Another dairy goat question

[dacasodivine]

Does anyone have Boer/Nubian or Boer crossed with some dairy breed for milk? How do they production wise compared to pure breed dairy goat?

I have found someone that has boer/nubian kids for sale but is selling them as 'meat' goats. I thought I remember reading on here or another site of someone that had a boer cross milk doe.

I would post on the other site but signed up and have been waiting over a week for approval. So, here I am!

Thanks again!

 

[greyfields]

That cross is used exclusively for meat production AFAIK. The Boer is used as the terminal sire on the larger framed Nubian, giving you a big meaty animal.

For as meaty as Boer's are, they are slow growers (like any purebreed is). It takes them around 2 years to get to the same weight my lambs would be in 8 months. So, the cross is used to take advantage of heterosis and get more economical meat goats.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I recently, (yesterday) bought some nubians. they are considered dual purpose breeds (milk and meat). Boers are considered meat goats. So I would consider them meat goats, but they might milk out ok.

hopefully someone else will chime in with more info.

 

[MissPrissy]

I have a boer/nubian cross boy. He is gorgeous. I plan to cross him with my one of my nubian/saanan dairy goats. Around here people often cross a meat goat with a dairy goat to have the option of using the kids for meat and having the milking mother to supply the family milk. It does work.

 

[greyfields]

After I have all the does I need (Nubians), I'll be using a Boer and selling the offspring for meat. Of course I had 4 bucklings this year and no does, so it'll be at least two more years now.

"Dual Purpose" in goats, though, is kinda a dubious term. A Nubian is not a meaty animal. It's like a Holstein, it's tall and has a large frame, so you get a lot of meat. But each cut individually will be small relative to a lamb.

Every cut on a Boer goat, even, is small relative to a lamb.

 

[Chatychick]

If you train them right they will be great milkers but just wont make as much as the milking breed, unless they tend to go towards the nubian breed. I dont know why they wouldnt make good milkers...its a 1/2 and 1/2 so why not and if the price is right go for it. I would.

 

[dacasodivine]

He says he has one boer/nubian and one pure unregistered nubian for $80 each! Is this a good price for 4 or 5 month old does?

 

[greyfields]

Yeah. I charge around $200 for does. Just be aware that by 4-5 months, and she hasn't been sold, it may be telling your something.

 

[dacasodivine]

His post on craigslist is that he has 30 baby goats for sell, mostly boer. I'm thinking he's maybe a trader. That's why I asked for pictures, so I can post so people who know can tell me if they really are nubians or crosses. Hopefully he will actually send me pictures. He's an hour away and that's a long drive with today's gas prices just to look at them.

 

[kritter11]

I'm milking 8 does right now, 3 of the 8 are boer crosses and one of the highest producers is a Boer x Kiko...neither breed is a 'milk' goat.
One of the lowest producers is a fancy-pedigreed Nub I paid big bucks for from 'great milking lines'...
Can't judge a goat by it's pedigree (or lack thereof)...they can't read them.