Anyone ever crossed a Saanen w/Boer??

[Milk n' Honey]

Have any of you ever crossed a Saanen with a Boer and got anything that looked decent? I'm trying to decide on if I want to breed them to my Fullblood Boer buck or buy a Saanen buck. They are registered does but they'd be 50% registered Boers if I bred them to the Boer buck. Are they always funny looking or have any of you successfully bred this combo. Got pictures? I'm trying to make a decision here. Thanks so much!!

[goatkid]

They are kind of silly looking with airplane ears, but they grow into large goats. What breed are your does and what purpose do you have for the kids. I would breed Boer does to a Boer buck. If I wanted to get nice meat breeding stock out of my dairy does, I'd breed them Boer. If I was looking for dairy kids, I'd buy the Saanen buck.

[ozark_jewels]

Some of my favorite Boer does have been Saanan/Boer crosses. Here are some pictures.

See all the meat and frame on these girls??





These are twin doe kids kids that are 3/4 Boer, 1/4 Saanan.

[Terre d'Esprit]

My Ernie is a Saanen/Boer cross, and I think he's quite handsome. : ) He is not standing in the best pose in the photo, I don't know what's with his legs there. Anyway, Ernie is a wether, he is employed as my buck's companion.

[Lizi]

I have a Saanen/Boer cross, 50/50 each way; she had triplets this past month and is the best mom. she has a huge udder, not like a Boer, but she looks like a Boer with the dark head. She is one of the sweetest goats I have. I breed her with a FB Boer and two out of three of the babies were perfectly marked.

[Milk n' Honey]

Thanks for the input and pictures!! I love seeing the pictures anyway!!

Terre d'Esprit - Your Ernie is handsome. Ha, ha...looks like he's chewing his cud in that last picture!!

Emily - Wow, that is a meaty looking gals!! I might just have to try it with the Boer buck. That one with the red head is built almost like a buck only without the buck head!! Wow!!

Lizi - Thanks for the info. I'm glad to know that there is a possibility of getting a red head. I know it is difficult to get past all the white. I've also heard the crosses are more hardy. My Boer buck is a fullblood and he is a paint. He looks mostly traditional but has a brown rear end and one brown leg. We're using him one season. We have a 1 month old buckling that was born here and we'll be raising him up for our next herdsire. He's looking good so far!! Anyway, this buck we have now is known to throw color. I like color!!

goatkid - I wasn't sure what I was going to do actually. I feel that I could probably market them either way. I don't really know what kind of demand there are for Saanens though. Meat kids will never go to waste. They bring quite a bit here, even at the sale barn. Wethers that were 70-80 lbs were bring around $80 each last Saturday!! That is pretty good if you ask me. Commercial bucks were bringing over $100 (breeding season is near). I'm not sure I need to purchase another buck and keep it. I have the Saanens for milk so I might just use the Boer buck and see what they produce!!

Anyone else have pictures??

[Terre d'Esprit]

MnH, I failed to finish my post by saying that while I bought Ernie from another breeder, my son has a Saanen doe and I have a FB Boer buck, and I will breed them this fall for spring kids. I plan to sell any boys for either companion wethers or meat, but I do plan to keep the girls, register them, and breed percentage boers. Of course, I will cull any undesirable traits, but that is the plan anyway. I will always be able to sell the babies for 4H projects.

I say go for it!

T

P.S. Ernie was either chewing his cud in that photo, or lecturing us. ; )

[brierpatch1974]

i breed my sanaan does to a boer buck all the time. Main reason is for the faster growing meat goats produced. Those sanaans have much better milk production and those crossed offspring grow big fast. And taste much better too I think.

BP

[KSALguy]

you will get a good mix out of that cross, the doelings will make good 50%registerable stock goats for most any herd, and the boys will make good freezer items.

its kinda sad when people think that Boers are not good milkers, the Pure stock direct from imports from africa ARE good milk producers and milk ALOT for the MULTIPLE kids they have,
but yes Saanens will put more milk into alot of lines of boer percentages.

[stacygoats]

I've got a couple Saanen cross does in my Boer herd, and they are both big stocky, good moms and gentle. One of them has a "dairy" goat udder, which worries me a little, because mine all have horns and there is more potential for injury to udders.

Oh yeah, they both had triplets this year!

[Freeholder]

I know a lady who uses both Saanen and Boer in breeding packgoats. (She may have something else in there, too -- can't remember.) Her goats are huge, and have good temperaments, which is important.

I like my Oberhasli/Boer crosses well enough to consider trying to start a new breed! Although I prefer solid-colored goats over white.

Kathleen