Boer/Nubian Cross Buckling

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

My goats are most boer/spanish crosses. I am looking for a Buck to breed them to this year. What would be expected if I were to find a Boer/Nubian cross buck??

I would like to come up with meatier goats that have increased Milking abilities. Other than an occsional quart or two of goats milk, I don't want to become a full time dairyman.

[dezeeuwgoats]

My nubian kids grow quite large on their dams. I would think the cross would be a good one. Lots of people do it - so it must be a good idea for at least some financial scenarios.

To improve milking ability over boer/spanish crosses I would think a straight nubian buck (out of good milking lines of course) would be best - then keep the best doelings as replacements and cross those with a boer buck. I'm not sure half boer/quarter spanish/quarter nubian influence is enough to increase the milking ability over a large percentage of offspring. Someone else with experience here may have that knowledge though.

I would cull my original herd hard for milking ability, cross with a nubian buck, and raise the very best doelings from this cross - culling hard again after they freshen. Then I'd cross those offspring with a boer. THOSE kids would grow like gangbusters for market being 3/4 boer/spanish and 1/4 nubian nursing on half nubian dams.

Kind of depends on some other things not mentioned - like what kind of inputs you expect: do you supplement feed your goats now? Because if you expect them to be better milkers strictly on browse and pasture - those better milking goats might suffer a bit. If you don't mind giving them what they need to produce the milk - then that might not be an issue.

I've got two does that get fat easily - they milk like crazy. They'd probably do great on pasture/browse with just a bit of supplementation. That's the kind of doe you want a nubian buck from to serve your purpose. Neither have kids available so I'm not trying to sell you anything! lol You probably would improve milking ability without losing the thriftyness of the doe that way.

niki

[KSALguy]

if you want more milk on your Spannish crosses you need to cross on a Pure dairy buck of some kind, this will up the milk production of your doe herd, then once you have that get a PURE Boer buck from GOOD LINES and you wont loose any milking ablility and will Gain ALOT of meat,

Boers were developed to be the best of both worlds so to speek, superior meat ability with does that put out alot of milk, a Good Boer doe will produce plenty of milk just not as long of a lactation as a Dairy breed,

you wont gain much of eather when useing a cross on a cross like what your thinking about, put in the dairy first to set up a good Doe line and then put in the Boer for meat