Berry Boers Goat Stud
Full Blood South African Boers; strong, well muscled - Delicious Animals!
Berry Boer Goat Stud prides itself on offering quality stud and commercial animals to meet high national and international demands. Perhaps you are wondering if Boer goats are suitable for your situation, or whether you have the skills needed for goat breeding. Well you've come to the right place!
Whether its goat management and husbandry, goat meat or other products, or you just have a specific question you'd like to ask, we can help. Browses thought this site for general goat and sale information or contact us directly for personal assistance.
Berry Boer Goat Stud, located on Australia's picturesque south coast, is committed to the growth of the Boer Goat industry and the encouragement of goat meat consumption.
The domestic Australian goat meat industry represents a virtually untapped marketplace that requires a constant supply of high quality young goats and kids. Chevon and Capretto, the primary meat cuts, are presently available in some restaurants in major cities across Australia, but are generally unavailable through local butcheries due to lack of supply.
Boer goats, being primary a meat animal, have few management issues and may be managed in a similar way to beef cattle. The temperament is generally docile for both males and females, with strong social bonding within families and herds.
At present the Australian herd comprises predominantly Boer cross animals with many western graziers introducing Boer bucks to their feral herds. This trend greatly reduces the quality and quantity of supply as compared with farms raising solely pure Boer genetics.
Goats were first domesticated about 9,000 years ago in south western Asia around Iran, Iraq and Turkey. The use of domestic goats has spread to every continent and into environments as widely diverse as equatorial rainforests and the arctic. Goats were introduced to Australia with the First Fleet in 1788 as a source of meat, milk and fibre.
Since then Australia has become the world's largest exporter of goat meat, although inconsistent supply of quality goats has hampered the industry. Despite being a major exporter Australia is only meeting twenty percent (20%) of the current world demand for goat meat.
The number of goats slaughtered each year in Australia is over one million with ninety percent (90%) being exported. The local market accepts only ten percent (10%) of the total slaughter. New South Wales slaughters the largest percentage of goats (40%) with Western Australia a close second at thirty percent (30%).
The goats usually presented for slaughter have traditionally been feral or culls from the milk and fibre sector. With the introduction of South African Boer goats in 1995 it has been possible to produce a meat specific goat to either breed exclusively or improve existing herds.
Goats are generally classified as browsers rather than grazers, preferring a wide range of grasses, weeds, roots, shrubs and leaves. In the past goats have been successfully used to eradicate weeds from pastures that have been unpalatable to other stock.