Boer Breed

 

Boer Breed

• Boer is Breed of Goat

• which was developed in South Africa in the early 1900s

• The name is derived from the Afrikaans word boer, which means farmer.

• The Boer goat was probably bred from the indigenous South African goats kept by the Namaqua, San, and Fooku tribes, with some crossing of Indian and European bloodlines being possible

• Millions of Boer goats are raised in southern Africa as well as in Australia and New Zealand, the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.

• They were selected for meat rather than milk production.

• This makes it one of the most popular breeds of meat goat in the world.

• Boer goats have high disease resistance and adapt well to hot, dry semi-deserts.

• Common crosses are Boer x Spanish goat, Boer x Angora goat, Boer x Kiko goat, Boer x Nubian goat, Boer x Sirohi, Boer x Osmanabadi, and Boer x Jamnapari goat. An effort to crossbreed with the Malabari goat has been controversial

• The Boer breed is characterized by a white body, red head and red coloration on at least one side of the neck.

• They have large pendulous ears, are large, stocky animals with backward-curving horns and strong, well-placed legs.

• They are prized for their size, rapid weight gain, carcass quality, hardness and delicacy.

• Boers are famous for having twins in three years, often twins and sometimes triplets.

• Adult males often reach 160 kg (350 Pound), and females can weigh up to 110 kg (about 250 Pound).