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(1) Speed of growth - A rapid rate of growth was required in order that a commercially viable carcass might be produced in the minimum number of days. Extensive weight gain records were maintained to provide an objective basis for selection. Only females from the upper quarter of eight and twelve month weight recording were retained as replacement breeder does. Only males from the top five percent were held in the pool from which stud bucks were selected.
(2) Improved fertility over herd average - To this end only females bearing and rearing at least twins survived the selection process thereby ensuring that a single gestation maximized the number of animals for retention in the herd or for slaughter. The rationale for this approach is that a single female having a single offspring has put on the ground 20 kilograms of live weight at fifteen weeks: a single female having twins(allowing for slightly lower birth rates and slightly lower rates of growth) has put on the ground 2 X 18 kilograms = 36 kilograms at fifteen weeks. The latter female is therefore infinitely more profitable.
(3) Improved fecundity, early maturity - In New Zealand goats typically reach sexual maturity between eleven and fourteen months of age. Typically they are first bred at around eighteen months of age and have their first kidding at close to two years of age. This is the management program typically undertaken by New Zealand sheep farmers and is replicated in the goat farming environment. By selecting for improved fecundity, the age of sexual maturity of the Kiko reared under natural conditions has been reduced to six to eight months for does and less than six months for bucks. This means that females can be brought into production at significantly earlier ages thereby reducing the management imputs and their associated costs before each female can become a profit center in her own right. Early maturity effectively gives the farmer an extra offspring during a period where usually there are substantial costs with the growing out of the immature doe to an age and size where conception can take place. Early maturity can also quite significantly reduce the gneration interval, an important consideration where trait enhancement is the aim of the breeding program.
(4) Improved Maternals, enhanced nutritional availability for offspring - Growth rate and development are inextricably tied to the female's ability to provide nutrition for her offspring. Mindful of the South African experience where there was a substantial infusion of Saanen blood into the enobled Boer goat to enhance milking ability and to stabalize body ground color, the consortium decided that nutritional availablility could be substantially improved by recourse to New Zealand's world class dairy herd. By the selective use of males of dairy origin and by the selection of females exhibiting well above average nutritional and nurturing capabilities, enhanced growth rates for kids born and reared under range conditions were attained. No kids were ever artificially reared nor was any female ever assisted at kidding.
(5) General characteristics - The
primary characteristic of the Kiko goat is its hardiness and its ability
to achieve substantial weight gains when run under natural conditions
without supplementary feeding. In New Zealand it has been called the
"go anywhere, eat anything" goat signifying its ability to
thrive under less than ideal conditions. The Kiko is large framed, generally
white (although many Kikos carry genes for color and colored Kikos are
capable of registration) with a coat that ranges from slick in summer
to flowing hair when run in mountain country in winter. Mature males
display substantial characteristic horns and are of a bold disposition.
Mature females are ample, feminine and generally hae good udder placement
and attachment. The Kiko is a consumate browser and will range extensively
when run in open country. The Kiko is not affected by substantial climatic
variation and is equally at home in sub alpine mountain country and
arid brushland. Perhaps the defining characteristic of the breed is
the rate of growth. The kids are born of average size but with considerable
vigor. From birth to weaning the Kiko displays a rate of growth at least
equivalent to any other purpose bred meat goat breed but this is achieved
without the management and feed imputs generally required for satisfactory
meat production in other breeds.
(Reprinted from an article puplished in The Record Stockman, No.17)
