Can Feral (wild) Goats Be Used to Improve Hardiness For US Meat Goat Producers?
During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries sea traveling explorers and merchants deliberately released goats and hogs on off shore islands along their routes to establish feral populations that could be used as sources of fresh meat on future trips. These animals thrived on these islands because the islands didn't have predators.
Two breeds of feral goats (San Clemente Island goats and Arapawa goats) will probably play a very important role in developing new composite meat goat breeds in the United States. DNA testing of these breeds done by Amparo Martinez Martinez and Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo at the University of Cordoba in Spain in 2007 and reported by Dr. D. Phillip Sponenberg shows that these two breeds are highly inbred and are not related to each other or to Spanish goats found in the United States or to Saanens, Alpines, Nubians, Boers, to ten breeds of goats found in Spain or to breeds of goats found in Cuba, Brazil, and Bolivia. The Spanish goats in the United States were found to be related to the breeds of goats found in Spain and Latin America. Additional testing done at Cordoba in 2009 showed the San Clemente Island and Arapawa goats to be unrelated to feral Rawhiti goats from North Island, New Zealand, feral goats from Galapagos Island, Old English Milche goats, Golden Guernsey goats, and Damascus goats (http://www.arapawagoats.com/dna.html.)
Hardiness, fertility, mothering ability, and resistance to internal parasites are the most important traits in meat goats. Feral goats can be used to develop new breeds of meat goats that excel in these traits.
Two breeds of feral goats (San Clemente Island goats and Arapawa goats) will probably play a very important role in developing new composite meat goat breeds in the United States. DNA testing of these breeds done by Amparo Martinez Martinez and Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo at the University of Cordoba in Spain in 2007 and reported by Dr. D. Phillip Sponenberg shows that these two breeds are highly inbred and are not related to each other or to Spanish goats found in the United States or to Saanens, Alpines, Nubians, Boers, to ten breeds of goats found in Spain or to breeds of goats found in Cuba, Brazil, and Bolivia. The Spanish goats in the United States were found to be related to the breeds of goats found in Spain and Latin America. Additional testing done at Cordoba in 2009 showed the San Clemente Island and Arapawa goats to be unrelated to feral Rawhiti goats from North Island, New Zealand, feral goats from Galapagos Island, Old English Milche goats, Golden Guernsey goats, and Damascus goats (http://www.arapawagoats.com/dna.html.)
Hardiness, fertility, mothering ability, and resistance to internal parasites are the most important traits in meat goats. Feral goats can be used to develop new breeds of meat goats that excel in these traits.
Arapawa Goats San Clemente Island Goats Hawaiian Feral Goats
San Clemente Island Goats
San Clemente Island goats are descendent from stock placed on Santa Catalina Island by Spanish Explorers in the 1500's and by Franciscan Missionaries in the 1600's and 1700's. Feral goats were taken from Santa Catalina Island to San Clemente Island (60 miles west of San Diego, California,) by Salvador Ramirez in 1875. In 1934 the Island was turned over to the U.S. Navy. The Navy removed all of the goats from the Island during the 1980s in order to protect endangered species of native vegetation. There were about 20,000 goats on the Island when removal of the goats began. The last goat was removed from the Island in 1991. The Fund for Animals live trapped about 6,000 of the goats and resettled them on the mainland. Today there are between 400 and 500 full blood San Clemente Island goats owned by 31 US Breeders and 7 Canadian breeders. They are distributed evenly across the United States and in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. These goats are small, fine boned, with good muscling for meat production. They are said to be very hardy. Detailed descriptions of these goats, together with many pictures and contact information for all breeders who have registered full bloods, can be found on The San Clemente Island Goat Association web site.
Arapawa Goats
Arapawa goats are found on Arapawa Island in the Queen Charlotte Sound of New Zealand. The island is separated from the South Island of New Zealand by Troy Sound. Captain James Cook released two goats on Arapawa Island in 1773. These goats were taken from Cape Verdes Island at the Cape of Good Hope. Captain Cook reported that these goats were killed before he left the island. Old English Milche Goats were probably brought to the island by English settlers about 1830. In 1839 a number of goats were reported to have been seen at the whaling station on the island. Arapawa goats resemble the Old English Milche Goat which was the dominant breed of goat in England until the Swiss breeds of dairy goats were introduced in 1870. Since the Arapawa Island has a warm humid climate the breed has probably developed resistance to internal parasites and hoof rot. In 1994 six Arapawa goats (3does and 3 bucks) were imported into the United States by Plimoth Plantation, a living museum at Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 2006 Marilyn Burbank, an Oregon breeder, imported semen from five Arapawa bucks at the conservation herd of David Hughes in New Zealand. The Arapawa Goat Breeders - USA publishes a detailed description of this breed, its history, a picture gallery of the goats, and a list of breeders with contact information, on its web site.
