The Kiko is a breed of meat goat originating from New Zealand. Kiko comes from the Māori word for flesh or meat. The Kiko breed was developed in the 1980s by Garrick and Anne Batten, who cross-bred local feral goats with imported dairy goat bucks of the Anglo-Nubian, Saanen, and Toggenburg breeds. The breeding aims were hardiness, fast growth, parasite resistance, and survivability with little input from the producer.
The Kiko breed was imported into the United States in 1992 by Goatex Group LLC. Today, three registries exist in the US for Kikos: the AKGA, the IKGA, and the NKR, the latter of which is the largest of the three. Through these agencies, Kikos could be registered as 100% New Zealand, meaning that their lineage can be traced back to the original New Zealand stock. “Purebreds” refer to goats that are at least 15/16ths New Zealand stock and “percentages” are those that are at least 50% New Zealand stock. Kiko-Boer crosses can also be registered as Genemaster™ through the NKR.
The Kiko breed continues to grow in popularity, particularly in the warm and wet southern United States, where drug-resistant parasites have wreaked havoc on southern herds. The Kiko shows a natural parasite resistance that allows it to thrive in climates where most other goats do not. The Kiko breed, coming from a dairy background, is also proving valuable to southern dairy herds in providing parasite resistant, dual-purpose dairy and meat offspring.