Preceived weaknesses:

• Fewer Boer does were successfully bred compared to other meat goat breeds
• Boer does had fewer kids per birthing compared to other meat goat breeds
• Fewer Boer kids survived from birth to weaning age compared to other meat goat breeds
• Boer does had a smaller percentage of  litter weaning weight vs doe weight compared to other meat goat breeds
• Boer goats had more worm problems compared to other meat goat breeds
• Boer goats had more problems with lameness compared to other meat goat breeds
• Boer goat carcasses had more fat compared to other meat goat breeds
• Heavier does did not do as well as lighter weight does in reproduction measurements

I have had issues with many of the characteristic features I have come across in our 13 years of the being in the Boer industry. Because of my past life in business, I have strong beliefs in requiring financial justification for the major characteristics/features of any produce and that especially goes for meat goats. One easy way to really understand what characteristics/features are important to Boer associations is to read and listen watching for common themes of characteristics/features that they use as marketing or bragging rights. Once you have those buzz words categorized, you will start to see a common theme and that is "Looks and Beauty". That directly related to goat shows and awards/titles given to breeders.

The places I listen to or read for buzz words are:

• Judges comments at shows

• Commentator at production sale

• Catalog comments on individual animals in production sale

• Advertisements on individual animals or herd/genetics

• Comments on web sites describing one or more animals

Just to make a major point as an example, here is something I heard yesterday at a major production sale.

"Look at this doe's pedigree and you can see BEAUTY was bred into her"

Below are some buzz words I found on the internet and in production catalogs in just 15-20 minutes.

Head and Horns

Large Size

•  Feminine with a great head

• bold headed

•  has beautiful horns

• The wide set eyes, strong nostrils and powerful under jaw insure that the animal will be wide in the shoulders and wide in the loin and possess a powerful presence.  The width between the eyes is directly proportional to the width in the shoulders and the width in the loin.

• A strong head with a Roman nose which makes a continuous curve from the lips and extending to the nose, forehead and horns

• She has a very Boer head, beautiful horns, color, size

• This doe is also very feminine with a nice long body with correct legs and lovely horn set

•  deeper and longer bodies on shorter, thicker legs, thicker more tightly curled horns, big beautiful heads, and lots and lots of wrinkles

• This young doe is pretty headed with a long neck

•  carries his head high and regal

•  in the elegance and perfection of his South African ennobled head

• the front end is powerful with a great head and horn

•  Strong head and breed character

•  breed character

• Does used to breed show quality goats are normally very large, as show goats are expected to be of large stature. For commercial meat production medium size does are normally preferred as they produce the same number of kids, but require less feed to do so.
• Boer goats are large framed animals resembling, in many ways, the Nubian goat.  The most striking difference between a Boer goat and any other type of goat you may have seen, is the size
•  To breed more size
•   bred for size
• Look at the large amount of meat this doe is carrying

Long Neck

Feminine

• is a very tall, and long bodied, with a long neck
• His kids are very correct and tall, with a long neck
• Just look at that long neck and he is square and wide
• This young doe is pretty head with long neck
• She has a long body, long neck, and square front
• extreme made with a bold head, long neck and elegance
• got a long neck that rises high off his shoulders
• long legs, long backs with a well shaped long neck.

• maternal potential for extreme fertility and production
•  very long-wide ears that makes excellent does
•  Extreme elegance
• very elegant doe
• This doe is also very feminine with a nice long body
•  Extremely feminine
• Most elegant doe you will ever see

Large Bone

Tracking

• The leg bones and general bone structure of a Boer goat are bigger and thicker than in other kinds of goats
• Large bone diameter
•  Big deep bodies, meaty back ends, large bone with wide set legs
•  can't find this kind of bone anywhere else
• buck is heavy boned, wide tracking

• Mauldin comment "Almost every show we have ever seen or participated in, spent a large amount of the ring time watching how the animals walk"
•  feet and legs that track on the corners
•  walks out very well on his feet and legs.
•  tracks very well placing that back foot where the front foot just left
• called out in particular for tracking tremendously wide and straight
• buck is heavy boned, wide tracking
• Tracks wider and truer in front/rear

Wide Chest

Show wether look or producer

•  proud fronted buck
• Big chest
•  one of the most heads up, jerk fronted bucks
• great fronted
•  best known for his wide, yet smooth, front end.
• "Care should be taken not to have too much width in the chest floor as scapula problems and front-end assembly problems can arise where the shoulders do not tie in correctly with the body creating a bulldog like appearance.  This is sometimes called extruded scapula.  Structural weakness eventually produces an animal that breaks down under pasture conditions"
•  the front end is powerful
• More width between the fore/rear legs

•  produce some outstanding females for show wether production

• is a very tall, and long bodied, with a long neck and very clean lines that it takes to make wethers wether kind in his pedigree
• long and TUBULAR BODY
• this buck is a show wether producer
• this doe would be excellent for producing those long, tubular show wethers.

Breeder Focus on Winning at Shows

Not a Natural Look

• Well known breeder's comment - "I want does that only have singles or no more than twins so the kids will be bigger at birth and able to compete in shows as soon as possible"
• Breeders altering the shape of an animal's horns to meet judges approval
• Breeders give incorrect date-of-birth so animals can compete against younger animals.
• Breeders list incorrect dam or sire on pedigree on quality kids so the listed animal can get the show points so the listed animal can become Ennobled
• Breeders flush highly visible buck and doe to get maximum number of offspring as quickly as possible for additional animals in show ring for show points and to sell.

• Statements on Feed and supplements to enhance an animals look, weight and appearance
  • "Developed to help provide a FAST finish"
  • "Provides weight and energy"
  • "Has more calories and FAT than many other supplements"
  • "aid in revitalizing muscle tissue at show time, and so importantly, bring the "pop" back to the muscle that is needed at show time"
  • "will help on a smooth overall appearance"
  • "designed to put muscle on the top, hindquarters, and the chest"
  • "fat supplement designed put a more “Uniform” cover on your animal"
  • "To Provide a Show Appearance"

Summary