Kiko

The Kiko is a meat breed developed in New Zealand through the 1980s. The name comes from a Maori word for flesh or meat, which sums up exactly what the breed was built for. Kiko breeders wanted goats that would put on weight on grass and scrub rather than heavy grain feeding, and that could handle wet, hilly ground with minimal handling.

Toughness is what the breed is known for. Kikos were run under hard conditions from the outset, with poor doers culled rather than nursed along. What came out the other end is a goat that copes with worms better than most, will walk a fair distance to graze, and rarely needs a hand at kidding. Mature does typically run 45 to 65 kg (100 to 145 lb), with bucks heavier again.

Kikos are kept mainly for meat and for crossbreeding, since they pass hardiness on to other meat lines. Producers also run them for scrub control, as they browse on woody growth that cattle and sheep tend to leave alone.

Who the Kiko suits

The Kiko suits farmers and hobby-block owners after a goat that earns its keep on paddock feed without a lot of input. It does best under extensive, range-style management rather than in a small yard. Anyone after a small pet goat or a heavy milker should look elsewhere, since the Kiko was bred for meat and paddock toughness, not for cuddles or the dairy.

The Kiko took shape in New Zealand from the late 1970s through the 1980s. Garrick and Anne Batten, working with the Caprinex Genetics group on the South Island, set out to breed a meat goat that could handle New Zealand's wet hill country.

The starting point was feral goats already living and breeding without any help across the New Zealand landscape. Breeders crossed these hardy animals with imported dairy bucks, including Anglo-Nubian, Saanen, and Toggenburg stock, to add size and growth without losing the toughness of the feral base.

Selection did the heavy lifting. Animals were run on rough ground with next to no drenching, supplementary feed, or help at birth. Any goat that could not stay healthy, raise its kids, and put on weight under those conditions was cut from the breeding mob. After several generations the line bred true for hardiness and growth, and the breed was named Kiko.

Kikos were exported to the United States in the 1990s, where breeders used them both as a purebred meat goat and to add vigour to other meat lines through crossing. Breed registries in the United States and elsewhere now record Kiko pedigrees and percentage crosses.

The Kiko is a large, well-muscled goat with a deep body and strong, upright legs built for covering ground. Breeders selected for function rather than a fixed look, so there is more variation in size and colour than you would find in a show breed. The overall impression is of a solid, athletic animal built to work.

Bucks carry heavy, sweeping horns that curve outward and back, and does are horned too, though more lightly built. The head is medium in length with an alert look about it. Hooves tend to be tough and need less trimming than those of goats kept on soft, yarded ground.

Coat and colours

White is the most common colour and was favoured in the early breeding stock, but Kikos also turn up in cream, tan, brown, black, and combinations of these. The coat is fairly coarse and sits close to the body in warm weather. Where winters turn cold, the goats grow a heavier coat with some undercoat, which they shed as the weather warms up again.

Independence is bred into the Kiko. They graze and browse on their own across large paddocks, stay alert to threats, and react fast. Does are attentive mothers that defend and raise their kids with little input from the farmer.

Around people the breed is generally settled but not overly affectionate. Kikos handled regularly become easy to move and manage, while goats left to run wild on the range can be wary of strangers and harder to yard. They're active, curious, and will test a fence given half a chance. Around other goats they're usually sociable and settle into a stable pecking order, and they get on fine sharing a paddock with other livestock. This is not a clingy lap-goat breed, so anyone after close companionship should plan on handling kids often from a young age.

The Kiko was bred to need little day-to-day fuss, but it still needs proper husbandry. The main requirements are room to forage, fencing that actually holds, shelter from extreme weather, and a regular health program.

Grooming

• Brush now and then to clear loose hair during the spring shed.
• Check hooves every few months; Kiko hooves generally wear well and need less trimming than breeds kept on soft ground.
• Look over the coat for ticks, lice, and skin trouble while handling.
• Keep horns and any injuries clean and checked.

Exercise

• Give the goats open paddock or scrub so they can walk and forage every day.
• Let them get at brush and woody growth, which Kikos prefer over short grass alone.
• Rotate paddocks to keep feed fresh and cut down on worm burden.
• Give them space; goats kept too tight get bored and start pulling pens and fences apart.

Environment

Kikos handle wet, hilly, and cold conditions better than most goats, but Australian summers bring the opposite problem: they still need a dry, well-ventilated shelter with good shade to get out of harsh sun, hot northerly winds, and heavy rain alike. In the warmer parts of the country, shade cloth, tree cover, or an open-sided shed matters as much as a windbreak does further south. Fencing needs to be tall and tight, since this is an athletic breed that will find any weak point. Clean water and free-choice minerals should be on hand at all times, and water intake climbs sharply once the temperature climbs, so check troughs more often through summer.

The Kiko is a forager first and foremost. Its diet should be built around good paddock feed, browse, and hay, with grain kept to a minimum. Adults on decent feed often need no grain at all, while growing kids, does close to kidding, and does in milk may need a bit extra. Clean water and free-choice goat minerals should always be available, since goats need copper and selenium at levels that cattle mineral mixes don't provide.

Treats and supplements

Small amounts of carrot, apple, or leafy browse make safe treats and handy training rewards. Free-choice loose minerals and bicarb soda support rumen health. In selenium-deficient areas, get local veterinary advice on selenium and vitamin E supplementation, since too little and too much both cause harm.

The Kiko ranks among the hardier goat breeds because it was selected under hard conditions with poor doers removed from the mob. It shows better resistance to worms than most goats, and it usually kids without assistance. That said, it isn't immune to the standard goat ailments, and sound management keeps a herd healthy. With decent care a Kiko commonly lives 8 to 12 years.

Preventive care

• Use faecal egg counts to decide when drenching is actually needed, which protects the breed's worm resistance.
• Rotate paddocks and avoid overgrazing.
• Keep vaccinations current, including cover for clostridial diseases and tetanus, commonly given as a 5-in-1 vaccine in Australia.
• Provide free-choice goat minerals to guard against copper and selenium deficiency.
• Trim hooves as needed and keep bedding dry.

Easy breeding is central to what makes the Kiko worthwhile. Does reach sexual maturity at around 7 to 12 months, though many breeders hold off until a doe is closer to a year old and better grown before her first joining. Bucks can be fertile from about 5 to 7 months. Like most goats, Kikos in temperate parts of Australia tend to breed seasonally, cycling more strongly through autumn.

Gestation runs about 145 to 155 days. Kiko does are known for easy kidding and strong mothering, so they usually deliver and raise their kids with little intervention needed. Twins are common, and some does raise triplets. Kids are vigorous and are up and nursing quickly, which suits the breed's low-input design. Many producers wean kids at around 2 to 3 months, depending on growth and available feed. Selecting replacement stock for the same hardiness traits keeps the line strong.