...Or buy some percentage does...but always, always a fullblood billy.....
........SO for example I have some percentage does that I use for commercial animals...They are 88%...their dams were 75% bred to a full blood billy...their granddams were 50%; alpine does bred to a fullblood billy....Now their kids this season are 94% at which time they are considered purebred, still not Fullblood and never to be fullblood...All the does are registered while all the billies are wethered for market Because percentage billies are not breeders, only fullblood billies...So if you want to start a percentage/fullblood/purebred herd get yourself the best Fullblood billy you can afford, breed him to anything,tog,alpine,myo,grade, whatever doe you have and you will be able to register their girl offspring as 50% boers, you continue to grade up from there every year...Or buy some percentage does...but always, always a fullblood billy.....
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- #7
RockyToggRanch
Overrun with beasties
OMgoodness..that makes sense! Thank you for spelling it out. The buck I was looking at is 75%...so I guess I'll pass. I will keep looking though
Thanks again.
Cindy
Thanks again.
Cindy
Roll farms
Spot Master
Technically you *can* use a purebred buck (96% or higher) if you belong to USBGA (not sure about the other associations...) but most folks who breed boers, don't.
It's just not the common practice....I dunno why.
My first Boer buck was an unregistered, black-headed Boer x Spanish who sired nice kids. I let myself get talked into getting rid of him and buying a papered buck who gave me scrawny little kids, half of which died soon after birth.
I was better off w/ live unregistered kids than I was dead fancy- pedigreed kids.
I've had some nice little pb bucklings I've been tempted to keep and use but the general consensus is to 'breed up' as relics said.
However...if I had a spotted pb buckling born, I probably WOULD keep / use him. To each his own.
I think folks should use the best bucks (for what they're breeding for) that they can afford, because a buck has influence on EVERY kid born...it's just that papers / pedigree don't always mean "best".
If I were breeding for commercial / meat kids that I'd never show or sell for show, I wouldn't spend a ton of money on papered buck, I'd concentrate on finding a buck who produces meaty kids who do well w/ little input.
Since I sell some kids to show, some for market, and some for pets, I keep a fullblood buck and use him on all different % levels of does, from dairy on up to fullblood.
My point is, if you're breeding boers to sell for meat / market and not for show, and that 75% unregistered buck is producing big, meaty kids, there's no reason NOT to get him. But if you do want to breed for shows or to sell the kids as show babies, then you'd need to start w/ a registered buck.
Keep in mind that bucks (and does) can't read their papers / understand what percentage they are...papers are not necessarily a guarantee that they're 'good'.
Just MHO... Everyone has different goals w/ their goats and should do what works for them.
It's just not the common practice....I dunno why.
My first Boer buck was an unregistered, black-headed Boer x Spanish who sired nice kids. I let myself get talked into getting rid of him and buying a papered buck who gave me scrawny little kids, half of which died soon after birth.
I was better off w/ live unregistered kids than I was dead fancy- pedigreed kids.
I've had some nice little pb bucklings I've been tempted to keep and use but the general consensus is to 'breed up' as relics said.
However...if I had a spotted pb buckling born, I probably WOULD keep / use him. To each his own.
I think folks should use the best bucks (for what they're breeding for) that they can afford, because a buck has influence on EVERY kid born...it's just that papers / pedigree don't always mean "best".
If I were breeding for commercial / meat kids that I'd never show or sell for show, I wouldn't spend a ton of money on papered buck, I'd concentrate on finding a buck who produces meaty kids who do well w/ little input.
Since I sell some kids to show, some for market, and some for pets, I keep a fullblood buck and use him on all different % levels of does, from dairy on up to fullblood.
My point is, if you're breeding boers to sell for meat / market and not for show, and that 75% unregistered buck is producing big, meaty kids, there's no reason NOT to get him. But if you do want to breed for shows or to sell the kids as show babies, then you'd need to start w/ a registered buck.
Keep in mind that bucks (and does) can't read their papers / understand what percentage they are...papers are not necessarily a guarantee that they're 'good'.
Just MHO... Everyone has different goals w/ their goats and should do what works for them.
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- #9
RockyToggRanch
Overrun with beasties
Very good points and helpful..thank you.
()relics
Overrun with beasties
If you ever have an animal registered with the USBGA and you decide to also register it with the ABGA you will very soon find out why you should only use a fullblood billy... besides in their percentage calculator even the USBGA states always use a fullblood billy... USBGA members may be able to find the paper in one of their packets, its a percentage calculator with a breeding chart printed on the lower half of the page... I'm going to try and find a link that statement on-line...Roll farms said:
.....That said....I completely agree about the quality of the billy sometimes not showing up in the papers...Left unsaid by me earlier: most of the Really good wethers I raise and sell are from my percentage does...So your herd goal is a determining factor in your foundation selection...I still would use a full blood billy just in case you decide you are going to switch directions later....At least all your replacement stock wil be registerable...If that makes sense....remember a percentage boer isn't a mutt but rather a hybrid, taking the best of 2 breeds and making a superior animal.
.....I think Roll farms has a fullblood billy you could talk her out of...might be a good place to start...I have a doeling from him and she is pretty special....
I could go on but instead will let it go....Ask for more if you want to submit yourself to the full blown sermon.......
