The History of Boer Goats
 |
Boer
goats come to us from South Africa. The earliest recorded goats
in Africa were brought to western Uganda by the Black Nations as early as
AD 1200. Boer goats were developed in Southern Africa by breeding
these ‘indigenous’ stock to European imports. The point,
of course, was to have a hardy, very adaptable, meat animal that could survive
the varied conditions of the African landscape while still maintaining a
high birth rate, high survival rate, and a marketable meat carcass. |
|
Researchers
have had little luck pinning down an exact line of decent for the modern
Boer goat. Early breeders include such varied and inexact groups as
the "Southern Bantu" people, the Namaqua Hottentots, the Indians
(from India) and Europeans. "Boer" means "farm"
in Dutch.i |
|
By
the beginning of the 20th century, however, the breed was becoming much
more distinct as the ranchers in the Eastern Cape Province of Africa started
breeding for a definite meat type goat with many of the Boer characteristics
that we recognize today. The late Mr T. B. Jordaan of Buffelsfontein,
Somerset East, stated in the first journal of the South African Boer Goat
Breeders’ Association published in 1959, that his father, Mr. W. G.
Jordaan, bought some goats from Mrs. Van de Venter of Somerset East. These
goats were short haired and had light red heads. At the same time
he bought a very large dapple-colored male goat from Mr. I. B. van Heerden
of Kaalplass, Cradock. From these goats, some of the earliest breeding
stock was developed.ii |
|
On
July 4th, 1959, breeding and selection became regulated by the foundation
of the Boer Goat Breeder's Association (of South Africa). In the past
forty years, the breed standards of this association have helped to guide
and mold the Boer goat into an "improved" breed emphasizing good
overall conformation, a compact and well muscled body structure, high growth
and fertility rates, short white hair, darkly pigmented skin, and red markings
on the head and shoulders. In 1970 the Boer goat was incorporated
into the National Mutton Sheep and Goat Performance Testing Scheme, which
makes the Boer goat the only known goat breed involved in a performance
test for meat production.iii |
|
|
|
In
1977, the Boer goat was imported into Germany. In 1987 Lancorp Corporation
Ltd. imported Boers into New Zealand, and in 1988 they were imported into
Australia. The first Boer embryos to reach the North American Continent
were implanted into recipient does at Olds College in Canada. These
goats stayed in quarantine until April 1993, when Boers were released into
the United States and Canada. In New Zealand, three main parties were
involved in the importation of South African Boer Goats: Lancorp Corporation
Ltd., Embryotech Corporation, and African Goat Flock Co. In Australia
the major importer was Australian Breeding Management Pty Ltd. 2 |
|
Since
1987 the Boer goat has been imported by New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Mexico,
Australia, Indonesia, England, India, France, Malaysia, Denmark, British
West Indies, Netherland Antilles, and virtually every state in the United
States. |
|
