Kiko Goats were bred in New
Zealand for meat production. The Maori word “Kiko” means flesh or meat. The breed
was developed by Garrick and Anne Batten of Nelson in the northern South Island.
The Kiko breed was established by crossbreeding selected feral does with
Anglo-Nubian, Toggenburg and Saanen bucks, with further cross-breeding in the
second and third generations. After four generations of selective breeding –
selection being on the grounds of survivability and growth rate in a hill
country environment – a dramatic improvement in live weight and animal
performance was achieved. By 1986 the Kiko breed was established and the herd
was closed to further cross-breeding. Within New Zealand, control of the breed
has remained with the original developers.
In the 1990s, ranchers began
importing Kiko Goats into North America and organized the American Kiko Goat
Association. In 2000, the American Kiko Goat Association purchased the North
American Kiko Goat Registry. This is the only Kiko registry that has a seamless
ancestry dating back to the first imports.
There are now two major Kiko
goat registries in North American, International Kiko Goat Association and American
Kiko Goat Association. The American Kiko Goat Association requires that all
sires be genotyped and match their sire DNA, and all purebred does born on or
after January 1, 2008, will be genotyped to increase the accuracy of the
registry. The International Kiko Goat Association offers the same services but
concentrates more on the actual traits that make the Kiko a superior production
animal.
Interest continues to
increase in the consistent traits and characteristics of Kiko goats. Whether
raised Kiko on Kiko, or crossed with other breeds, Kikos bring improvement in
profits because of their low maintenance, high rate of growth, resistance and
tolerance to parasites, excellent maternal instincts, ease of kidding, vigor of
newborn kids, and because of the incorporation of milk breeds in the creation
of Kiko, an ample milk supply to raise twins that gain quickly to earlier sale
weights.
About Kiko Goats
