Kiko

The Kiko is a meat-type goat that was bred up in New Zealand back in the 1980s. The name is a Maori word for flesh or meat, which tells you straight off what the breed was bred for. Kikos were selected to put on weight out on pasture and scrub rather than on heavy meal feeding, and to get by in wet, hilly country without much handling from anyone.

The breed is known above all for how tough it is. Breeders kept Kikos on hard ground and culled the poor doers instead of nursing them along, so what came out the far end is an animal that shrugs off internal parasites better than most goats, will walk a good distance to graze, and rarely needs a hand at kidding. A mature doe usually weighs somewhere between 45 and 65 kg (100 to 145 lb), with bucks running heavier again.

Farmers keep Kikos mainly for meat and for crossing into other meat lines to toughen them up. They're also handy for clearing scrub and briars, since they'll eat woody growth that most livestock leave well alone.

Who the Kiko suits

The Kiko suits farmers and smallholders who want a goat that earns its keep out on pasture without a lot of fuss. It does best under an extensive, range style of management rather than penned up in a shed. Anyone after a small pet goat or a big milker would be better off looking at another breed, since the Kiko was bred for meat and toughness in the field, not for petting or for the milking parlour.

Work on the Kiko began in New Zealand in the late 1970s and ran on 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 cope with New Zealand's wet hill country.

The starting stock was feral goats that had already been living and breeding wild across the New Zealand hills without any help from people. These hardy animals were crossed with imported dairy bucks, Anglo-Nubian, Saanen, and Toggenburg among them, to add size and growth while holding on to the toughness of the feral base.

Selection did the real work. The goats were run on rough ground with little drenching, little extra feed, and no help at kidding. Any animal that couldn't stay healthy, rear its kids, and put on weight under those conditions was cut from the breeding herd. After a few generations the line bred true for hardiness and growth, and it was given the name Kiko.

Kikos were exported to the United States in the 1990s, where farmers used them both as a purebred meat goat and to cross into other meat lines for extra vigour. Breed societies in the United States and elsewhere now keep records of Kiko pedigrees and percentage crosses.

The Kiko is a large, well-muscled goat with a deep body and strong, upright legs made for covering ground all day. Breeders selected for function rather than looks, so you'll see more variation in size and colour here than in show breeds. The overall picture is of a sturdy, athletic animal.

Bucks carry heavy horns that sweep out and back, and does are horned too, though more lightly built. The head is medium length with an alert look about it. The hooves tend to be hard-wearing and need less trimming than goats kept on soft ground.

Coat and colours

White is the most common colour and was the favourite in the early breeding stock, but Kikos also turn up in cream, tan, brown, black, and mixes of these. The coat is fairly coarse and lies close to the body in warm weather. In cold spells the goats grow a heavier winter coat with a bit of undercoat, which they shed off again as the weather turns.

Kikos are independent and well able to look after themselves, which comes straight from how the breed was developed. They graze and browse away on their own across big areas, stay alert for trouble, and react fast. Does mind their kids closely and rear them with little help needed.

Around people the breed is generally quiet but not what you'd call affectionate. Kikos that are handled regularly grow easy to manage and move about, while ones raised out on the range can stay wary of strangers and hard to catch. They're active and inquisitive, and they'll test a fence given half a chance. Among their own they get on well and settle into a steady herd order, and they'll share ground with other livestock without bother. This isn't a breed that wants to sit on your lap, so anyone after a close bond should plan on handling the kids often from early on.

The Kiko was bred to get by with little day-to-day care, but it still needs proper husbandry. The main requirements are room to forage, strong fencing, shelter from the worst of the weather, and a regular health routine.

Grooming

• Give the coat an occasional brush to shift loose hair during the spring shed.
• Check hooves every few months. Kiko hooves usually wear well and need less trimming than those of goats kept on soft ground.
• Look over the coat for ticks, lice, and skin trouble whenever you're handling them.
• Keep an eye on horns and any cuts or knocks, and keep them clean.

Exercise

• Give the goats open pasture or browse so they can walk and forage every day.
• Let them at scrub and woody growth, which Kikos go for over plain grass.
• Use rotational grazing to keep the forage fresh and cut down the parasite load.
• Give them space. Penned-up goats get bored fast and can wreck pens and fences.

Environment

Kikos cope with wet, hilly, and cold conditions better than most goats, but they still need a dry, draught-free shelter to get out of rain, wind, and heat. Fencing needs to be tall and tight, since this is an athletic breed that will find any weak spot. Clean water and free-choice minerals should be on hand at all times.

The Kiko is a forager before anything else. Its diet should be built around good grazing, browse, and hay, with meal used only sparingly. Adults on decent forage often need no meal at all, while growing kids, does close to kidding, and nursing does may need a top-up. Always have clean water and free-choice goat minerals on hand, since goats need copper and selenium in amounts that cattle mineral mixes don't provide.

Treats and supplements

Small bits of carrot, apple, or leafy browse make safe treats and handy rewards when training. Free-choice loose minerals and bread soda help keep the rumen working well. In areas where the ground is short on selenium, follow the vet's advice on selenium and vitamin E, since too much and too little are both harmful.

The Kiko ranks among the hardier goat breeds because it was bred under hard conditions with the poor doers weeded out. It shows better resistance to internal parasites than most goats, and it usually kids away without any help. That said, it isn't immune to the standard goat diseases, and sound management keeps a herd well. Given proper care, a Kiko commonly lives 8 to 12 years.

Preventive care

• Use faecal egg counts to dose for worms only when needed, which protects the breed's natural resistance.
• Rotate the pasture and don't let it get overgrazed.
• Keep vaccinations up to date, including CDT for clostridial diseases and tetanus.
• Provide free-choice goat minerals to head off copper and selenium deficiency.
• Trim hooves as needed and keep the bedding dry.

Easy kidding is central to what makes the Kiko worthwhile. Does reach sexual maturity at around 7 to 12 months old, though many breeders hold off until a doe is closer to a year and well grown before her first mating. Bucks can be fertile from about 5 to 7 months. Like most goats, Kikos in temperate regions are seasonal breeders in the main, cycling more strongly come autumn.

Gestation runs about 145 to 155 days. Kiko does are noted for easy kidding and strong mothering, so they usually deliver and rear their kids with little help needed. Twins are common, and some does rear triplets. The kids come out vigorous and are up and nursing quickly, which suits the breed's low-input way of doing things. Many keepers wean kids at around 2 to 3 months, depending on growth and grazing. Picking replacement stock for the same hardy traits keeps the line strong.