BREEDER’S Spotlight
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Blue Top Farm Boer Goats .... A Family Affair
fter 43 years together, Gerald and Betty Peterson know what they want - to pass on a legacy of Boer goats to the next generation. It has taken nearly 20 years to build their current herd, but Betty and Gerald would tell you they’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it. And, they’ve tried to instill family values in their children and grandchildren along the way. “I always tell my grandkids to be cognizant of what is going on around you. If someone needs help getting a stand put up, help them.”
How did you get started in the Boer goat industry?
Like many others, Gerald & I started with 26 mixed set of brush goats in 1999 to clean up the tree canopy and underbrush. We were encouraged to buy a fullblood ABGA buck because we were told that we see our weaning weights increase dramatically. The 1st kid crop more than paid for the buck, which let me tell you the price took our breath away. We found that we enjoyed raising the goats, and we found that we could run many more compared to our cattle. So, we sold our cattle interests. That’s when we fenced the homestead with goat fencing, and the journey began.
What does your operation look like today?
We’ve gone from 26 to 275 breeding does, 75 junior does and 10-15 fullblood bucks. Our son-in-law, Wesley Gliddon, built Blue Top Farm a kidding barn, buck alley, working & sorting pens, etc. Our tree line looks like a park because however high our goats can stand that’s the height. They raise the
24 - The Boer Goat
canopy. It’s a beautiful sight to see the sunlight reflecting off the stock ponds and red-headed, white-bodied goats moving through the trees along the dam. We raise 4H, FFA wethers and jr. breeding does along with ABGA show does & bucks. Our goal is step to the next level with every kid crop with selective breeding to produce quality animals, based on the ABGA breed standards.
What do you enjoy the most about the Boer goat industry?
You just can’t help falling in love with your goats. Of course, the people we have met along this ride has been the icing on the cake. Showing has allowed us to travel across the country, and there are always friendly folks waiting to help or share their knowledge. We are fortunate that ABGA has many sanctioned shows, which has allowed us to get our blend of genetics out in front of fellow breeders. If I counted correctly, we have showed under 58 different ABGA judges with repeats in between since January 2008. We have had the opportunity to listen & learn as the judges reason the
