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The beginnings
The “Topknot” herd of pedigree Boer goats was started in 1998 with the purchase of two 100% Boer goat kids, a male and a female, from Bristol to supplement the five or six cross-breed dairy goats on the farm that were being used to breed kids for the butcher.
Embryo importation

Embryo transfer in progress

 The tentative start was followed by much more ambitious importation of fullblood Boer embryos from New Zealand in October 1999. The ET program was carried out by a veterinary team from NZ and was as successful as predicted and a great experience too. The embryos were born Feb/March 2000 and form the basis of the current herd.
20 embryos were implanted into 10 recipient goats which were a variety of dairy breeds. 6 goats went on to kid down and gave birth to 10 embryo kids, (these represented 3 different bloodlines) and from these, 5 animals remain on the farm today.

Two embryo kids with their recipient mother
Present position

 

The herd adult females in November 2003 - 
hopefully all in kid to NZ males. 

The herd in 2003/2004 consists of 

  • 3 NZ Boer embryo females,

  • 3 females bred from these and

  • one British Boer female and

  • 2 NZ Boer embryo males

  • 1 young male bred from NZ embryos.

The aim is to continue to improve the herd, possibly with more genetics from New Zealand sometime in the future.
There are also 4 Anglo-Nubian x British Toggenburg  females that will be used to cross-breed with the Boers to produce meat kids for the freezer.

8 month old females to be bred to NZ Males for meat kids. Photo November 2003