Kiko Goats

A Rare Breed of New Zealand Origin

Kiko doe kids, 8 months old, New Zealand (Photo from Garrick Batten, 1980s)

      The appropriately named Kiko goat was purpose-bred in New Zealand for meat production – the Maori word "kiko" means flesh or meat. The developers of the breed were Garrick and Anne Batten of Nelson in the northern South Island, and they developed the Kiko from feral goats that had been liberated or had escaped over the last hundred years or so of European settlement. These feral goats could be found in many places throughout the country, and although they were hardy, they were relatively small and produced little meat or milk.

      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 liveweight and animal performance was achieved. By 1986 the Kiko breed was established and the herd was closed to further cross-breeding. See » Origin of Kiko Goats for more details.

Young Kiko buck, the first to go to the USA (Marlborough Express photo, 1986)

      Within New Zealand control of the breed remained with the original developers, trading under the company name of Caprinex, but the Kiko did not become popular as a meat goat here (the » Boer finding greater favour). Development of the Kiko in New Zealand ceased about 1992, but more recently (2005) Caprinex bought back does available in New Zealand and mated them with frozen semen from the original project, and currently a breeding programme is under way to develop an even better Kiko – the Kikonui.

      In the meantime, however, Kikos were exported to the United States in the 1990s, and there is now a growing number of enthusiastic breeders of Kikos in that country. At the beginning of 2005 there were more than 1,600 Kiko goats registered with the International Kiko Goat Association in North America. See » Kiko Goats in the USA.

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•  » Kiko Goats in the USA  •
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