Top Ten Bucks

The top-10 bucks in this year's Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test have been selected. The primary criteria for determining the top-10 was growth rate (ADG), parasite resistance (fecal egg counts), and parasite resilience (FAMACHA© scores and treatment).

Other factors which were considered included birth type/type of rearing, weight per day of age (WDA), first and second half ADG, rib eye area (REA), USDA grade, and scrotal circumference (SC).

You can't tell who the best bucks are by looking.

The top-performing buck in this year's test was 539, a commercial Kiko consigned by Jodie & Randy Majancsik from Kentucky. The Majancsiks also had last year's top performing buck with another commercial Kiko. In 2014, the Majancsiks tied Brent Ballenger for top consignor. They were also in contention for this year's top consignor award.

The rest of the top 10 bucks (in no particular order) were 501 (Craig Adams, IL), 505 (Brent Ballenger, KY), 527 (Jarred Dennison, KY), 543 (Steve Maynard & Darla Dishman, TN), 550 (P.J. Murphy, NJ), 551 (Waldo Nelson, MD), 556 & 557 (David Peters, NC), & 584 (John Weber, IL). All  consignors with top-10 bucks have had top-performers in previous tests, with the exception of Maynard/Dishman, who are first time consignors.

David Peters has two bucks in the top 10. He is this year's top consignor, an award given to the consignor with the three best bucks in the test. David had the most resistant buck in this year's test. 557 had an averaged fecal egg count of 217 epg and never had an egg count above 500 epg. David had a top-performing buck in last year's test.

Click on table for a larger view in another window.

The only other buck that met the traditional Gold standards for parasite resistance was 505, consigned by Brent Ballenger. 505's average egg was 432 epg. It never had an egg count above 1000 epg. The average egg count of the top 10 bucks was 630 epg.

The most resilient buck in the test was 550, consigned by P.J. Murphy. Each time he was scored, 550 had a FAMACHA© score of 1. The average FAMACHA© score of the top 10 bucks over the duration of the test was 1.7. None of the goats in the top-10 required deworming.

It is suggested that this year's top 10 bucks be retained for breeding and/or sold (as yearlings) at next year's Bluegrass Performance Invitational or a similar performance-based sale.

 Download all summary data from top 10 bucks

Special thanks to Dr. Dahlia O'Brien at Virginia State University for doing fecal egg counts and larva ID for the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test. 

NKR Supports Buck Test

The National Kiko Registry (NKR) would like to congratulate all the participants in this year’s Western Maryland Pasture-Based Buck Performance Test. Remember that performance data can be added at any time to your NKR certificate of registration.

Just send us an official announcement of the performance status, along with your original certificate, and we will add it at no cost. Performance testing plays an important role in the Kiko industry and NKR wants you and your goats to get the recognition you deserve.

The list of Kiko breeders who choose the National Kiko Registry as their registry of choice continues to grow each month with nearly 500 clients to date!  No other registry serves as many breeders, DNAs more goats, or registers more Kikos than the National Kiko Registry.

Support performance testing

Nor does any other organization representing any breed of goat offer more educational opportunities to the meat goat industry - and we do this free of charge, investing our profits in facilities, travel and lodging for speakers, goat meat meals, promotional DVDs, brochures, advertising incentives to private sales, and more!

Ninety-five percent of the goats sold at the Southeast Kiko Goat Association sale were registered with NKR, and 100% of goats sold at the Spotlight Kiko Sale, Oklahoma Hills sale, Appalachian Kiko sale and Cream of the Crop sale are registered with the NKR.

NKR representatives attended nearly a dozen meat goat functions this year promoting the Kiko goat and NKR breeders, and the NKR partners with the Southeast Kiko Goat Association each fall to promote Kiko goats at the Sunbelt Expo, one of the largest ag expositions in the nation.  In the December issue of GoatRancher, the NKR will purchase 6 full pages to promote the Kiko and publish the NKR Breeders List.

Professional management, great customer service and the best group of Kiko breeders in the world make NKR the No. 1goat registry anywhere. To learn more about NKR, scroll through our Facebook page, visit www.nationalkikoregistry.com, or call or e-mail the contacts listed on our website. If you have questions, we have answers! The NKR management is thankful for the support so many breeders have shown.

Information provided by Terry Hankins

Editor's note:  The Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test does not endorse any meat goat registry. In fact, registration is not a requirement of the test. The test is open to any breed or cross of goat, with or without registration status or eligibility. The test appreciates the support of goat breed associations and registries and believes that all groups should be united in their support of performance testing.