Chat
05-17-2021, 06:21 AM
Hello and welcome!
For 4-H purposes, I don't think you need to worry one bit about what breed you are using for cart/pack classes. In fact, I think the Nubian breed is particularly well-suited to pulling. I've only trained a few cart goats and all of them have been Alpine/Nubian crosses, but the ones with the more "Nubian" personality tend to take to harness work a lot more readily than ones with a more typical "Alpine" personality. I don't have any personal experience with Boers, but with their strong bodies, broad backs, and and short legs, I think harness work would be a better fit for the breed than pack work. Boers can be difficult to fit pack saddles to because of their wide, dipped backs and mutton withers. However, 4-H classes--particularly at the lower levels--do not typically require a fully rigged wooden pack. Usually for kids just starting in 4-H utility goat programs, a soft pack is the most that is required. Obedience training is emphasized more than having all the exact equipment, and any goat can be trained to lead properly, trust its handler, and complete an obstacle course.
For breeding I suggest leasing a buck from the dairy, or doing a driveway breeding. Find out what they are willing to offer. Driveway breedings are my preference, but you have to be able to tell when your doe is in heat and drop everything else to take her to the buck since heat cycles only last ~48 hours. If you're not sure on those points, leasing a buck is a better option if you have good fencing and if you can find someone to lease you a decent buck. A lot of folks won't lease because a good buck is a valuable animal and not everyone has the ability to properly fence, manage, and feed one even for the short time of a lease. Also, disease is a bigger concern with leasing than with driveway breedings. Talk to the dairy down the road and see what your options are. I only recommend owning a buck if you are a more serious breeder with several does to service. Bucks are a lot of work and can be hard on the feed and fencing bills so you have to have enough females for them to earn their keep.
I wouldn't worry about crossing your does with a "pack" breed at this point. Think about whether you plan to keep or sell the kids and what you plan to do with them. I kind of get the feeling from your Boer market goat experience that you won't want to sell the kids on the meat market. This makes breeding the Boer doe a little complicated. But for the Nubian doe I suggest breeding to a Nubian buck if possible so the kids will be purebred and easier to sell as straight dairy goats. If you can't find a Nubian buck, choose another full-sized dairy breed so you still have registerable dairy kids. Another market that is gaining popularity is miniature dairy goats. If you breed your Nubian to a Nigerian buck you could have mini Nubians. But these cannot be registered or shown with ADGA so you would need to do some research and make sure there is a market for those kids in your area. Thankfully you've got all summer to think about what your goals are and research the market in your area before choosing a buck this fall. Talk to others in the 4-H goat program and see what their experience has been. Goat breeding tends to escalate and you don't want to be stuck with kids you can't sell.
Good luck!
For 4-H purposes, I don't think you need to worry one bit about what breed you are using for cart/pack classes. In fact, I think the Nubian breed is particularly well-suited to pulling. I've only trained a few cart goats and all of them have been Alpine/Nubian crosses, but the ones with the more "Nubian" personality tend to take to harness work a lot more readily than ones with a more typical "Alpine" personality. I don't have any personal experience with Boers, but with their strong bodies, broad backs, and and short legs, I think harness work would be a better fit for the breed than pack work. Boers can be difficult to fit pack saddles to because of their wide, dipped backs and mutton withers. However, 4-H classes--particularly at the lower levels--do not typically require a fully rigged wooden pack. Usually for kids just starting in 4-H utility goat programs, a soft pack is the most that is required. Obedience training is emphasized more than having all the exact equipment, and any goat can be trained to lead properly, trust its handler, and complete an obstacle course.
For breeding I suggest leasing a buck from the dairy, or doing a driveway breeding. Find out what they are willing to offer. Driveway breedings are my preference, but you have to be able to tell when your doe is in heat and drop everything else to take her to the buck since heat cycles only last ~48 hours. If you're not sure on those points, leasing a buck is a better option if you have good fencing and if you can find someone to lease you a decent buck. A lot of folks won't lease because a good buck is a valuable animal and not everyone has the ability to properly fence, manage, and feed one even for the short time of a lease. Also, disease is a bigger concern with leasing than with driveway breedings. Talk to the dairy down the road and see what your options are. I only recommend owning a buck if you are a more serious breeder with several does to service. Bucks are a lot of work and can be hard on the feed and fencing bills so you have to have enough females for them to earn their keep.
I wouldn't worry about crossing your does with a "pack" breed at this point. Think about whether you plan to keep or sell the kids and what you plan to do with them. I kind of get the feeling from your Boer market goat experience that you won't want to sell the kids on the meat market. This makes breeding the Boer doe a little complicated. But for the Nubian doe I suggest breeding to a Nubian buck if possible so the kids will be purebred and easier to sell as straight dairy goats. If you can't find a Nubian buck, choose another full-sized dairy breed so you still have registerable dairy kids. Another market that is gaining popularity is miniature dairy goats. If you breed your Nubian to a Nigerian buck you could have mini Nubians. But these cannot be registered or shown with ADGA so you would need to do some research and make sure there is a market for those kids in your area. Thankfully you've got all summer to think about what your goals are and research the market in your area before choosing a buck this fall. Talk to others in the 4-H goat program and see what their experience has been. Goat breeding tends to escalate and you don't want to be stuck with kids you can't sell.
Good luck!