The Kiko is a breed of meat goat originating from New Zealand.[1] Kiko comes from the Māori word for meat.[2]: 392 [3] 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 only aims of the breeding programme were fast rate of growth and ability to survive in the pastoral conditions of the New Zealand hill country.[4]
 | |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Distribution |
|
| Use | meat |
| Traits | |
| Skin colour | variable |
| Horn status | horned or polled |
| Beard | bearded |
| |
The Kiko breed was imported into the United States in 1992 by Goatex Group LLC.[5] 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 all the way back to the original New Zealand stock.[6] "Purebreds" refer to goats that are at least 15/16ths New Zealand stock[6] and "percentages" are those that are at least 50% New Zealand stock.[6] Kiko-Boer crosses can also be registered as Genemaster™ through the NKR.