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- Rams in the adaptation phase need to adapt to changing grazing and climate conditions.
- Upon completing the adaptation phase, rams are put through a veld phase test for five months – here their growth is recorded under natural conditions.
- A total of 29 out of 40 rams made it to the feeding phase during October’s selection.
- Rams are weighed regularly during the veld phase, which allows us to monitor their weight gain.
- The measurements and information collected in this way contribute towards establishing a scientific value of selection which provides a comparable criterion against which all the rams are evaluated.
Members of the Eastern Cape Boer Goat Club established the club’s veld ram project in 1998, the aim being to afford producers access to uniform and well-adapted veld rams. Last year’s veld ram project produced some very uniform rams, all managed, for the third consecutive year, under the watchful eye of Marlé Slabbert of Osplaat Boer Goat Stud.
The 40 Boer goat rams that arrived at Osplaat in the Jansenville district on 17 April first had to complete a two-month adaptation phase, followed by a veld phase. Stockfarm attended the selection process on 23 October last year to find out more regarding the different phases rams are subjected to and the reason for SA Stud Book’s involvement in the project.
Read more about Casper Beyleveld’s Boer goat stud.
Work-ready and proven
Rams in the adaptation phase need to adapt to changing grazing and climate conditions. Marlé says their adaptability is tested and monitored during this phase. A ram’s ability to adapt carries a lot of weight because buyers at ram auctions want to know that the ram they buy is already adapted and ready to work when it arrives on the farm.
Upon completing the adaptation phase, rams are put through a veld phase test for five months – here their growth is recorded under natural conditions. They complete both phases without any complementary feed and survive on the veld, while being checked only every two weeks for parasites, injuries and to make sure they are healthy. Rams are weighed monthly.
A total of 29 out of 40 rams made it to the feeding phase during October’s selection. This entails a three-month-long period during which the animals are veld finished in preparation for the annual Eastern Cape Boer Goat Club auction (in January) in Somerset East.
“Rams are given feed to encourage optimal weight gain during this period,” explains Marlé. “They receive pellets, lucerne, and vitamin and mineral supplements daily. Parasite control is also applied. They are weighed monthly to see how quickly each ram can ‘recover’ during this phase. This ensures that they are breeding-ready in a new environment.”
Upon completing the feeding phase, another round of selections is done to make sure no faults or developmental issues have arisen. Rams are then selected as stud or flock rams for the veld ram auction. Each ram’s growth index and figures from each phase will also be available.
The selection process
Something to take note of, says selector Stefaans Malan, is that the Boer goat is a meat breed, meaning meat traits must be emphasised. “Boer goat selectors look at an animal’s forequarters, barrel and hindquarters, all of which are judged according to the breed standards of other meat breeds. Other key traits are colour, head shape, mouth and teats, length, width and depth, and the general balance of the animal when it walks.
“A Boer goat must have straight heels, otherwise it will be disqualified. When a goat is so-called bow-legged, it means its hocks are further apart. If it is cow-hocked, the hocks are closer together. From the side, a goat should not have sickle hocks or walk upright on its heels. This breed is farmed extensively so its walking ability must be sound.”
Becoming a selector is tough. A prospective selector must first pass a junior course before embarking on two senior courses (the pass rate for both is 70%). After that, the South African Boer Goat Breeders’ Association invites the candidate to write a judging examination for which you really need to know your stuff.
Read more about what to look for when buying a Boer goat.
To measure is to know
Erick Joosten, SA Stud Book’s technical advisor in the Eastern Cape, explained to Stockfarm during October’s visit that their role involves the collection of participating rams’ phenotypic or measured data. “Rams are weighed regularly during the veld phase, which allows us to monitor their weight gain. We use this information to calculate their average daily gain or growth rate.
“We also record rams’ body measurements and look at shoulder height to record animals’ height at a specific age. Body length is also important – this is calculated and used along with the ram’s height to determine the height-to-length ratio. The chest width of each ram is measured to determine whether it influences weight. The chest width and depth measurements also help determine each ram’s frame type.
“Finally, and very importantly, we measure rams’ scrotal circumference across the widest part of a well-developed scrotum, and determine whether both testicles are present and of similar size. Scrotal circumference is the best phenotypic indicator of a ram’s reproductive potential.”
These measurements also show us what the physical size of a ram’s scrotum is at a certain age. A vital aspect to consider, says Erick, is that not all rams are the same age. “We therefore take into account the scrotal circumference of the younger rams in relation to their body size and age; the same applies to the older rams.”
All this information is uploaded to SA Stud Book’s Logix program, and the data on weight gain, growth rate, body height ratio and scrotal circumference processed. SA Stud Book also works out correction factors for comparing rams to each other as well as how younger and older rams adapt. This information is processed to yield a standardised age which makes it possible to compare younger and older rams.
Value of selection
The measurements and information collected in this way contribute towards establishing a scientific value of selection which provides a comparable criterion against which all the rams are evaluated. The group’s body measurements are repeated after the feeding phase, shortly before the rams go to auction. This shows whether growth during this phase was better or not.
A key evaluation aspect is the different production environments and systems the rams were exposed to prior to the test. In this regard, they welcome information such as place of birth, date of birth and birthweight (optional), the rearing status (ewe with single or multiple lambs) of an animal, and the weight of an animal at approximately 100 days of age to determine weaning weight.
This provides SA Stud Book with information pertaining to the regions the goats came from and allows them to establish a variation component in breeding value models over time. Therefore, Boer goat and other small-stock breeders are encouraged not only to record their animals, but to also become part of veld ram clubs which bring animals from different environments together – this creates a large pool of animals that can be evaluated to obtain scientific data.
The project is supported by MSD Animal Health (annual vaccinations), Virbac (dosing every three weeks) and OVK (feed). – Carin Venter, Stockfarm
For more information, contact Marlé Slabbert at 072 478 8322 or osplaat@gmail.com.
