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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 | |
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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 formed the initial 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). |
Two embryo kids with their recipient mother |
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| Live Animal Importation | |
On February 28th 2007 16 fullblood (purebred) Boer goats finally arrived on the farm from Ray and Ann-Marie Haucks' "Ram H Breeders Ltd" stud in Canada. The shipment consisted of 9 traditional Boer does, 1 traditional Boer buck, 3 Red Boer (Kalahari Red) does, 1 Red Boer buck and two kids born during 6 months quarantine in Canada. These animals repesent a significant injection of new blood into the herd and effectively doubling the herd numbers. (There are a few dairy goats on the farm to cross breed to the Boer purely for meat kid production - see gallery 2) |
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Group of traditional Boers imported from Canada in 2007, photo taken in September 2007 shows Pablo with his 'girls'. |
Group of red boers, also known as Kalahari Reds. These believed to be the first importation of such goats into the UK. They are Boer goats with a double recessive "red gene" and this gives them their all red coat. (Website www.ramhbreeders.com has a useful "resources" section about red boer goats and genetics.) |
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