The Herd
The Goats at Brush Bust’n Boers
My goats are all Boer, or Boer crossed genetics. Almost all my goats are registered with the American Boer Goat Association (ABGA). I began my goat business breeding both registered breeding animals and project goats for my nieces in 4-H. We had great success, winning numerous championships locally with our stock.
Because of the Boer goats highly reproductive nature, the herd expanded quickly and outgrew the 5 acres of family land in Rough and Ready. To keep the goats healthy, I started targeted grazing. The constant movement from one fresh grazing site to the next duplicates the natural movement herbivores prefer. When the Mega Fires began to appear a few years ago in California, the demand for targeted grazing increased exponentially in our county. I had to expand my numbers to meet the new demand for targeted grazing. I purchased some Savanna and Kiko goats that were already crossed with Boer. This added a lot of color to the herd because the Savanna’s are all white and the Kiko’s can be multicolored. Now, I have all the colors the Boer goat comes in mixed in the herd: red, spotted, paint, traditional (red head with white bodies), all white, and a few all black.
My goat business priorities have shifted from breeding purebred Boers and project goats for 4-H and FFA Jr. Exhibitors to a focus targeted grazing. This hasn’t diminished the quality of my goats in the least, in fact it has improved my breeding program. Most of my goats are still registered. Hardiness, mothering ability, ease of kidding are now my top selection criteria, but we still managed to breed the 2021 FFA Champion Market Goat at the Nevada County Fair. A cross between a Savanna X doe and a full-blooded Boer buck.