Sunday, April 25, 2010

Introducing Bracken and Bramble, and Chestnut...



Yesterday we went to a place called Hunua, east of Auckland to pick up the lastest addtion to the Willowbrook Park Rare Breeds Farm - 3 Boer goats: a Buck - Bracken, a Doe - Bramble, and a little Wether called Chestnut...

Above: Chestnut

Above: Bramble

Below: Bracken

Boer goats developed in South Africa from an indigenous breed with the addition of some European, Angora and Indian breeds. The name comes from the Dutch word “boer” meaning “farmer” and was used to distinguish them from Angora goats which were imported into South Africa during the nineteenth century.

The present day Boer goat appeared in the early 1900s when South African farmers started selecting for a meat type goat.

The Boer goat is a large animal and is a specialized meat-producer. Landcorp first imported embryos of the breed into New Zealand in 1989 but they did not become commercially available until the mid-1990s when they were released from quarantine.


In New Zealand, purebred bucks are often used in grading-up programmes: many dairy goat farmers use a boer buck over some of their dairy goats does to produce kids that reach their goal weight faster than a purebred dairy goat kid would.

Each purebred is tagged, and registered with the NZ Sheep breeders association (previously the NZ Boer Goat Breeders assoc).


We can now start our own Boer Goat Stud, with a Buck and a Doe, but best of all, the Doe is already pregnant, and possibly expecting twins. We will keep you in touch this September. They are very cute animals, very agile, and ever so intelligent. They don't stop following you around the field all day, and aren't aggressive, like many goats are portayed. But, they are challenging our hitherto fine fencing, so before we loose our orchard to a midnight goat rampage, we will have to start doing some reinforcing.


Other species of goats can be very cute as well...







7 comments:

  1. I can't wait to hear about the new adventures these sweet ones add to your journey (:

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  2. I enjoy your blog, and am following your progress with pleasure. These are marvelous-looking animals. I am glad you are promoting heritage breeds at Willowbrook. Reggie

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  3. Looks like Bramble is a bit camera shy...can't wait to see the babies in September!

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  4. I'm a Boer goat afficienado too David. I know your new additions will have some wonderful adventures ahead of them at WP.
    Millie ^_^

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  5. HI,MY GOOD FRIEND HERE IN TEXAS HAS A HERD OF BOER GOATS,APPROX. 200 OF THEM.THEY DO VERY WELL IN THE TEXAS HEAT AND HUMITY! I DID NOT KNOW THAT THEY WERE RARE AS THERE ARE ALOT OF BOER GOAT RANCHERS HERE IN MY PART OF TEXAS! IM ENJOYING YOUR BLOG.

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  6. I could kiss that floppy eared goat. Just darling. Everything is beautiful, Lots of work too.


    yvonne

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