BOER GOATS

The history of the Boer goat dates back originally to the early 20th century. Boer Goats are a breed native to South Africa that was developed from feral, indigenous South African goats with meat production in mind.

 

The first farms began selecting for meat production traits in indigenous-type goats in the early 1900s, crossing these animals with

imported European, Indian, Egyptian, and Nubian goats to begin producing a large-framed, muscular, and fast-growing animal that would be able to provide a high-quality meat carcass with good conformation. In addition, Boer does were selected for their prolificacy, hardiness, and docile nature, all of which make them popular animals for use in modern meat production systems.

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Due to their indigenous heritage, many of the earliest Boer Goats showed a wide array of sizes, frames, and colours. Over the years, the Boer breed was selected for its iconic white body and brown head, now referred to as "traditional" Boer markings. However, all Boer goats that trace back to South African heritage are descendants of animals that may have had a broad array of colours, leading to modern variations on the traditionally marked Boer including black and dappled Boer goats.

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The first Boer goats were imported into the United Kingdom in 1987 from Europe. Later imports of Boer Genetics would add new traits to the British herd of Boer Goats, with genetics being sourced internationally including from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the USA.