Kiko
Kiko is a standard-sized meat breed from New Zealand.
Among the highest doe weight of any goat breed.
Not a goat for fiber.
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 Kiko Goat Association (AKGA), International Kiko Goat Association (IKGA), National Kiko Registry (NKR).
Not for
- Fiber production2
Kikos were bred in New Zealand purely on production, not appearance, and it shows: bucks can reach 250 to 290 lb, does 140 to 200 lb, with a wedge-shaped doe body built for raising kids rather than for the show ring.
A 2004 Tennessee State University study found Kikos weaned more pounds of kid per doe than Boer goats under the same conditions, even though Boer goats remain the breed sale-barn buyers still prefer. Hardiness runs high, and the breed may be more parasite-resistant than others too, with fewer foot-rot problems.
Three separate US registries track the breed and do not fully cooperate with each other, worth knowing before buying registered stock.
How Kiko compares
Too few sourced figures for a group median: 1 of 9 meat breeds have one.
Does are cited at 170 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 Kiko 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 | Standard2 |
| Mature doe weight · sources disagree | 140–200 lb1 One source reports up to 120 lb (Meat & Fiber Goat Breeds, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, observed). |
| Mature buck weight · sources disagree | 250–290 lb1 One source reports up to 180 lb (Meat & Fiber Goat Breeds, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, observed). |
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 | Varies2 |
| Coat length | Varies2 |
| Colors | white, cream5 |
| Ears | Erect6 |
| Horns | Horned2 |
| Distinguishing features | Bucks obviously masculine and substantially larger than does, Wedge-shaped does with high capacity for carrying/raising kids, Selected purely on production, not showroom appearance2 |
2 more fields not found in our sources
| Patterns | Not found in our sources* |
| Facial profile | Not found in our sources* |
Meat
Muscling: Langston University cites a 2004 Tennessee State University study finding Kikos weaned more pounds of kid per doe than Boer goats under the same conditions, though Boer goats remain preferred by sale-barn buyers.3
4 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* |
Mature carcass: Not found in our sources*
Fiber
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Fiber type | None2 |
| Annual fleece yield | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
| Fiber diameter | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
| Staple length | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
| Shearings per year | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
| Down percentage | Not applicable, Not a fiber breed. |
Temperament and management
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Temperament tags | Active, Alert6 |
| Hardiness | High4 |
| Parasite resistance | High3 |
7 more fields not found in our sources
| Docility | Not found in our sources* |
| Handler experience level | Not found in our sources* |
| Heat tolerance | Not found in our sources* |
| Cold tolerance | Not found in our sources* |
| Browse clearing suitability | 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)7 |
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 | New Zealand4 |
Breeds like this one
Fainting Goat (Myotonic)
The trait that gives the fainting goat its name also keeps it away from fences.
Spanish
Spanish is a standard-sized meat breed from the United States, also kept for dairy and fiber.
Boer
The Boer converts feed into carcass at a rate its standard calls unusually high among mutton breeds.
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 | High8‡ |
| Hardiness | High8‡ |
| Heat tolerance | High9‡ |
| Cold tolerance | Low10‡ |
| Browse clearing suitability | High8‡ |
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.11‡
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.8‡
‡ Facts marked with a double dagger are about goats generally, not specifically this breed. See "About goats generally" above.
Sources (11)
- Breeds and Production, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Kiko Goat in America - American Meat Goat Registry · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Breeds and Breed Characteristics, Langston University Goat Research · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- American Kiko Goat Association · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Meat & Fiber Goat Breeds, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Genetic Improvement and Crossbreeding in Meat Goats, Langston University · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Conservation Priority List - The Livestock Conservancy · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05 (as of 2026)
- 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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