Why West Michigan Kikos?

In our beginnings, the sandy soil forest of maples, oaks, and cherry were competing for sunlight and nutrition allowing for the dominance of brush like autumn olives, sassafras, and witch hazels. Without expensive machinery we were at a loss in managing so much land but still found ourselves committed to pioneering 40 acres that had not been tended to since the last logging days of the late 1900s. So in our second season we introduced our first Kiko goats (our foundation herd) in 2018 as close working companions to our farm's forestry management plan, and since then we have been able to keep brush cleared, thin our canopy to allow fresh air and sunlight to permeate the forest floor, and put manure down turning our lifeless soil into thick rhizomal grazing pastures.

Here is how we came to make the decision of choosing Kiko goats as our breed of choice. We came to compare the Kiko against the well known Boer because we knew we wanted to focus on meat production rather than dairy. These three main points made it clear to us that the Kiko was our best choice.

Firstly, goats are mainly desert creatures that do not do well in heavily humid parasitic climates (a goat's #1 killer). The Kiko was selectively developed in New Zealand's heavy humidity with parasite resistance as it's primary focus. If there is anything that this breed is known for, it is to be able to still thrive way beyond any other breed's limitations. The Boer on the other hand descended from South Africa's dry deserts and lacks the ability to cope with West Michigan's humidity without scheduled medical intervention. (Click this link to read more about Natural Dewormers) 

Secondly, the greatest boast of the Boer's size actually turns out to be a massive economic downside. Another meat goat producer was just bragging about how his best Boer dams can produce a 100lb buckling in 100 days. Impressed, I nodded, as a Kiko could never hit that target... Nor should they, as more impressively, my best nannies will easily wean out triplets totaling over their mother's own body weight of around 150lbs in 90 days. Kiko triplets headed into the spring pastures and eventually all reaching 100lbs by the fall slaughter season is a far greater success in numbers than the massive weight of one single Boer kid. Even so, have found that the supposed weight advantage of the Boer doesn't matter to the market's demand. The USDA states, "Kids are often slaughtered 3 - 5 months of age and weighing 25lbs - 50lbs. Many goats are older than a year and heavier when marketed, but most, except aged cull goats, are slaughtered when less than a year of age."  Furthermore, scientific journal studies like this Oxford Academic share data that say Kiko dam raised kids have the best average carcass yields overall.

Lastly, all the small things add up when you consider the overall performance of the Kiko vs the Boer. It is well known that Kikos are leaders in mothering, birthing, and nursing. They have better hoof structure and less hoof rot and are more cold hardy. And because Kikos are a medium sized goat as compared to the large sized Boer, they demand less feed and forage year round. All of these reasons add up to a much more sustainable and economically practical goat as a whole. There has not been any disappointment in this breed and we look forward to the joint teamwork with the Kiko in the decades to come.

What is a West Michigan Kiko?

Here at Arrowhill Farm, we want to improve upon the performance of what the first Kiko goats were known for. We will do this simply in these three words,

a West Michigan Kiko is

The health of an animal is perhaps of the utmost concern when considering livestock for any farm. Please click the link to read further of our clean health guarantee and more.
During the summer, only quality loose minerals are provided as a supplement and all food is foraged, and straight hay in the winter. Zero synthetic medications or vaccines. 
We expect everyone in our herd to have a calm demeanor and not running feral. The must understand the partnership in respecting humans and fences.
West Michigan Kikos that rank the highest among the herd are registered through the National Kiko Registry in which Arrowhill Farms LLC
​is a proud member.