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Kiko vs. Boer Goats Fed
in a Feedlot: Some Observational Data
Link to the page
by
Dr. Niki Whitley
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
In doing our probiotics
studies in goats, two of the three studies we conducted used Boer or Kiko sired
Boer-crossbred kids. Although there was only one sire per breed with a different
Boer sire the first year and the same Kiko sire both years, the following
information is observational data about their performance in a feedlot
situation. Boer-sired kids were 75% Boer, 25% Spanish/Myotonic; Kiko-sired kids
were 50% Kiko, 50% Boer. The Kiko buck was from Kyle Jonak in Keedysville, MD;
Boer bucks came from Texas and Georgia.
In Year 1, we had 8 Kiko-sired wethers and 16 Boer-sired wethers fed a
commercially available pelleted diet (15% Meat Goat Feed, Southern States) for
56 days. Kiko-sired kids gained 0.36 lb/day while Boer-sired kids gained 0.33
lb/day.
In Year 2, we fed the same diet and had 12 Boer-sired and 12 Kiko-sired wethers.
Kiko-sired kids again gained a bit faster than the Boer-sired kids. Kiko-sired
kids gained 0.28 lb/day while Boer-sired kids gained 0.20 lb/day during the
56-day feeding period.
We slaughtered all of the wethers in Year 2 and collected some carcass data. For
these animals, Kiko-sired kids finished faster, having more fat over the loin
(at the 12th/13th rib) at the same age, with 0.08 inches for Kiko-sired wethers
compared to 0.06 inches for Boer-sired wethers. Kiko-sired kids also had a
larger loin eye area (between the 12th/13th rib) than Boer-sired kids (1.98
square inches for Kiko-sired kids vs 1.79 square inches for Boer-sired kids).
Unfortunately, it seems that none of the animals gained weight very fast.
Perhaps if we fed a different diet or started the animals at a younger age, they
would have higher average daily gains. If the animals were bucks instead of
wethers, they would also grow faster.
In Ranch and Rural Living Magazine (October 2005, page 21), San Angelo State
University reported that bucks on their performance test gained an average of
0.50 lb/day during the 90-day test period, which is much higher than for our
wethers. However, the average rib eye area for the San Angelo State University
buck test was 1.90 square inches (as measured by ultrasound), and our average
was 1.89 square inches, so our kids competed just fine in the muscling area.
Susan Schoenian is hoping to have a pasture-based progeny performance test at
WMREC next year. Several Kiko breeders have expressed interest in putting
animals in the test. If we also get some Boer goats for the test, perhaps we can
get some information on Kiko compared to Boer goats raised mostly on pasture.
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