We strive to breed a Boer goat that thrives on low maintenance. We instituted a two prong program to achieve this goal.
The first prong was to monitor the worm load on the goats and select the animals with the highest resistance by using the FAMANCHA system and Fecal Egg Counts (FEC). The goats that could not tolerate heavier worm loads were culled from the herd. Another aspect of this approach was to evaluate nontraditional methods of worm control such as: Copper Oxide Wire, high tannin plants, and herbal remedies.
The second prong was to evaluate the hoof maintenance needs to the goats. Some of the goats needed their hooves trimmed several times a year. We culled anyone that needed more than two trimmings a year. We also culled their offspring.
Our breeding program will continue to use worm resistance and hoof care as a cull factor while maintaining good growth rates.
Some more about our philosophy, You will notice that most goats has a sale price. The way I look at it is our ultimate goal is to improve the breed; therefore, the daughters should be better than the mothers.
Thank you for looking at our goats.
Richard & Anita Ramsey |
SPOTLIGHT
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The proper use of FAMACHA and worming
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