NO KIDDING: Ferals fetch the big bucks
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WHAT started as cheap alternative to cows milk for the Ian and Leila Osborn's children turned into a lifelong passion for breeding goats.
"Our kids were allergic to cow's milk, so we had milking goats, all of our kids learnt to milk goats, but then we went out of them about 20 years ago,” Mr Osborn said.
"We just came into Pittsworth to retire and Missus is mad on goats, so we got back into them.”
The couple sold 26 kids, nannies and weaner crossbred goats at the Warwick Pig and Calf Sale yesterday.
They cross their boer buck over feral and cross-bred females and Mr Osborn said feral genes make progeny that can earn a good buck.
"The first cross from feral to boer is supposed to be a very good meat goat, I've been told meat buyers look for that cross,” he said.
"You never know what you are getting, some have milking goat in them, others can be bit hairy and have cashmere. They are bred by mother nature so it's survival of the fittest.
But the goats are hardy and have a good survival rate.
"We've just had a kidding over 200per cent, we only had two that had singles and we had five sets of triplets,” Mr Osborn said.
