Producer Name: Nancy Mc Neil & Evelyne La Roche
Farm Name: Chèvrerie Du Biquet
Location: Warwick, Quebec
Goat Breed: Purebred Boer
Type of production: breeding stock of high health status
Describe your operation
Our adventure began when we fell in love at first sight with our first Boer goat at an agricultural show where two young couples of Boer goats were on display. A month later, in 1997, we bought our first Nubian goat and a purebred Boer buck. Our objective at the time was simply to breed “goats”.
To promote goat meat, which was largely unknown at the time, we soon began taking part in farmer’s markets in which we offered our chevon for tasting and did so for some twenty years. Our experience even extended to a tv cooking show, welcoming to the farm the head chef of the Château Frontenac, Jean Soulard, and his film crew. The show, featuring grilled chevon, was broadcast several times.
Over time, due to lack of space, the crossbreds gave way to purebreds, and our interest was increasingly focused on the herd’s high genetic quality and health status.
That’s why when the CAE sanitation program was launched in Quebec in 2003, we immediately enrolled our herd. Our herd has had low prevalence status since 2004. Then, in 2008, in order to have access to new genetics, we joined the Voluntary Scrapie Eradication Program, and we were certified in 2013. Since then, we have been able to import 8 American bucks, which have contributed greatly to the diversity and genetic improvement of the Canadian herd. In 2017, we also made the decision to test our herd annually for Johne’s Disease.
In 1999, the Regroupement des éleveurs de chèvres de boucherie du Québec (RECBQ) introduced Boer goat judging in Quebec, and it has become a source of pleasure for us, as well as an opportunity to improve the conformation of our animals. The judges’ comments, as well as the opportunity to see subjects other than our own, made it easier for us to understand what we should be aiming for. To date, we have won several Grand Champion titles, Canadian Champions (8) and Permanent Champions (2).
What is your biggest pain point when it comes to farming goats?
One of the most difficult moments for us is deciding which goat we’re going to keep as a replacement. The fact that our herd is fairly homogeneous
makes the choice difficult.
Is there anything that you’re particularly proud of about your operation?
We’re proud of the quality of the herd we’ve managed to build, in terms of both conformation and breeding performance, but also of the relationship of trust we’ve established over time with our customers and other breeders.
Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
Meat goat associations are also part of our history. In 1998, Évelyne, Gérald Bérubé and Mario Cloutier laid the foundations for what is now the RECBQ. We’ve also been a member of the CMGA since the very beginning.
We’d like to encourage breeders to join these associations, which are undeniably important to the development of our industry.
Facebook:
