I researched for a long time and flip-flopped on what exactly I wanted in a goat quite a few times. Eventually, I landed on the Kinder goat. This breed has some of the highest butterfat content milk available (averaging around 5.5% and many going much higher). High butterfat means better taste and more products that can be made per gallon (cheese, butter, etc). They also have a great dress-out percentage – between 60 and 70 percent! They truly are a great dual-purpose breed.
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What Is The Kinder Goat?
The Kinder goat was first created back in 1985 when a Pygmy buck was crossed with Nubian does. The goat that resulted well-muscled and a good milk producer. The KGBA (Kinder Goat Breeders Association) was established and the first Kinders registered in 1989. Visit their site here to read a little more detail on their history! New Kinders can still be created by crossing a registered Pygmy buck with a registered Nubian doe – the resulting offspring are considered first-generation Kinders and can be registered as such. Note that you cannot cross a Nubian buck with a Pygmy doe, as the Pygmy doe would be much too small to carry the much larger Nubian’s offspring.
What Do They Look Like? How Big Are They?
Kinders can look fairly different from each other sometimes! You will see some lines have focused on the meat aspect, and will subsequently look more heavily muscled. Other breeders will sometimes focus on the dairy lines, and you will see more lean animals. Then still other breeders have focused on balance, and keeping the Kinder as a true dual-purpose breed. Those last ones were what I focused on when choosing a breeder to buy from.
These animals are medium-sized, so they are much easier to handle than many full-size breeds, like the Boer (a large meat goat) or Nubians (a large dairy goat). Even with their more compact size, they have a lot to offer. A full-grown Kinder doe will weigh up to about 125 pounds and a buck will weigh up to 150. For a little comparison, a mature Boer buck can weigh up to 340 pounds!
A Little More On Meat
When raising for meat, a wether (castrated male, most common for meat production) can weigh about 50 pounds by 6 months of age. With their dress-out weight (the carcass weight after gutting and removing the head and feet) being 60% or higher, that’s 30 pounds! Many growers sell whole animals to customers by that dressed weight. A Boer wether, on the other hand, will be an average of 80 pounds by 6 months. They also have a poorer dress-out percentage of around 50%, so you would get a carcass weight of about 40 pounds.
Now That I Convinced You To Eat Them – Their Cuteness!
As far as their looks, if you like the look of Nigerian Dwarfs, you will most likely love the Kinder as well! They can come in a large variety of colors and patterns. They also tend to get their ear shape from the pygmy side of their genetics. Most Kinders have what is affectionately called “airplane ears” or ears that stand straight out from the sides of their head. They are a playful, affectionate breed and also excellent jumpers. So, make sure you have a good fence! I have had good luck with Premier 1 poultry netting so far. The does also make excellent mothers, which is always an attractive trait in my opinion.
Some Other Facts
One Kinder doe in milk can produce up to a gallon a day. Which is comparable to many standard dairy breeds! And they have that high butterfat, so the milk tastes much more similar to cow’s milk. Many people who have hated commercial goat milk have loved the taste of Kinder milk. They have larger teats than Nigerian Dwarfs, another popular compact dairy breed with higher butterfat. This makes them easier to milk (and they also produce more).
A bonus, since these goats are a smaller breed, is that kids can also be easier to sell as pets. If you have extra kids that you don’t want to raise for meat you can choose to sell them as either breeders or pets. A larger, standard breed of goat is much less likely to sell as a pet, so if it isn’t breeding quality your choices are pretty much going to be to raise for meat, sell to someone else to raise for meat, or auction. Those routes are generally going to make you less money unless you planned on raising all extra kids for meat or have a high demand in your area.
Another fact I love about the Kinder goat – they can breed year-round! Unlike standard breeds, the Kinder goat is not a seasonal breeder and you can choose when you want kids. This is especially nice for the meat aspect, in my opinion, as there are many holidays that call for a specific goat size or age. And with a year-round breeder, you can plan accordingly and have just the right size being requested for that tradition!
In Conclusion – A Great Dual-Purpose Breed!
So now you know, the Kinder goat truly is a great dual-purpose breed. They are compact, easy to manage, make great mothers, produce a lot of high-butterfat milk, have a great dress-out weight, and can breed year-round! I’m just getting started with these amazing goats, but I can’t wait to grow my herd! Let me know below what you think about Kinders or if you have any other questions.
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