Boer goat farming in india

The Boer goats are bred for their meat. Boer Goats originate from south Africa and are known to survive by grazing in very arid areas. They are muscular and fast-growing. Due to selective breeding, the Boer goats are known to have good size, excellent carcass taste and are resilient to hot weather conditions. They are tolerant to a range of diseases and can survive harsh conditions.

the Boer goats are known to reach 160 kg for a male and the doe can reach 110 kg. The average weight of a Boer goat is said to be 114 kg for a male and 94 kg for a doe. The milk of the goat is creamy but these breeds are not bred for their milk. the Boer goats can breed throughout the year and reach sexual maturity at 5 months of age. the Boer goats produce 3 kids’ cycles in 2 years. they are pregnant for 5 months and once born, they are left to nurse the kids for 3 months. the cycle continues every 8 months. The first 2 pregnancies of the does are usually with one kid but thereafter, 2 kids are normal.

The Boer goats can grow to their full size in 18 months. The goats that are fed concentrates will tend to grow faster and healthier than those which are only left to graze on free range. For meat purposes, goats are sold from the 3rd month. in India, though it’s advisable to sell the goat after the first year or even after a year and a half if it’s sold for meat.

Does usually reach sexual maturity in 10 to 11 months while the buck reaches sexual maturity in 5 months.

Interesting Facts about Boer Goat

  • The Boer goat is the only goat exclusively bred for meat
  • Boer goats can breed throughout the year which is different from other goats
  • Boer goats are distinctive in appearance with a redhead and a white body
  • Boer goats are immune to most diseases and can survive harsh weather conditions, especially hot arid conditions
  • Boer goats are frequently used for land maintenance as they are capable of eating almost anything and can prevent bush encroachment effectively
  • Boer goats are fast-growing varieties
  • Boer goats are bred for shows too
  • Boer goats can survive Longer droughts and poor grazing conditions in comparison to other goats
  • Boer goats also provide larger, higher quality skin which fetches a better market price.
  • boer goat, though not used for milking purpose have good milk with 5.6% butterfat and 15.7 percentage total solids.
  • Boer goats can maintain economic production for up to 10 years.

Boer goat price: in India, Boer goats have been imported since 1987. the first import from south Arica was noted in 1987 to Maharashtra. 1000 Boer goats were maintained at Phaltan in Maharashtra and bred. Thereafter, plenty of other breeders showed interest and either imported Boer goats from south Africa or purchased kids from importers. Today there are numerous breeders and Boer goat owners but still a lot fewer when compared to other goat varieties. The price of a Boer goat is high due to a lack of supply. With more demand and poor supply, the prices are high. The Boer goat is considered rare in India. The breed demands a price 4-5 times higher than most other goats. While the price of a normal goat would be around 10,000 Rs at its full size and weighing up to 15 Kilos, the Boer goat demands a price up to 50,000 and even more in some cases. Goats are priced per kilo and while normal goats are priced at 400 rs per kilo, the Boer fetches 1500-1750 per kilo. Considering this price an adult male Boer goat would be priced at 150000 or more. While there are sellers who sell for a lesser price, the quality seems questionable. The best option is to buy a kid which is not more than 6 months and weighs anywhere between 15 and 30 Kilos.

Boer goats for Sale: There are plenty of people selling Boer goats online. It depends on where you are located as purchasing from the nearest breeders will be easier for you in your pocket. Prices for transportation could be high especially if you would have to transport an animal over 1000 kilometres or more. The question of quality also rises. There are notably good breeders listed on India mart. ref: https://dir.indiamart.com/impcat/boer-goat.html and there are plenty of others you could get on youtube too with contact information. You will rarely find a Boer goat in the livestock market. These breeds are not easily available in a mandi-style market. There are no registered Boer goats or licensed breeders. The Boer goat is not registered with the ICAR yet and all the breeders are private.

https://nbagr.icar.gov.in/en/registered-goat/)

Profitability of Boer goat Business

Overall, the Boer goat is a very profitable venture you can delve into. To begin with, the Boer goat has priced possession these days. The profit you could make with the right marketing far outweighs the investment of purchasing the Boer goats and the effort you take in breeding them. An investment of 2 or 3 Lakh rupees may seem daunting to many people but when you can cover the investment in less than 2 years and make a profit from the 3rd year onwards, the prospect of good revenue is high. Boer goat farms are rare and these breeds have a high demand now and will have a high demand in the future. once the market is open for these breeds, the requirement for meat will rise too. if you are ready for the market when it opens, chances are you will profit highly from it.

