Kiko goat

The Kiko is a meat-type goat developed in New Zealand during the 1980s. The name comes from a Maori word meaning flesh or meat, which points to the breed's purpose. Kikos were bred to gain weight on pasture and brush rather than on heavy grain feeding, and to survive in wet, hilly country with minimal handling.

The breed is best known for its toughness. Kikos were selected under hard conditions, with poor performers culled rather than nursed along. The result is an animal that tends to resist internal parasites better than many goats, walks long distances to graze, and needs little assistance at kidding. Mature does commonly weigh around 45 to 65 kg (100 to 145 lb), and bucks are larger.

Kikos are raised mainly for meat and for crossbreeding to add vigor to other meat lines. They are also used for brush clearing because they forage on woody plants that many livestock ignore.

Who the Kiko suits

The Kiko fits farmers and smallholders who want a goat that performs on pasture with low input. It rewards extensive, range-style management more than confinement. People who want a small pet goat or a heavy milk producer are better served by other breeds, since the Kiko is bred for meat and field hardiness rather than for petting or dairy output.

The Kiko was developed in New Zealand starting in the late 1970s and through the 1980s. The breeders Garrick and Anne Batten, working with the Caprinex Genetics group on the South Island, set out to build a meat goat suited to New Zealand's wet hill country.

The foundation came from feral goats that already lived and bred without human help across the New Zealand landscape. These hardy animals were crossed with imported dairy bucks, including Anglo-Nubian, Saanen, and Toggenburg stock, to add size and growth rate while keeping the toughness of the feral base.

Selection was the core of the program. Animals were kept on rough ground with little drenching, supplemental feed, or birthing assistance. Goats that did not stay healthy, raise their kids, and gain weight under those conditions were removed from the breeding pool. After several generations the line bred true for hardiness and growth, and it was named Kiko.

Kikos were exported to the United States in the 1990s, where they were used both as a purebred meat goat and as a cross to add vigor to other meat lines. 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. The breed was selected for function rather than a fixed look, so there is more variation in size and color than in show breeds. The overall impression is of a sturdy, athletic animal.

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

Coat and colors

White is the most common color and was favored in the early breeding stock, but Kikos appear in cream, tan, brown, black, and combinations of these. The coat is fairly coarse and lies close to the body in warm weather. In cold climates the goats grow a heavier winter coat with some undercoat, which they shed as the weather warms.

Kikos are independent and self-reliant, which follows from how they were bred. They graze and browse on their own across large areas, stay alert to threats, and react quickly. Does are attentive mothers that defend and raise their kids with little help.

With people the breed is generally calm but not overly affectionate. Kikos raised with regular handling become manageable and easy to move, while range-raised animals can be wary of strangers and harder to catch. They are active and curious, and they test fences. Around other goats they are usually social and form a stable herd order. With other livestock they coexist well on shared pasture. They are not a clingy lap-goat breed, so owners who want close companionship should plan to handle them often from a young age.

The Kiko was bred to need little day-to-day care, but it still requires sound husbandry. The main needs are room to forage, strong fencing, shelter from extreme weather, and a routine health program.

Grooming

• Brush occasionally to remove loose hair during the spring shed.
• Check hooves every few months; Kiko hooves often wear well and need less trimming than soft-ground breeds.
• Inspect the coat for ticks, lice, and skin problems during handling.
• Keep horns and any injuries clean and monitored.

Exercise

• Provide open pasture or browse so the goats can walk and forage daily.
• Allow access to brush and woody plants, which Kikos prefer over short grass alone.
• Use rotational grazing to keep forage fresh and reduce parasite load.
• Give space; confined goats become bored and may damage pens and fences.

Environment

Kikos handle wet, hilly, and cold conditions better than many goats, but they still need a dry, draft-free shelter to escape rain, wind, and heat. Fencing must be tall and tight, since the breed is athletic and will test weak points. Clean water and free-choice minerals should always be available.

The Kiko is a forager first. Its diet should be built around good pasture, browse, and hay, with grain used sparingly. Adults on quality forage often need no grain at all, while growing kids, late-pregnant does, and nursing does may need a supplement. Always provide clean water and free-choice goat minerals, since goats have specific needs for copper and selenium that cattle minerals do not meet.

Treats and supplements

Small amounts of carrots, apples, or leafy browse make safe treats and useful training rewards. Free-choice loose minerals and baking soda help rumen health. In selenium-deficient regions, follow local veterinary advice on selenium and vitamin E supplementation, since both deficiency and excess are harmful.

The Kiko is one of the more robust goat breeds because it was selected under hard conditions with poor performers removed. It shows better resistance to internal parasites than many goats, and it usually kids without help. Even so, it is not immune to the standard goat diseases, and good management keeps the herd healthy. With proper care a Kiko commonly lives 8 to 12 years.

Preventive care

• Use fecal egg counts to deworm only when needed, which protects the breed's parasite resistance.
• Rotate pasture and avoid overgrazing.
• Keep vaccinations current, including CDT for clostridial diseases and tetanus.
• Provide free-choice goat minerals to prevent copper and selenium deficiency.
• Trim hooves as needed and keep bedding dry.

Easy breeding is central to the Kiko's value. Does reach sexual maturity at around 7 to 12 months, though many breeders wait until a doe is closer to a year old and well grown before her first mating. Bucks can be fertile by about 5 to 7 months. Like most goats, Kikos in temperate regions tend to be seasonal breeders, cycling more strongly in autumn.

Gestation lasts 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. Twins are common, and some does raise triplets. The kids are vigorous and stand and nurse quickly, which fits the breed's low-input design. Many keepers wean kids at around 2 to 3 months, depending on growth and pasture. Selecting replacement stock for the same hardiness traits keeps the line strong.