[packhillboers]

Do any of you have pictures of a Savanah or Savanah Boer Cross. Our very first Boer Doe that came to us.. she was supposedly a full blood boer. We bought her years ago with no real proof she was full blood. Our herd queen Abelene has different horns than our other Full blood boers. We decided not to disbud her baby doeling this year.. This doe now at 16 months has horns that do not appear to be like a Full blood Boer horns. I will try to get a pict loaded.

I was hoping to see a few Savannah mixes as I think that Abelene might possibly have that in her.

 

[ptgoats45]

This is my fullblood Savanna doe. I don't have any kids from her yet, but she will be bred to a Boer this fall. There is a group on facebook for Savanna breeders called "Savanna Goat Breeders & Savanna's 4 -sale" there have been pics posted lately of some Savanna/Boer kids.

 

[packhillboers]

Well thank you .. that helps. You have a big nice looking Doe there. I will check out those sites.

 

[Jessica84]

Your in California right???? I have searched and searched for savanna goats for sale any where near California and have yet to find any even close to us. You might have one but my guess would be not or if you really do your lucky . When you say the horns are not like a Boer try looking at pictures of kiko and Spanish and see if that looks like what you have on your hands

 

[HoosierShadow]

I remember bringing up a topic similar to this a year or so ago. We have a doe that we were told is kiko/cross, but she also kind of looks Savannah. I was told that Savannah have dark skin, not pink?

Our doe doesn't have pink skin, but I don't think it's too dark either.
We're guessing she is possibly kiko/boer, but just leave it at kiko/cross.

This is her boer kid from last year

2 of the 3 kids this year by the same boer buck as the baby above

Pandy's horns

Snow White's horns

 

[packhillboers]

Candice, I remember your snow white! She has horns like our abelene. Your goats are awesome. Your kids have grown and they are more than awesome.. What a great blessing they are.

Jessica84.. Oh.. you know.. i do remember looking for savannah also in california.. you are right.. highly unlikely that she is.. but could be spanish or kiko but even the kiko breed is rare here I think. I am only going off of the horns. I will get a photo today. They are just not what I am seeing on the fullblood boers as they move out to the side more.

 

[goatylisa]

oooh now I'm wondering if we should start a small herd of savanna in CA market meat niche! $$$$

 

[packhillboers]

Well.. the boers are quite populated in our area. The 4-H in our area is really doing a great job promoting the Boer breed here. I am seeing more and more Boers pop up everywhere in our area. We are small herd people. VERY small. We only have 6 at this time but come spring.. that can go up to 20 easily if all have triplets! You all should start SMALL

 

[goatylisa]

We only have 6 at this time but come spring.. that can go up to 20 easily if all have triplets! You all should start SMALL

That is exactly how I feel about every breed, they multiply like rabbits and I'm firm on keeping herds clean. Start small and manageable and know your kids and future kids will be clean.

 

[Jessica84]

Candice, I remember your snow white! She has horns like our abelene. Your goats are awesome. Your kids have grown and they are more than awesome.. What a great blessing they are.

Jessica84.. Oh.. you know.. i do remember looking for savannah also in california.. you are right.. highly unlikely that she is.. but could be spanish or kiko but even the kiko breed is rare here I think. I am only going off of the horns. I will get a photo today. They are just not what I am seeing on the fullblood boers as they move out to the side more.

I don't think kikos are that uncommon a friend of mine in Janesville has kiko and kiko Boer cross. I got a Boer kiko from her and other then lack of muscle I adore her she has fast growing kids but everyone thinks they are dairy cross.
I thought about getting savannas I think once people here realize what they are they will be a big hit but shipping is so high. But if someone ever got savannas her I would buy in a heart beat. I just love the looks of them.

 

[packhillboers]

Well here is the little runt with her side kick buddy. I say runt.. This is little Rosebud, her mamma's precious baby. Our herd queen produced an itty bitty this year and we kept her for her mamma's sake. She probably is full blood boer. There just wasnt any proof. Both her and her mamma's horns go way out to the side. The paint in the photo is 92% Boer- and Nubian. She looks quite Nubian to me. This is the precious little Dalchini that some of you remember in our thread- Personalities of the Farm. She's a funny one too.

 

[ptgoats45]

Those look more like Kiko or Spanish influenced horns to me. I think Savanna horns are supposed to go back much like a boer. Your does could possibly just have "wild" horns and actually be full Boer. Jack Mauldin did a little article on "wild" horns. Most of his bucks have horns that go higher above the head and out away from the body. http://jackmauldin.com/head_horns.html

 

[packhillboers]

Ptgoats45. Wow.. that was a great article and truly is what I think our Does' horns are; -the wilder boer horns. I am wondering about the 'true' african Boer breed horn standard and what that looks like. I sometimes go to India Boer farms to see what their Boers look like since they are also big Boer goat ranchers there. It is quite interesting to see other ranches in other countries and how they do things. The woman we got Abelene -our first Doe from.. she assured us that she was fullblood and I think she is... I just started wondering & doubting because of the horns that went way out.

 

[Jessica84]

It does look Spanish horns to me. BUT I have been reading a lot up on dapples and for the longest time they were not considered to be true full Boer because of the color. Then after reasurch they realized that no one for sure knows how the Boer breed even came about it could be 10 different breeds that over the years produced what is considered the Boer. So just like the dapples could be a throw back so some kind. Also I never would have even thought this but I am now convinced feed also plays a rule in how horns grow......hear me out here lol. One year I had a total of 5 100% Boer doelings born here I keep 2 and sold three to a friend of mine. She feeds 'hot feed' and her does are soooooo fat. I try my best to let them be goats and will if needed feed mostly oat hay and alfalfa to the ones that need it and a little grain to all every night. My 2 doelings that I kept they have 'normal' Boer horns and not very long. The friends have horns that are just like the horns you see in on that site they kinda go back and out and are much longer then mine are.....just my thought on that. I myself would rather wild horns simply for them not getting their head stuck in the fence.

 

[packhillboers]

Well.. we didnt disbud this year and that little paint dalchini has been quite a pain with her horns.. the broad horns don't get stuck in the fence. The other Does have such big heads that they can't get through. Well the goats are all on the same diet here but I can see that horn growth might have some nutritional things with it. Dalchini even at 8% nubian has a smaller horn base than the boers just like nubians do.

 

[ptgoats45]

Jack Mauldin has some really good articles on his website, most are written from his own experience in the industry and with the goats. I also like the "wilder" horns, especially on bucks since some of those horns that go close to the head will rub on the bucks neck and rub his hair off or even restrict his head movement.

In the June issue of "Goat Rancher" there is an article on the ancestors of the Boer Goats. Several of them were all speckly all over, either red and white speckles or black and white speckles. One variety of goat was all dappled all over just like the dappled Boers, they call it the Eastern Cape Xhosa Type, not sure what a Google search would bring up, but according to this they are one of the ancestors to today's Boer goats.

 

[packhillboers]

Well Abelene,, does have the speckles in her hair like a strawberry roan if you were to see her up close. She is not an 'all white' goat like our other white ones are and her babies ended up very white like the FB sire so that is interesting.. She has a nice cape too.