The Boer Goat originated in South Africa and has been a registered animal for over 65 years. The word "boer" means farm. The Boer goat is the only true meat goat in the world because of its rapid rate of growth. It can reach market weights of 35 - 45 kgs. at five to six months of age, with an average weight gain of .02 to .04 kgs. per day. This will vary depending on the amount of milk provided by the mother and the daily feed ration. When compared with local dairy goats, the percentage of meat on the carcass of the Boer is much higher and dresses out at 40 - 50%.

The Boer Goat can be easily recognized by its wide, long, deep body, white hair, short legs, roman nose, pendulous ears, and reddish-brown or light to dark brown head. Some Boers will have a white blaze down the face. The skin is brown in color, which prevents skin cancer from direct sunlight.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A BOER MALE

The Boer male is hardy and exceptionally strong. He is broad at the shoulders and down the back with a muscled rump. Boers can live in extreme temperatures from very cold (Celsius -25 degrees) to very hot (Celsius +43 degrees) and they can readily adapt to change. They are not prone to disease. They do very well in dense brush land, rocky mountain terrain, or pasture. But naturally being a browser, they prefer leaves, weeds, jungle, and brush compared with grass.

The Boer male can be a very gentle animal, especially when raised around humans from birth, even though he will grow to weights of 120 - 150 kgs. when mature (2-3 years). They enjoys being scratched and rubbed behind their ears, and down their backs and sides. They can be easily handled by holding on to the horns. They can also be trained to lead with a rope.

Boer males can breed any month of the year. They are smelly as this attracts the females. A male can actively breed at 7-8 months of age, but it is recommended that he not be allowed to service more than 8-10 females until about one year old. A mature (2-3 years) Boer male can service 30 - 40 females. It is recommended that all males be separated from the females at 3 months of age so that no unplanned breeding takes place. Males can breed for 7-8 years.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A BOER FEMALE

The Boer female is built much like the male, but looks very feminine with a slender neck and head. She is very gentle and not flighty of nature. She can be bred at 10-12 months of age depending on her size. Gestation for a goat is five months. She is capable of producing 3 sets of kids in two years. A yearling female will produce 1-2 kids. After first kidding, she will usually produce twins, triplets, or quads. Boer mothers supply ample, very high butter-fat milk to suckle their young. When the kids are 2 ½ - 3 ½ months of age she will start to dry up. Boer females have from two to four teats, but may not produce milk from all four. As a non-seasonal breeder, she can be bred back in three months. Estrus can be detected by rapid tail movements called "flagging". A Boer female is capable of producing young for 5-8 years. Mature (2-3 years) females will weigh 80 - 90 kgs. Both male and female Boers have horns.

CROSS BREEDING WITH THE LOCAL GOATS

The local goats raised in Indonesia are of the various dairy goat varieties. When the Boer male is used to mate with the local goats, whether naturally or with artificial insemination, the 50% (F1) cross is amazing. It will carry the powerful genetic tendencies of the Boer. The size and growth rate of the cross will depend largely on the size of the local goats used. Depending on the feed ration, the 50% males will reach market weights of 35 - 45 kgs. in six to eight months, with an increase of meat on the carcass over that produced by the local goat kids of the same age. It is important to understand that protein builds muscles. The local use of corn and legume plants and grasses are an excellent source of natural protein. At one week of age, the kids should have available to them the same sources of feed as their mothers. Even though they are nursing off their mothers, they will start to eat vegetation at a very young age. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WATER IS AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES for both the mother and the kids.

We encourage the farmer to castrate all cross-bred Boer males. This will eliminate unplanned breeding and produce animals with a higher growth rate in preparation for selling them as meat animals. At 6-8 months they will be ready for market. The 50% females can be registered with the Indonesian Boer Goat Registry and will have a Certificate to prove their Boer Goat bloodlines. When the 50% Boer female is approximately one year of age, depending on her growth, she can be bred to a different bloodline Boer male than her father. The kids born from the 50% Boer female will be 75% Boers. The 75% Boer males should be castrated and sold for meat. The 75% female, at one year of age, can be bred to a different bloodline Boer male than her father or grandfather. She will produce 88% Boer kids. The next generation is 94% and the fifth generation is 97%. At the fifth generation (97%) the registration certificate will show the animal as a "Purebred Boer Goat".

The term "Purebred Boer" will be used by the Indonesian Breeders Registry when the goat has had at least five generations of Boers on both the Sire and Dam sides of the registration pedigree. The term "Breed-up" will be used when another breed of goat is crossed with the Boer male, and continues to be crossed with a Boer male at each generation. Each breed-up female can be registered. The males can ONLY be registered at the fifth generation (97%) as a "Purebred Boer" and used for breeding.

INDONESIA BOER GOAT REGISTRY

To have a Boer Goat National Registry is very important. Each Purebred Boer Goat, as well as the cross-bred Boers will retain their value because they will be each have their own Certificate of Identification verifying proof of their Boer bloodlines and pedigree. Each breed-up produces a female goat that is more valuable. By the fifth generation, both male and female crosses can be registered as "Purebred Boers". It is now possible for many farmers in the Indonesia to own either Purebred or cross-bred Boer goats.

The herd of Fullblood Registered Boer goats, at Malang, was imported from Australia. They originally came from the top quality championship herds in South Africa. They were donated by Latter-Day Saint Charities (LDSC) to the Animal Production department of Brawijaya University. They represent six unrelated top quality bloodlines. This large genetic pool is available to the Indonesia farmer as well as to other countries in Asia. Boer goat semen will be made available for sale during the year of 2005. All will carry the certification of registry from Indonesian Boer Goat Breeders. 

"The Indonesian Boer Goat Industry has a very positive and bright future. With the introduction of the Boer Goat to Indonesia, it means that the local farmer can now produce a top quality meat animal in less time with higher meat yield. There is a huge local market, as well as an international market for goat meat."