African-Bred Goats Catch On Fast

African-Bred Goats Catch On Fast LIVESTOCK Sheep/Goats 34-5-7 They helped turn our operation around," says Dawn Steiger about the Savanna goats she and her partner, David Leitch, raise on their Kentucky farm. Unlike Boer meat goats, fullblood Savannas are rare. She's part of an organization of breeders working to ensure survival of the breed. The number of verified fullblood does in the U.S. is only in the hundreds and it's difficult and expensive to bring in more from overseas. The goats were originally bred by the Khosa people along the Eastern Cape of South Africa. "These were peasant goats," Steiger says. "What appeals to us is the fact that these goats were left alone in adverse conditions and survived." Savannas are hardy and adaptable, have great mothering traits and a good nature, and are resistant to tick-born diseases and parasites. Because of the high cost of verified fullblood bucks at $2,000 to $5,000, they also raise purebreds at $500 to $1,000. Purebreds come from breeding verified fullbloods to another goat breed. They use Pape Heritage Spanish goats for the foundation animal because its hardiness is well matched to the Savannas. It takes five breeding cycles to get a purebred. Much of their 500 head is made up of fullblood Savanna bucks bred to Spanish does. Leitch likes the 3/4 and 7/8 does best because they're an affordable commercial goat with all the right stuff. "The cross makes a plucky, large carcass meat goat with good mothering traits," Steiger says. Savanna goats can be found in hot and cold climates; all goats have issues in wetter regions. They thrive on browse and require minimum care and handling. "Pound for pound they're a lower input animal," Steiger says, noting that they gain rapidly and are white, which makes them sought after by ethnic groups for religious purposes. "Buyers from a diverse population can't get enough goat meat. Our consumer wants a lean, young animal under a year - a cross between veal and lamb," says Steiger, a board member of the Kentucky Goat Producers Association. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rising Sun Ranch (ph 270 842-2600; www.savannagoats.com; or the North American Savannah Association; www.savannahassociation.com or the World Wide Sheep and Goat Archives; www.wwsga.com).

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