Other feral goats available in the United States
The American Livestock Breeds Conservatory has recently begun efforts to rescue a herd of about 30 head of feral goats on a coastal island near Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. They will remove selected animals from the herd and place them in conservation breeding herds to protect them from predators and increase their numbers. Two pregnant does, one buck kid, and one doe kid have already been moved to Brook Green Gardens, south of Murrells Inlet. DNA samples, for further testing, have been taken from these animals under Dr. D. Phillip Sponenberg's supervision. These goats will contribute valuable genetics to our meat goat population in future years.
There are feral goats in Southern California that are probably of Spanish origin. Feral goats found on the Hawaiian Islands are descendants of Old English Milche goats released by Captain James Cook.
San Clemente Island goats are descendent from stock placed on Santa Catalina Island by Spanish Explorers in the 1500's and by Franciscan Missionaries in the 1600's and 1700's. Feral goats were taken from Santa Catalina Island to San Clemente Island (60 miles west of San Diego, California,) by Salvador Ramirez in 1875. In 1934 the Island was turned over to the U.S. Navy. The Navy removed all of the goats from the Island during the 1980s in order to protect endangered species of native vegetation. There were about 20,000 goats on the Island when removal of the goats began. The last goat was removed from the Island in 1991. The Fund for Animals live trapped about 6,000 of the goats and resettled them on the mainland. Today there are between 400 and 500 full blood San Clemente Island goats owned by 31 US Breeders and 7 Canadian breeders. They are distributed evenly across the United States and in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. These goats are small, fine boned, with good muscling for meat production. They are said to be very hardy. Detailed descriptions of these goats, together with many pictures and contact information for all breeders who have registered full bloods, can be found on The San Clemente Island Goat Association web site.
Arapawa Goats
Arapawa goats are found on Arapawa Island in the Queen Charlotte Sound of New Zealand. The island is separated from the South Island of New Zealand by Troy Sound. Captain James Cook released two goats on Arapawa Island in 1773. These goats were taken from Cape Verdes Island at the Cape of Good Hope. Captain Cook reported that these goats were killed before he left the island. Old English Milche Goats were probably brought to the island by English settlers about 1830. In 1839 a number of goats were reported to have been seen at the whaling station on the island. Arapawa goats resemble the Old English Milche Goat which was the dominant breed of goat in England until the Swiss breeds of dairy goats were introduced in 1870. Since the Arapawa Island has a warm humid climate the breed has probably developed resistance to internal parasites and hoof rot. In 1994 six Arapawa goats (3does and 3 bucks) were imported into the United States by Plimoth Plantation, a living museum at Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 2006 Marilyn Burbank, an Oregon breeder, imported semen from five Arapawa bucks at the conservation herd of David Hughes in New Zealand. The Arapawa Goat Breeders - USA publishes a detailed description of this breed, its history, a picture gallery of the goats, and a list of breeders with contact information, on its web site.
Other feral goats available in the United States
The American Livestock Breeds Conservatory has recently begun efforts to rescue a herd of about 30 head of feral goats on a coastal island near Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. They will remove selected animals from the herd and place them in conservation breeding herds to protect them from predators and increase their numbers. Two pregnant does, one buck kid, and one doe kid have already been moved to Brook Green Gardens, south of Murrells Inlet. DNA samples, for further testing, have been taken from these animals under Dr. D. Phillip Sponenberg's supervision. These goats will contribute valuable genetics to our meat goat population in future years.
There are feral goats in Southern California that are probably of Spanish origin. Feral goats found on the Hawaiian Islands are descendants of Old English Milche goats released by Captain James Cook.
Come Visit Us and See Our Goat Farm
We are located in north central Arkansas, twenty miles south of Missouri.
Ralph is four miles south of Yellville, Arkansas, on Highway 14.
We are two miles west of Ralph on County Road 5040.
Ken and Candy Ziemer
1656 MC 5040, Yellville, Arkansas 72687
(870) 449-6789
Goat Farm for Sale
Because of our age and our health, we need to sell our goat farm.
We have already sold our entire herd of Boer goats (this includes all of our goats.)
Contact: Davenport Realty, 200 Hwy 62 | P.O. Box 473, Yellville, AR 72687, (870) 449.526
Ralph is four miles south of Yellville, Arkansas, on Highway 14.
We are two miles west of Ralph on County Road 5040.
Ken and Candy Ziemer
1656 MC 5040, Yellville, Arkansas 72687
(870) 449-6789
Goat Farm for Sale
Because of our age and our health, we need to sell our goat farm.
We have already sold our entire herd of Boer goats (this includes all of our goats.)
Contact: Davenport Realty, 200 Hwy 62 | P.O. Box 473, Yellville, AR 72687, (870) 449.526