Boer Goat

You have two categories you can show under market or breeding. If showing a market goat, at your last show, it will be sold for market. If you show breeding stock then you will have your project over multiple years, however your project can not be housed at the NISD barn while its pregnant. Given this, we encourage students to show market animals. 

I. CONFORMATION Any extreme occurrence of a fault is a disqualification. 

BODY Body should be boldly three-dimensional: long in length of loin, deep in depth of body and wide over the top line and from hooks pins. Does should possess a wedge shape that is deeper at the rear flank than the heart girth, indicating the body capacity to carry multiple kids while also maintaining adequate rumen function. The heart girth should provide ample respiratory capacity and should not appear pinched when viewed from the side or top. Ribs should be well-sprung. The loin should be well muscled, wide and long. The top line should be level throughout with an abundance of muscle from the shoulder through the hip. Animals should exhibit adequate body conditioning relative to stage of production, but not be extremely thin or show accumulation of excessive fat deposits. Faults: Swayback; a break or excessive dip in the topline behind the shoulders; inadequate muscle through the back and loin; pinched heart girth; poor body condition; chest too narrow, too shallow or too wide such that it causes the point of the elbow to be separated from the body; excessive fat deposits.

HEAD A Boer goat should have a prominent strong head with brown eyes that gives a soft gentle look to the face. The brown eyes should not have an untamed or wild look. A roman nose should have a gentle curve, wide nostrils, and well-formed mouth with well-opposed jaws. A Doe should have a feminine appearance about her head. A Buck should possess a strong masculine head. The forehead should be prominent and form an even curve linking the nose and horns. Horns should be dark, round, strong, of moderate length, positioned well apart and have gradual backward curve before turning outward symmetrically. The horns should be well spaced from the back of the neck to allow full range of motion without rubbing the neck at maturity. Percentage Does may be polled (hornless) or disbudded horns. Ears should be smooth and pendulous with no folds or pinches at the base of the ear canal, and with enough length to lay smoothly against the head without interfering with the eye. The front of the upper dental pad must touch all incisors until the goat is 24 months of age. After 24 months, incisor teeth may not protrude more than ¼ of an inch beyond the upper dental pad. A bite and jaw that fits correctly is preferred. Teeth must erupt in the proper sequential position. Deciduous (baby) teeth that have been shed prior to the eruption of permanent teeth, or those that have not yet been shed before the corresponding permanent tooth is fully in place are not discriminated against. No more than 8 incisors, unless there is a deciduous baby) tooth in place from not shedding and the bite is correct. First two incisors should be erupted by no later than 24 months of age. Faults: Dished or concave forehead/face; bulging or wild eyes: flat; straight or wild type horns; horns positioned too close together; horns that grow too close to the head or neck; jaw too pointed; shallow lower jaw; twisted, crocked, or overlapping permanent teeth. Fullbloods that displays erect or airplane ears. Bucks lacking masculinity. Disqualifications: Wry or twisted face; cleft palate; blue eyes; ear folded lengthwise; ear crimped or narrowed at the base; shortened lower jaw (parrot mouth); the front of the upper dental pad does not touch all incisors before 24 months of age; incisor teeth protruding more than ¼ inch of an inch beyond the upper dental pad after 24 months; teeth not erupting in proper sequential order or position; more than 8 incisors when additional teeth are not the result of the normal shedding process of deciduous teeth. Fullbloods that are disbudded or polled (hornless).

 NECK AND FOREQUARTERS The neck should be of moderate length and in proportion to body length. Does should exhibit a feminine neck that should blend smoothly into the shoulders, withers and briskets. Bucks should have a heavily muscled neck displaying masculinity. Bucks should display heavier muscling through the neck and forequarters than does. Shoulders should be fleshly, proportional to the body and smoothly blend and fit into the withers without excessive looseness or protrusion of the shoulder blades above the withers. Withers should be broad, well rounded, and not sharp. The forequarters should be well muscled and smoothly blended into the knee. Faults: Neck too short, long or too thin; excessive movement of looseness in the shoulder blades resulting in shoulders that are weakly attached. 

HINDQUARTERS Does rump should be broad and long with a gentle slope to the hip and pin bones and clearly defining adequate width for kidding. Bucks should be broad and long with a gentle slope to the hip and pin bones and clearly defining adequate width. The base of the tail must be centered and straight. The remainder of the tail may curve upward or to one side. The area of the rear legs between the pin bones and down through the inner thigh should be well muscled, deep, full, and firm. Both inner and outer thighs should be deep, wide and muscular, with ample muscling extending beyond the stifle towards the hock. Faults: Rump too steep; short through the hip; short through the rump; rump too level, lack of muscling. Disqualification: Wry tail. 

FEET AND LEGS The legs should be strong, well placed and in proportion with the depth of the body. The legs should be well jointed and smoothly blended, allowing for ease of movement and soundness over a long productive life. The front legs should be straight, with the point of the shoulder, knee, pastern, and hoof forming a straight imaginary line from the point of the shoulder to the toe of the foot while viewing from the front of the animal. The rear leg should form an imaginary line from the hipbone down to the hock, dropping down to the dewclaw when viewed from the side or rear. Pasterns should be strong and medium length with at least a 45-degree angulation from the top of the rear hoof line to the declaw, when viewed from the side, while on the move or standing. Hooves should be well-formed, as dark as possible, and point directly forward when viewed. Faults: Any deformities in structure to the legs or feet, hoof deformities or abnormalities; including: knock knees; buck knees; calf knees; bandy legs; pastern too short, too long. Too straight or too weak; hooves pointing outward or inward; splayed toes. Disqualifications: Any foot or leg fault that adversely affect an animal’s gait or causes lameness; pasterns so weak as to cause the dewclaws to drop below a 45-degree angulation from the top of the rear hoof line to dewclaws while on the move or standing. 

II. SKIN AND COVERINGS The skin should be loose and supple, with short glossy hair preferred. Mature bucks should have a pleated appearance to the skin on the front of the neck. A limited amount of winter down or undercoat will be acceptable during the winter months, especially in colder environments. Fullbloods and Percentage less than 6 months of age must have 50% pigmentation on the hairless area under the tail. 100% pigment is preferred on the hairless area under the tail on animals less than six months of age. Fullbloods and percentages 6 months of age and older must have 75% pigmentation on the hairless area under the tail. 100% pigment is preferred on the hairless area under the tail on animals 6 months and older. Faults: Hair too long or too coarse. Disqualification: Fullbloods and Percentages under 6 months of age with less than 50% pigmentation on hairless areas under tail. Fullbloods and Percentages 6 month of age and older having less than 75% pigmentation on hairless areas under the tail area. 

Reference:

Breed Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://abga.org/abga-education/breed-standards/