The Kiko is a breed of meat goat originating from New Zealand.[1] Kiko comes from the Māori word for meat.[2]: 392 [3] The Kiko breed was developed in the 1980s by Garrick and Anne Batten, who cross-bred local feral goats with imported dairy goat bucks of the Anglo-Nubian, Saanen, and Toggenburg breeds. The only aims of the breeding programme were fast rate of growth and ability to survive in the pastoral conditions of the New Zealand hill country.[4]

kiko goat
a black-and-white nanny and kid lying on the grass
Country of originNew Zealand
Distribution
Usemeat
Traits
Skin colourvariable
Horn statushorned or polled
Beardbearded

The Kiko breed was imported into the United States in 1992 by Goatex Group LLC.[5] Today, three registries exist in the US for Kikos: the AKGA, the IKGA, and the NKR, the latter of which is the largest of the three. Through these agencies, Kikos could be registered as 100% New Zealand, meaning that their lineage can be traced all the way back to the original New Zealand stock.[6] "Purebreds" refer to goats that are at least 15/16ths New Zealand stock[6] and "percentages" are those that are at least 50% New Zealand stock.[6] Kiko-Boer crosses can also be registered as Genemaster™ through the NKR.

References edit

  1. ^ Breed data sheet: Kiko/New Zealand. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed November 2015.
  2. ^ Kiko Goats: A Rare Breed of New Zealand Origin. Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand. Accessed November 2015.
  3. ^ Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
  4. ^ Garrick J. Batten (1987). A New Meat Goat Breed. Proceedings of the IV International Conference on Goats, Brasilia, Brazil, 2: 1330–1336.
  5. ^ "Kiko Goats in the USA". Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand.
  6. ^ a b c The National Kiko Registry Handbook