August 27, 2003 - The American Boer Goat Association has proposed changes to the Breed Standard.
Members are encouraged to contact the ABGA office with comments. The period for comment will extend from today through October 30, 2003.

Please [ CLICK HERE ] to send your comments by e-mail to Standards@abga.org

or send your comments by mail to: American Boer Goat Association
1207 S. Bryant Blvd, Suite C
San Angelo, TX 76903

The proposed and existing standard are presented below for your review.
Following the side-by-side comparison is a new proposal for a Percentage Boer doe standard.

Any extreme occurrence of an undesirable trait is a disqualification.

A. Head
A prominent, strong head with brown eyes and a gentle appearance. Nose with a gentle curve, wide nostrils, and well formed mouth with well-opposed jaws. The jaws must have no over or under bite from birth to 24 months of age. After 24 months no more than a ¼ of an inch under bite is allowed. Correct fit is preferred. Teeth should erupt in the proper sequential positions. The forehead should be prominent and form an even curve linking the nose and horns. Horns should be dark, round, strong, of moderate length, positioned well apart and have a gradual backward curve before turning outward symmetrically. Ears should be smooth of medium length and hang downward.

Faults
Concave forehead, straight horns, jaw too pointed, overshot or undershot jaws

Disqualifications
Blue eyes, ears folded lengthwise, short ears, parrot mouth or more than ¼ of an inch under bite.

B. NECK AND FOREQUARTERS
Neck of moderate length and in proportion with body length. Forequarters full, well-fleshed, and limbs well jointed and smoothly blended. The chest should be broad. Shoulders should be fleshy, well proportioned with the rest of the body and smoothly blended and fitted into the withers. Withers should be broad and well rounded and not sharp. Legs should be strong, well placed and in proportion with the depth of the body. Pastern joints should be strong and hooves well-formed and as dark as possible.

Faults
Neck too short or too thin: shoulders too loose, and any structural foreleg, and muscle, bone, joint, or hoof deformities or abnormalities to include but not limited to knock knees, bandy legs, hooves pointing outward or inward, splay toes, buck knees, hollow legs, straight or weak pasterns.

C. BODY
Body should be boldly three-dimensional: long, deep and wide. Ribs should be well sprung. Loin should be well muscled, wide and long. The top line should be reasonably straight and strong and the shoulder well rounded with an abundance of muscle from shoulder through hip.

Faults
Concave or swayback; chest too narrow or shallow or flat; shoulders weakly attached; inadequate muscle through the back and loin, pinched heart girth.

D. HINDQUARTERS
Rump should be broad and long with a gentle slope. Britch and thighs well muscled and rounded. Base of the tail must be centered and straight. The remainder of the tail can curve upward or to one side. Legs should be strong and the leg should have a straight axis from the hip (pin bones) through the hock, fetlock, and pastern. Hoofs should be well-formed and as dark as possible.

Faults
Weak pasterns, straight pasterns, rump too steep, sickle-hocked, cow-hocked, post legs.

Disqualifications
Wry tail

II. SKIN AND COVERING

Any extreme occurrence of an undesirable trait is a disqualification.

Skin loose and supple. Eyelids and other hairless areas must be pigmented. Hairless areas under the tail should be at least 75% pigmented: 100% is preferred. Short glossy hair is desirable. A limited amount of winter down or under-coat will be accepted during winter, especially in colder environments.

Faults
Hair too long or too coarse

Disqualifications:
Not enough skin pigmentation.

III. REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Any extreme occurrence of an undesirable trait is a disqualification.

DOES Does should have well formed udders with good attachment with the number of functional teats not to exceed two per side. A split teat with two distinctly separated teats and openings with at least 50% of the body of teat separated is permissible but teats without a split are preferred. It is most important that the udder is constructed so that the offspring are able to nurse unassisted.

A. Kidding or Pregnancy
Does must have kidded or exhibited pregnancy by 24 months of age.

Faults
Udder and teat abnormalities or defects to include but not limited to oversized or bulbous teats, pendulous udder.

Disqualifications:
Cluster teats, fishtail teats or a doe that has not kidded or exhibited signs of pregnancy by 24 months of age.

BUCKS
Bucks must have two large well-formed, functional, equal sized testes in a single scrotum with no more than a 2" split in the apex of the scrotum.

Disqualifications:
Single Testicle. Testicles too small. Abnormal or diseased testes; excessive split in scrotum.

