Boer goats are some of the highest quality meat goats available. They are increasing in popularity because of their fast growth rate, rapid increase in body muscle and high reproduction rate.

These animals reach puberty quickly. They are prone to multiple birthings: 50% create twins; triplets are produced by 10-15% of all does; there are also occasions of quadruplets. The dams are able to produce enough milk to nurse these multiple births. This means that the kids gain weight quickly and are more healthy than other breeds.

Buy a Pair

Goat breeding for Boers typically starts by buying the buck and does. Experts recommend that first-time breeders start with a ratio of 1 buck for about 20 to 30 does.

The quality of kids depends on a large part on the buck. This is the reason why champion bucks can cost several hundreds of dollars. When looking at bucks you’re thinking of buying, check thoroughly before making a big investment. Make sure that the buck is not overweight. They need to visit all of the does, and that involves a lot of walking. Fat can also restrict the testicles and make it harder to produce sperm.

Does also need to be healthy to produce good offspring. If possible, choose one that has produced kids before. Check the records of the breeder to make sure that they can produce and support multiple kids.

Check the Weight

Eventhough Boer does reach puberty earlier; that does not guarantee that they are ready for reproducing. Instead of age, breeders recommended monitoring the weight of the goats to make sure that they are ready.

Goat breeding too early can stunt the growth of the does. This can also cause problems such as dysocia, which is when the kid cannot get out due to a small birth canal.

Compare the weight of the prospective dam to other does in the herd. If the weight is about 60% of a full-grown doe, they are ready to mate. Most boer goats reach this weight at 1 to 1 ½ years.

Don’t Breed too Often

Boer goats are able to reproduce often. But frequent goat breeding (such as 3x in 2 years) can damage the health of the animal too much (especially since they tend to produce multiple kids).

Synchronize

Taking care of kids can be exhausting. One easy way to manage resources and time is to synchronize the breeding. This means timing mating so that all the does get pregnant and give birth at around the same time.

Flush the Does

This process increases the chances that the does can create multiple offspring. Flushing involves feeding the does the best pasture around 4 weeks before breeding season. This conditions their bodies to handle multiple offspring and increases ovulation rates.

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