The Advantages of Raising Savannah Goats

Savannah goats haven't been present in the U.S. as long as other meat goats, such as the Boer, but they're rapidly becoming more common, and observers in the world of meat goats often wonder why. But the reasons are not hard to find. Although Savannah goats certainly aren't the prime choice if you're looking for a pet goat, this meat goat breed's beginnings in the wilds of South Africa help account for the potential advantages it brings to commercial meat goat herds.

  1. Background

    • The roots of the Savannah meat goat breed extend back to South Africa in the 1950s, when servants gave the Cilliers family a white goat as a gift, according to Carol Amundson, author of "How to Raise Goats." Descendents of this white goat went on to provide the foundation animals of the Savannah goats, which became a breed and was introduced in the U.S. in the 1990s. During the development of the breed, the Cilliers family left the white goats alone in the brush country of South Africa during kidding season to fend for themselves in an effort to allow natural selection to weed out weak members of the herd. Savannah goats have an all-white coat of short hair and an underlying skin, or hide, that is all black.

    Mothering Traits

    • One of the key traits of the Savannah, and one for which it was bred, is a strong mothering ability. The does typically give birth unaided in the range or pasture without experiencing labor or delivery problems, even during cold or chilly weather. Once they deliver the babies, Savannah does bond strongly with their kids and play an active role in protecting them from potential predators such as dogs, wolves and coyotes. This strong bonding minimizes the need for human and veterinarian intervention, which also lowers the cost of production in commercial meat goat herds. Savannah goats also breed year-round, a trait that can mean increases in the number of kids you can obtain from each doe.

    Resistance to Health Problems

    • Savannah goats generally don't require the regular preventative care, such as hoof trimming, that most other breeds of goats need. Because of their origins as indigenous goats raised to subsist on their own in the wild, Savannahs also tend to have a natural resistance to parasites, including both external and internal parasites. In general, those that do get exposed to parasites seem to be able to tolerate them without experiencing the severe adverse effects that often appear in dairy goats and other meat goat breeds. This may decrease your need to purchase expensive parasite medicine. And it could minimize the amount of time you need to spend providing preventative care for your Savannah goats.

    Feeding Habits

    • As goats that were allowed to forage on their own in the wilds of South Africa for months on end, Savannahs possess an assortment of potentially advantageous grazing habits and traits. While most other breeds of goats prefer to forage on leafy browse and often require a diet supplemented with grain concentrate, Savannahs were bred to grow and thrive while consuming a diet of veld -- the uncultivated, wild grasses and shrubs that grow in South Africa. Their dark-pigmented skin protects them from sunburn and their short coat grows a down-like layer during the cold weather, which helps minimize potential chills.