Today the Boer goats account for less than .05% of the goat population. There may be less than a few thousand in total population and they are sparsely spread throughout the country. chances are you don’t have a Boer goat farm at least 200 km near you. imagine supplying to everyone in a 200 Km radius. there may be at least 100 farmers who would purchase your product to breed. You could be one of the preferred breeders. As for the meat, the options are much much higher.

How do the Indian Goat breeds compare to the Boer goat?

The largest of the Indian-bred goats is the JamunaPuri . The JamunaPuri buck reaches 90 KG in 2 years. This is a fast-growing breed and is bred for its milk and meat. Milk is the primary reason for breeding JamunaPuri . Nevertheless, the breed is fast growing and at 90 KG in 2 years, is one of the only comparable breeds of Indian goats to Boer. The Boer buck can grow up to 160 KG in 2 years if they are bred in closed shelters and fed with pellets. a normal buck would weigh 120 kg in 2 years. even then you have a 30 kg difference between a JamunaPuri and a Boer goat. It’s not only the size of the goat and its weight that is different. The JamunaPuri is a hardy goat, just like the Boer and can withstand most conditions, weather or disease. The difference in meat quality too is quite comparable and the preference is usually personal or based on demographics. The meat from JamunaPuri is low in cholesterol, just like the Boer. But when it comes to breeding, the JamunaPuri has its setback while the Boer goats excel in it. Also note that most JamunaPuri bucks weigh 40 KG, Far lesser than what’s reported in a controlled environment.

Disadvantages of Farming Boer Goats

The biggest problem faced by farmers and enthusiasts alike in India is the lack of specimens to start a farm. A good Boer goat is rare and has to be either imported at an exorbitant cost or has to be purchased from a handful of farmers today who may be a few 100 kilometres away. Finding a good specimen has always been a challenge when it comes to Boer goat farming and especially starting a Boer goat farm.

The second biggest problem with Boer goats is their internal parasites. There are a few health issues which may hamper the health of a Boer goat and internal parasites is a common one. In general Boer goats are very immune to diseases and can withstand high temperatures and arid weather conditions. they are known to withstand droughts far better than other goat breeds too, but internal parasite problems are an issue that haunts the Boer goat.

When it comes to showing goats, they require a lot of feed and the quality of feed matters too. It’s the same for the Boer goat too. They require plenty of feed and for their size, a lot more than what most other breeds would consume. Fortunately, they are good browsers and they will feed on almost anything. if not for show purposes, the problem of feeds is not a major issue.

The three characteristics of Boer goats which help identify them

The Boer goats are unique and can be identified almost immediately from their looks. They have a red head and white body. But then there are a lot more details you could go into to be sure that these goats are indeed boer. These animals are large and stocky. Their eyes are brown and their ears lop backwards. The hours are big and curve backward. They have well-placed legs. Overall the animal is muscular in its full form when in full maturity.

Advantages of Boer goat farming

  1. The Boer goats are extremely docile and well-mannered. Despite their size, they are friendly and rarely fight with other animals. This makes them extremely good pets too.
  2. They are fast-growing breeds. Reaching a full size in 2 years and weighing nearly 100 Kilos is a good growth rate among goats.
  3. Very minimal health issues: The Boer goats are known to have very few diseases and can withstand the most common health problems. The only major issue noted with the Boer goat is internal parasites
  4. Hardy: The Boer goats are hardy and can survive harsh conditions. They will survive a short drought and feed on what they find. This makes the breed easy to maintain.
  5. Long lifespan: A Boer buck will live up to 10 years and a doe will live up to 20. the life expectancy of a doe is far more than most other goats and they are sexually active for almost 10-13 years of their life.
  6. Fast breeders: Though the Boer will only give birth to 2 kids per pregnancy they will be pregnant every 8 months or so. It’s easier to multiply Boer goats as compared to other varieties which will only be pregnant per cycle.

Reference on The variety : http://www.evolution-int.com/en/boer

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