Kalahari Red goat

THE indigenous goats arrived in South Africa and Namibia with those migrating tribes which traditionally kept goats.

Early records describe lob-eared goats in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape provinces and in areas of Namibia.

Some farmers in the Northern Cape province and the Namibian part of the Kalahari desert preferred red lob-eared goats and began selecting for a specific type – slightly smaller than the red and white improved Boer goat.

In 1998 the goats were shown with the Savannah goats in Bloemfontein, under the name of Brown Savannah.

The aspiration to register a separate breed was an important driving force. DNA tests were conducted to determine whether there was sufficient genetic separation between the Boer goats, Savannahs and Kalahari Reds.

The results of all the tests showed that the difference between the red goats and the Boer goats was greater than between the Boer goats and the Savannahs.

The Kalahari Red is a red medium to large framed lob-eared meat goat. It has a fine head, lob ears, round horns that are bent backwards and a loose, supple skin with folds (especially in bucks).

The doe must be feminine, wedging slightly to the front, which is a sign of fertility. The buck is heavier in the head, neck and forequarters and must be masculine.

The ideal is a brown goat with colour shadings that range between light brown to dark brown. It has a smooth short hair coat that is very well pigmented.

Age at first breeding is 6 months with100-day weaning weight buck kids25 kg, 100-day weaning weight doe kids 21 kg. Mature weight does: 75 kg.

• Meat – Tender tasty meat at a young age. Healthy, low fat meat.

• Excellent quality skin (value-added trait).

Normal production environment

Arid to semi-arid savannah.

This info-pack was compiled from various sources of information. The text may contain extracts from the following:

www.ilnika.com/kr/index.php/kalahari-red-origin-and- history

www.boerboksa.co.za