IV. COLORATION
The preferred Boer goat is an animal with red hair on the head and ears and white on the remainder of the body but other coloration's are acceptable.

FAULTS: Cull characteristic or defects which decreases the value of the goat for breeding purposes and will ultimately affect an animals eligibility for Ennobled status.

I. CONFORMATION

1. HEAD
   A prominent, strong head with brown eyes and a gentle appearance. Nose with a gentle curve, wide nostrils, and well formed mouth with well opposed jaws. Two tooth (1-1.5 years of age) can have no over or under-bite; the jaws must be perfectly opposed. Four tooth and older (the second pair of permanent incisors erupt at 1.5 to 2 years of age) animals can have 1/4 inch overbite. All permanent front teeth (goats have four pairs of front teeth in their lower jaw, with the fourth pair erupting at about 4 years of age) must be in the anatomically correct positions. The forehead must be prominent, and form an even curve, linking the nose and horns. Horns should be strong, of moderate length, positioned well apart, and have a gradual backward curve before turning outward symmetrically. Horns should be as solid as possible and dark in color. Ears should be broad, smooth, of medium length and hang downwards. Short ears are unacceptable. Disbudded or dehorned animals should have that noted on their registration papers and should not be discriminated against in the show ring.
   FAULTS: Concave forehead, straight horns, jaws protruding or too short, jaw too pointed, overshot or undershot jaws, blue eyes.
   
2. NECK AND FOREQUARTERS
   Neck of moderate length and in proportion with body length. Forequarters full, well fleshed, and limbs well jointed and smoothly blended. The breast should be broad with a deep broad brisket. Shoulders should be fleshy, well proportioned with the rest of the body and smoothly blended and fitted into the withers. Withers should be broad and well rounded and not sharp. Legs should be strong, well placed of medium length and in proportion with the depth of the body. Pastern joints should be strong, and hoofs well formed and tight and as dark as possible.
   FAULTS: Neck too long, too short, or too thin; shoulders too loose, any structural foreleg, muscle, bone, joint or hoof deformities or abnormalities.
3. BODY (barrel)
   Body should be long, deep and broad. Ribs must be well sprung and muscled. Loins should be well muscled, wide and long. The top line should be straight and the shoulder well rounded.
   FAULTS: Concave or swayback; chest too cylindrical or flat, shoulders weakly attached; poor muscling through the back and loin.
4. HINDQUARTERS
   Rump broad and long, with a gentle slope. Britch and thighs well muscled and rounded. Base of the tail must be centered, straight and curved upwards to one side. Legs should be strong and the leg should have a straight axis from the hip through the hock, fetlock and pastern. Hoofs should be well formed and as dark as possible.

II. SKIN AND COVERING

Skin loose and supple, with sufficient folds over the neck and chest, especially in bucks. Eyelids and other hairless areas must be pigmented. Hairless areas around anus should be at least 75% pigmented; 100% is ideal. Short glossy hair is desirable. A limited amount of winter down or under coat will be tolerated during winter, especially in colder environments.
FAULTS: Hair too long or too coarse.

III. REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

The does should have well formed udders and good attachment and no more than two functional teats per side. Ideally, all goats should have a single functional teat on each half of the udder. A split teat with two distinctly separatedts and openings with at least 50% of the body of a teat separated is permissible. The bucks should have two large well formed equal sized testes in a single scrotum. The apex of the scrotum with a split no longer than 2" is acceptable. Scrotal circumference increases up to maturity and varies slightly between the breeding and non-breeding season, and with usage. Large scrotal circumferences are inheritable and are directly related to high libido and fertility in other species. One should use approximately 9 3/4" as bottom cut off point at 8 months of age and/or 100 pounds. Adult bucks 2 years old or older should measure at least 11 ½" but preferably 12 ½" or larger.
FAULTS: Udder and teat abnormalities or defects, other than those specified above; small or abnormal testes, scrotal splits larger than 2".

IV. COLORATION

The ideal Boer Goat is an animal with red hair on the head and ears and white on the remainder of the body, and has fully pigmented skin. A face blaze must be evident. Hair coloration varying from light to dark red or brown is permissible. Hair coloration of the head is most desirable if it extends down to an imaginary line connecting the point anterior to the shoulder blades and the point of the brisket. Although this is the ideal, 50% non coloration of the head/neck are acceptable. Ideally, the ears should be 90% colored and pigmented.
FAULTS: Skin too lightly pigmented (less than 50% coloration of the head and neck are combined).