Here at Fish or Price Ranch, we have learned a lot over the years about the Kiko Goat and what an amazing breed it is. Figuring out what quality is, and how to utilize it, has helped us grow a herd we are proud to share. With parasite resistance, great mothering ability, good hooves, and hardiness, we continue this tradition, but are slowly finding that there’s more to the breed than we thought.
Kiko’s have had little input over the years, making them very parasite resistant. Having a strong immune system and not being dewormed on a schedule, the Kiko have little problem with worm load. Only treating the goats that truly need it or culling them completely, has helped the breed stay strong. They also seem to be able to adapt to just about any type of climate. Kiko’s are also known for being amazing mothers. Having smaller kids has resulted in fewer birthing problems and they typically handle it without any assistance. They have a heavy drive to be mothers and will be quick to clean and get their kids nursing in no time. Sometimes their drive is so strong they will take on extra kids and foster! The kids grow fast since the dams have good quality milk. It is important with this breed to get the kid’s birth weight and weaning weight to determine growth rate. This will help you find which genetics will grow the quickest when working with meat goats. Another quality of the Kiko are their good hooves. They naturally chip on rocks and other debris in their surroundings, making hoof care minimal. Some Kiko’s go their entire life without a hoof trim, making for less work on the rancher.
Because the Kiko breed is so hardy, we only check health on our herd every six months. We round them all up and check weight, famacha, hooves, and administer copper if needed. We spend time with our herd every day though, so if one needs their health checked sooner, they can tell us in their own way, all we must do is listen. We love that the breed is so strong, but one must remember that there is a difference between hands off and neglect. The Kiko’s still need care, it just doesn’t seem to be as often as other breeds. We also make sure to draw blood on every goat in our herd annually to test for disease. We always quarantine any new goats, which are also tested for disease before entering the main herd. We don’t want to risk infecting the herd we’ve worked so hard for or anyone else’s! We pride ourselves in making sure our customers are happy and that they would gladly return for a quality, healthy stock. In working with goats for a while now, we have started an educational “YouTube” Channel on raising goats and keeping good records. We hope that it can help others get started and save time learning through trial and error as we had to.
Kiko goats are a great meat goat that grow quickly without all the extra feed cost. We feed a quality grass hay and forage, which is about all they need to grow and sustain a healthy body condition. With added loose minerals and fresh water, this breed is almost untouchable. We process our own meat here at the Ranch. Enjoying the great flavor and all the health benefits it has to offer, we cook our goat meat any way we would normally cook beef, making it a healthier and leaner alternative to many dishes. When processing our goats, we also save the fat and render it into cooking lard, using the lard anytime we need cooking oil or when baking. We also throw a party every fall, inviting people from all over. They get to see what ranch life is like and try the goat meat and our homemade goat cheese. Many have never had the opportunity to try goat meat but are happy to go back for a second serving!
Since Fish or Price Ranch stumbled upon this breed back in 2017, the Kiko have since become our focus on the Ranch. We found that the Kiko can be used in more ways than one. When the breed was first created, they used dairy bucks over feral does, so naturally we looked at the dairy side. We used to raise Nubian goats for milk but found out quickly that many of our Kiko dams produced the same amount of milk, but of higher quality and heavier cream content. Having a sweeter flavor as well, it quickly became our favorite milk. We sold off our Nubians going with straight Kiko. We make all sorts of dairy products from the Kiko milk including cheese, butter, and ice cream. The health benefits of raw goat milk are amazing and with low to almost no lactose, more people can enjoy it. Kiko breeders have focused more on high and tight udders to keep them protected while foraging, culling hard for bad udders, though many weren’t focused on the dairy aspect. Here at Fish or Price Ranch, we have been working on a breed-up program to add great attachment to the udders on our future Kiko’s. Selecting Kiko’s by quality udders or adding specific dairy breeds will help our future generations with dairy production. This will not only make for better quality udders but the more milk the dams produce, the faster their kids will grow!
Another asset to the Kiko breed is their hair. Many people don’t realize that goats are the only animal to produce cashmere. Not all breeds produce enough cashmere to collect. In fact, only about three breeds produce enough cashmere, Kiko’s being one of them. Every spring the Kiko’s will shed out their undercoat and it typically gets blown in the wind and never seen again. Here at Fish or Price Ranch, we have started to collect and sell out every year. All it takes is a little bonding time of brushing the goats every few days until they are done shedding. We sell the cashmere unclean, straight from the goat and our customers love the product. Just remember to bag the cashmere separately because each goat has a different quality and color.
Kiko goats are also great working animals. They can be used to pack out in the wilderness or pull a cart or plow. They are easy to train and form a great bond with their person when able to work side-by-side. Goats as packers are easily taken out for hikes and can be trained for long distances. They eat on the go and take water as it comes available. They don’t spook as easily as a mule and tend to stay with their person instead of wandering off. Also, goats can handle up to as much as 25% of their body weight when packing. Just remember they need to finish growing until about the age of four before they can carry a load. Goats as pullers can learn to pull a cart or even work in the field. Being used for transportation has been around for decades. The Kiko goats are well built and of good size, so they can handle more then other breeds.
Goats are known for being great browsers and clear land like its nobody’s business. Kiko’s having such high parasite resistance compared to other breeds make for great brush control in all sorts on environments. They can be leased out to clear thick vegetation and to help prevent wildfires. They typically start high and work low. Trimming trees and bushes first before moving down to weeds and grasses. Reaching areas that equipment is unable to and keeping fence lines clear. They will even eat poison ivy and poison oak! Kiko’s can be put out on a small piece of land or a large amount of acreage, just watch for any poisonous plants they can’t have such as Milkweed, dried cherry leaves, and Horsenettle. Check for a full list of poisonous plants in your area.
These are just some of the great qualities we have found in the Kiko breed that persuaded us to stick with this single breed. Hence our motto, “Kiko goats. Everything you need, just one breed.” Just remember, not all the genetics are the same. Not every Kiko will have all these qualities. Therefore, we keep a variety of genetics in our herd, while breeding certain genetics together to create more qualities in each generation to come. Why not use them to their fullest potential? Meat, Dairy, Cashmere, Pack/Pull, Brush Control, and even great pets. Those that raise the Kiko breed have seen how amazing these animals truly are. It’s these compassionate breeders that make the Kiko Goats what they are today! Our focus is continuing the tradition of hardy goats while also bettering the breed. These goats are still a work in progress, we should all continue to add in quality genetics and cull out the bad ones. If you haven’t checked the Kiko Breed out yet, I encourage those to find a breeder near you. See this amazing, multi-purpose breed for yourself, you won’t regret it!
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