Boer
The Boer converts feed into carcass at a rate its standard calls unusually high among mutton breeds.
The highest doe weight of any goat breed, up to 340 lb at maturity, a heavier buck weight than anywhere else on this list.
We show every headline figure our sources carry for this breed. The full record, including what we searched for and did not find, is below.
Registered by American Boer Goat Association (ABGA).
Good for
Not for
Nothing in our sources counts against a particular use.
Boers are a meat breed through and through, built long, deep, wide, and heavily muscled from shoulder to hip: bucks can reach 340 lb at maturity, heavier than any other breed here, with an unusually high dressed carcass weight percentage among mutton breeds.
The look is distinctive too, a white body with a contrasting red head and a Roman-nosed profile, and the temperament is genuinely docile, gentle enough that ABGA states it directly rather than hedging.
It is also genuinely hardy: adaptable to a wide range of climates, able to survive in arid regions with limited water where other small stock struggle, and rated highly for clearing browse and undergrowth even on difficult terrain. It is the most numerous meat-goat breed in the US, easy to source almost anywhere.
Built for meat production at scale, not for a small, low-key backyard herd, and not the breed to choose if a small size matters as much as a docile temperament.
How Boer compares
Too few sourced figures for a group median: 1 of 9 meat breeds have one.
Does are cited at 210 lb, above the median of 100 lb across the 17 breeds in our list with a sourced doe weight.
Not enough sourced data to rank Boer on weaning weight. Our sources didn’t publish one. 1 of 9 meat breeds in our list have a sourced figure for this.
Full record
Size
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Size class | Large1 |
| Mature doe weight | 190–230 lb1 |
| Mature buck weight | 200–340 lb1 |
2 more fields not found in our sources
| Height at withers (doe) | Not found in our sources* |
| Height at withers (buck) | Not found in our sources* |
Appearance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Coat type | Smooth2 |
| Colors | white body with red head, red, solid colors (paint-registerable)1 |
| Ears | Pendulous2 |
| Horns | Horned2 |
| Facial profile | Convex (Roman)2 |
| Distinguishing features | White body with contrasting red head, Roman-nosed head with dark, moderate-length backward-curving horns, Unusually high dressed carcass weight percentage among mutton breeds, per ABGA1 |
4 more fields not found in our sources
| Coat length | Not found in our sources* |
| Patterns | Not found in our sources* |
| Wattles | Not found in our sources* |
| Blue eyes | Not found in our sources* |
Meat
Mature carcass: ABGA states the Boer has an unusually high dressed carcass weight percentage among mutton breeds, reflecting its purpose-built meat conformation.1
Muscling: ABGA's breed standard calls for a boldly three-dimensional body (long, deep, wide) with heavy muscling from shoulder through hip and a well-muscled, wide loin.2
3 more fields not found in our sources
| Weaning weight | Not found in our sources* |
| Average daily gain | Not found in our sources* |
| Dressing percentage | Not found in our sources* |
Breeding
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight at first breeding | 70 lb3 |
3 more fields not found in our sources
| Litter size | Not found in our sources* |
| Breeding season | Not found in our sources* |
| Age at first breeding | Not found in our sources* |
Temperament and management
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Docility | Docile1 |
| Temperament tags | Docile1 |
| Hardiness | High1 |
| Heat tolerance | High1 |
| Browse clearing suitability | High1 |
5 more fields not found in our sources
| Handler experience level | Not found in our sources* |
| Cold tolerance | Not found in our sources* |
| Parasite resistance | Not found in our sources* |
Housing: Not found in our sources*
Fencing: Not found in our sources*
Availability
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | Not listed (The Livestock Conservancy, 2026)4 |
2 more fields not found in our sources
| Availability in the US | Not found in our sources* |
| Population estimate | Not found in our sources* |
History and registries
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin country | South Africa5† |
| History | –5† |
Breeds like this one
Kalahari Red
Kalahari Reds have no US registry of their own, so breeders dual-register them under two other associations.
Savanna
Savanna is a large meat breed from South Africa.
Kiko
Kiko is a standard-sized meat breed from New Zealand.
About goats generally
The facts below are stated by extension and veterinary sources for goats as a species, not for this breed specifically, shown separately from the breed's own cited record above.
| Fencing / escape difficulty | High6‡ |
| Hardiness | High6‡ |
| Heat tolerance | High7‡ |
| Cold tolerance | Low8‡ |
| Browse clearing suitability | High6‡ |
Housing: Goats generally don't need elaborate housing -- a simple three-sided structure that blocks wind and rain is enough, at roughly 15 square feet of bedded space per animal. The real hazard is cold, damp drafts rather than fresh air itself: sustained drafty, wet-cold conditions can quickly bring on pneumonia and scours in young kids more than in adult stock.9‡
Fencing: Goats are notorious escape artists, so fencing built for cattle or sheep usually isn't enough. A multi-strand, electrified high-tensile fence with hot wires worked into the first, third and top strands is the standard effective approach; plain woven wire works too, but needs an extra interior electric strand to stop goats climbing on it or catching their heads and horns in the mesh.6‡
† Descriptions marked with a dagger come from Oklahoma State University's breed pages, an educational encyclopedia rather than the breed's own registry or a university extension service. We use it for descriptions only, never for a number.
‡ Facts marked with a double dagger are about goats generally, not specifically this breed. See "About goats generally" above.
Sources (9)
- Characteristics and Anatomy of the Boer Goat | ABGA · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- American Boer Goat Association Breed Standards (ABGA document, PVAMU-hosted copy) · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Puberty and Estrus in Goats | Merck Veterinary Manual · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Conservation Priority List - The Livestock Conservancy · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05 (as of 2026)
- Boer Goats | Oklahoma State University · Oklahoma State breed pages (lower confidence), retrieved 2026-09-05
- Meat Goat Production | Penn State Extension · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Nutritional Requirements of Goats | Merck Veterinary Manual · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Shelter, Fencing and Predator Control Needs on Pasture | Langston Ag Research · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Goat Housing and Facilities | Penn State Extension (Meat Goat Production and Management Home Study Course) · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
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