Texmaster

Suzanne Gasparotto of Onion Creek Ranch in Lohn, Texas began with Myotonic goats in 1990 and imported Boer goats from New Zealand in 1994, breeding her Tennessee Meat Goat bucks to Boer does. Generations of crossing and culling followed, and she trademarked the result as TexMaster. By her account the Boer influence was progressively reduced because it diluted meat quality, and the line now breeds true.

The aim was to keep the muscling and meat quality of the myotonic foundation while adding Boer growth rate and frame, and to reduce the degree of myotonia so the animals move more normally.

The breeder's own account is about the muscle trait rather than disposition: Onion Creek Ranch says myotonia usually breeds out in the first cross, so the offspring do not show the stiffening of their Myotonic ancestors.

Otherwise, handle them as meat goats. Penn State Extension describes bucks as tending to be aggressive and carrying a strong, urine-like odor that is most offensive in the breeding season, from September to early January.

What is claimed for them is a mid-sized meat goat that finishes well on forage and is easier keeping than a full Boer.

A meat goat's needs, as Penn State Extension sets them out. Tight fencing, such as five or six strands of high-tensile wire with the first, third and top wires electrified. An open shed with 10 to 12 square feet per doe for extremely hot or cold weather.

A parasite program worked out with your veterinarian: goats are more susceptible to internal parasites than other livestock. Moving goats every four to five days, and off a pasture before the grass is shorter than four inches, helps prevent infection.

Fresh blood. Onion Creek Ranch advises against linebreeding, saying muscling is lost when these goats are inbred, and recommends buying new unrelated bucks after a couple of years.

The trade is verification and scale. A single-ranch composite means the performance record comes from the program that sells the animals, there is no across-herd evaluation to compare against, and resale depends on finding a buyer who knows what the name means.

TexMaster is a registered trademark of Onion Creek Ranch, the cross ran through generations of breeding and culling rather than a single Boer-Myotonic mating, and the ranch states that TexMasters may be registered with Pedigree International. An animal sold under the name without that paper trail is a cross, not a TexMaster. Ask for the registration and whatever performance records the seller keeps.

Recent sale prices on HoofnHorn, where there are any, are further down this page.