What is the best goat for a mixed dairy/meat goat?

[dipence71]

DD 13 is interested in getting goats for 4h now. I have wanted a milk goat for awhile but also possibly meat goat.

 

[20kidsonhill]

That is easy, hands down a boer nubian cross.

 

[20kidsonhill]

If you are referring to a purebred goat, then probably a nigerean dwarf.

 

[freemotion]

Nubians can be pretty hefty and are darn cute with those long ears. And you can have a two-way conversation with them. Well, if you can get a word in edgewise, that is.

 

[KinderKorner]

Kinders!

It's a registered breed that is a cross between a pygmy and a nubian. Great for both milk and meat!

They are mid sized, smart, sweet, and easy to handle. High butterfat, that is tasty and great for making things.

I love mine and just showed for the first time last month. Won nearly everything I entered!

Look them up! It's worth the time.

 

[Roll farms]

One word of caution...if you don't have a kinder class in your 4-H show breakdown, you won't place, and may get disquailified outright.

Our 4-H has A) Dairy (divided into breeds) -B) Boer -C) Pygmy.

A kinder is a Nubian / pygmy cross...but won't win in either class b/ a kinder won't look like a PURE pygmy or PURE Nubian.

I've given up trying to change the rules, they just made it too difficult. They even make kids show Nigerians in the pygmy class....

I wanted a "meat" (or market) class, so that Nub x Boer and Kiko crosses could compete....for the people who cannot afford big $ Boers....b/c right now, if it doesn't have a red head, it ain't winning the class, b/c it's a BOER class. You can't judge a crossbred (but better looking / more heavily muscled) goat as a Boer b/c it won't meet the breed standards. It's just frustrating.

Check out your 4-H goat show breed breakdown. If there is a "Market" goat class, you can show any well-muscled crossbred goat you like and place well if it's the better animal.

If there is ONLY Boer, dairy, etc....and she wants to win, you'd do best to stick to a purebred. Nubians, while not technically a meat goat, can make some decent wethers if fed out right. You can show the females in dairy class and males in dairy wethers or market class.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Ours is a market meat show, you can show any breed or sex, ofcourse if you walk in with only a fullblood nubian you aren't winning a meat goat class. We have done quit well with a couple 88% boerx12%nubian crosses. That is why at first, I was thinking a cross, because ours don't have to be any particular breed, just have nice frame and be long and meaty. We don't have any dairy classes or specific breed classes at our county fair, or any area county, for goats.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

They even make kids show Nigerians in the pygmy class....

That doesn't make ANY sense... wth would you show a dairy animal in a meat goat class?! Apples and oranges.

 

[Roll farms]

Because 'them little fellers look like a pygmy' (as opposed to a full-sized dairy goat).

As you can imagine they came in dead last because....THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE A PYGMY.

*slaps forehead*

 

[Ariel301]

Because 'them little fellers look like a pygmy' (as opposed to a full-sized dairy goat).

As you can imagine they came in dead last because....THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE A PYGMY.

*slaps forehead*

I hate that kind of thing. I showed horses in 4H and my Arabian mare always came in dead last in halter classes because they judged all the halter horses to Quarter Horse standards regardless of breed. And she'd get knocked down in riding classes because she went around with her tail waving in the air and picked her knees and hocks up high instead of doing that slow droopy gait that the Quarter Horse people like.