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The development of the Boer goat in the early 1900’s can be traced to the Dutch farmers of South Africa. Boer is a Dutch word meaning farmer.  With meat production setting the selection criteria, the Dutch farmers developed the Boer goat as a unique breed of livestock. The Boer goat has a rapid growth rate, excellent carcass qualities and is highly adapted to different environments.

 

Boer Goat, the SA Savanna and the SA Kalahari Red is pure native to Africa , ennobled in South Africa , for Africa and the world at large . These three species under the umbrella name of " South African Boer goat " 

 

The  Zimbabwe Boer Goat Society was founded on January 2015 to enable the breed registry, to collect and maintain the history and pedigree of Boer Goats in Zimbabwe, to provide for their registration, to preserve the purity of the breed, and to encourage the further improvement and wider distribution of the breed through research, promotion, and education.   ZBGS is a nonprofit society

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Membership in ZBGS is open to anyone 19 years of age or older who has an interest in the purposes of the Society, upon payment of dues as established by the Board from time to time. 

 

Why Boer Goats?

 

‘Meating’ the Market           Profitable - Diverse – Easy to Manage  

 

The Boer goat is abreed of goat that has been specifically bred for meat and is regarded as the world'spremier meat goat. Goat meat is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is growing in popularity and demand in both the domestic and export markets. 

Boer goats offer many opportunities for large and small scale farmers who wish to diversify or seek alternative enterprises. The Boer goat is an ideal grazing companion to cattle and sheep particularly if they are in an environment where they can browse. Goats can significantly assist with pasture management as they have the ability to graze most broadleaf plants that other livestock leave behind. Diversification means more animals per acre and greater economic return.

 

Boer goats have appealing traits in terms of production, fertility, maternal qualities and ease of management. Boer goat traits include: 

  • Hardy and adaptable;

  • High fertility;

  • Multiple births are more common than singles;

  • Heavier than other breeds;

  • Higher dressing percentage than other goatbreeds;

  • Reach slaughter weight more quickly than othergoat breeds.

 

Commercial use of Boers

Average body weights of pure bred and dairy crosses

Boer bucks are being used often used as terminal sires on dairy breeds to produce high quality meat kids.

 

  • Birth Weight    Pure        Crosses      

    3 Months          4,0kg           4.0kg

    5 Months          20.5kg         19.5kg

    7 Months          40.0ky          39.25kg

As numbers increase more pure bred herds are arising and these are being developed specifically for meat production. Kid meat sales from both pure and cross bred Boers are now beginning to show encouraging growth at profitable prices. They are forecast to increase even further as health conscious consumers turn to quality meats, produced in welfare friendly conditions. 

 

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