Farm406

33 farm406 Boer goats were developed in South Africa, and sometimes called the South African Boer goat. Tracey VanSetten of Fairfield, Mont, raises South African Boer goats crossed with South African Savanna goats for her commercial breeding program. "My focus is on commercial breeding used to replenish other people's herds and to get good quality goats," she says. "I want to have nice looking goats that come to me." VanSetten started raising goats in 2011 to supplement her family's malt barley farm income. "A friend dropped off five momma goats on our farm," she recalls. "In the time it took me to get home from town, the herd size doubled." VanSetten says she enjoys raising goats because they are smaller than cattle, easier to handle and have good personalities. "I name them all 'Bob' so I don't get too attached," she says. "The Boer and Savanna goats are very docile and shorter with thicker legs than the milk goats. They don't cause as much trouble as the milk goats, no leaping onto things because their legs are too short. And, I don't keep the ornery ones – they go to market." VanSetten sells her goats primarily to other goat producers and the Boer Goat special sale each fall at the Public Auction Yard in Billings. "I meet with a group who get together periodically to talk marketing strategies and raising goats," she says. "There are getting to be a lot of Boer goats shown at the local fairs and the Montana State Fair." Yet, Montana goats are still an unrealized market, according to Yvonne Zweede-Tucker, who has been raising goats near Choteau, Mont., for 28 years. Tracey VanSetten of Fairfield, Mont., poses with one of her Boer goats that she breeds to replenish other goat producers' herds. Males that aren't sold at the end of the year are sold at the special Boer goat sale in the fall at the Public Auction Yard in Billings, Mont. Photo by Sara Young

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