FULL BLOOD BOER GOATS; F1, F2 BOERS ? BOER CROSSES ?
With so many different ‘types’ of Boers it is understandably confusing.
There are full blood Boer goats, commercial does, pure bred does, F1’s, F2’s …… it’s all very confusing.
If you are a new breeder or you are making enquiries from an overseas country, it is important to take a moment to understand the difference. Most qualified breeders will soon be able to ascertain your needs but it sometimes helps to have a reference checklist hence the explanations set out below.
There are full blood Boer goats, commercial does, pure bred does, F1’s, F2’s …… it’s all very confusing.
If you are a new breeder or you are making enquiries from an overseas country, it is important to take a moment to understand the difference. Most qualified breeders will soon be able to ascertain your needs but it sometimes helps to have a reference checklist hence the explanations set out below.
What are full blood Boer goats?
These animals are registered with certificates confirming that both males and females are descended from registered animals imported from Africa. The Breed Registration Paper / Pedigree Certificate identifies the breeding line of the sire and dam, the date of kidding, the number of kids and other information that is helpful for herd management.
A registered full blood Buck or Doe will meet the Breed Specification criteria for the Boer Goat. A download of this information is available on this website.
What are pure-bred Boer goats?
Pure Bred Boers are the progeny of registered males or females that have been joined to 5th cross goats or higher. These goats cannot be registered.
As a pure-bred the goat will have 93.75% Boer blood. A pure-bred doe may well look just like a full blood doe having the dark brown head and the white body but it will never be able to breed to become a full blood Boer.
As a pure-bred Boer doe, the weight gain of the kids can be matched with that of a full blood Doe but there is always the possibility of a ‘throw-back’ at kidding time with non Boer-like colourings or markings. These might include the light coloured head and ears or patchy colours on the skin.
What are cross-bred Boer goats?
The sire of all cross-bred goats must have a full blood Boer buck. The crosses are often referred to as F1, F2, F3 or F4 and have started with a native or Cashmere goat for the first cross – an F1. Each subsequent breeding from the resulting kid will take the crosses or upgrades though to an F2, F3 then F4. The doe will be a pure-bred at the fourth cross and the buck a pure-bred at F5.
These animals are often referred to as Boer crosses or simply as F1’s, F2’s, F3’s etc They exhibit the hardy, sturdy and fast growth rate that characterises the full blood Boer and are excellent meat animals. No cross-bred Boer will be able to be registered as a full blood animal.
What are commercial bucks and does?
Not all full blood bucks and does will be registered by the breeder. Many breeders will select only the best of the kids from each kidding for the on-going stud breeding program. Some will be rejected simply for aesthetic reasons – brown patches in the wrong places or white patches on the ears but the meat producing qualities will be still be genetically inherent in the animal. These goats are excellent value for a commercial herd where the focus is the slaughter market or where animals have been purchased for property weed control.
Whatever your choice of goat, herd management, feed and nutrition procedures and breeding information will be the same.
These animals are registered with certificates confirming that both males and females are descended from registered animals imported from Africa. The Breed Registration Paper / Pedigree Certificate identifies the breeding line of the sire and dam, the date of kidding, the number of kids and other information that is helpful for herd management.
A registered full blood Buck or Doe will meet the Breed Specification criteria for the Boer Goat. A download of this information is available on this website.
What are pure-bred Boer goats?
Pure Bred Boers are the progeny of registered males or females that have been joined to 5th cross goats or higher. These goats cannot be registered.
As a pure-bred the goat will have 93.75% Boer blood. A pure-bred doe may well look just like a full blood doe having the dark brown head and the white body but it will never be able to breed to become a full blood Boer.
As a pure-bred Boer doe, the weight gain of the kids can be matched with that of a full blood Doe but there is always the possibility of a ‘throw-back’ at kidding time with non Boer-like colourings or markings. These might include the light coloured head and ears or patchy colours on the skin.
What are cross-bred Boer goats?
The sire of all cross-bred goats must have a full blood Boer buck. The crosses are often referred to as F1, F2, F3 or F4 and have started with a native or Cashmere goat for the first cross – an F1. Each subsequent breeding from the resulting kid will take the crosses or upgrades though to an F2, F3 then F4. The doe will be a pure-bred at the fourth cross and the buck a pure-bred at F5.
These animals are often referred to as Boer crosses or simply as F1’s, F2’s, F3’s etc They exhibit the hardy, sturdy and fast growth rate that characterises the full blood Boer and are excellent meat animals. No cross-bred Boer will be able to be registered as a full blood animal.
What are commercial bucks and does?
Not all full blood bucks and does will be registered by the breeder. Many breeders will select only the best of the kids from each kidding for the on-going stud breeding program. Some will be rejected simply for aesthetic reasons – brown patches in the wrong places or white patches on the ears but the meat producing qualities will be still be genetically inherent in the animal. These goats are excellent value for a commercial herd where the focus is the slaughter market or where animals have been purchased for property weed control.
Whatever your choice of goat, herd management, feed and nutrition procedures and breeding information will be the same.
