Research Results

Doe performance: Comparing Boer, Kiko, and Spanish.

Information taken from the study: "Doe Reproductive and Fitness Traits Among Three Meat Goat Breeds Semi-intensively Managed in the Southeastern US" by R. Browning, Jr., M. L. Leite-Browning, B. Donnelly, and M. Byars, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

This information also appears at http://faculty.tnstate.edu/rbrowning/


In the fall of 2003–2005, 81 Boer, 64 Kiko, and 59 Spanish straightbred does were exposed to Boer, Kiko, and Spanish bucks in a complete 3-breed mating scheme to assess doe reproductive performance on southeastern US pastures. Does were managed together in a semi-intensive manner. Kids were weaned at three months. There were significant differences in doe performance. Litter sizes and weights were the same, but let's find out how the does performed overall. . .

TEST	BOER	KIKO	SPANISH
Proportion of does delivering at least one live kid	82%	96% ± 3	93%
Litter size at birth (There were differences, but negligible)	1.9 kids	1.9 kids	1.9 kids
Litter weight at birth (There were differences, but negligible)	6.03 kg	6.03 kg	6.03 kg
Does weaning at least one kid	72%	88% ± 4	88% ± 4
Litter size at weaning	1.55	1.65	1.8 ± .06
Litter weight at weaning	25.7 kg	29.5 ± 1 kg	28.2
Efficiency Ratio—litter weight to dam weight at time of weaning	52 ± 2%	61 ± 2%	67%
Kid crop percent at time of weaning	112%	144%	157 ± 9%
Kid crop weight at time of weaning	18.5 kg	25.8 kg	24.5 ± 1.5 kg
Annual treatment for lameness (does)	71%	31 ± 5%	39%
Annual treatment for internal parasites (does)	50%	17 ± 5%	24%
Fecal parasite egg counts (eggs/g)	523	331	233 ± 45
Attrition rate (does)	21%	7 ± 4%	8%

That was good. . . we now know that Spanish goats put out more pounds of kids per pound of doe. We also know that Spanish goats can be taken from an arid climate (Texas) into Tennessee and still perform consistantly well.