Choosing the right buck is one of the most important decisions for goat farmers. A herd sire influences every kid crop and sets the genetic direction of the whole herd for years to come.
That is why it is important to look beyond appearance and registration papers, and consider real-world performance. One of the best tools available for this are performance buck tests. These programs, often run by universities or agricultural associations, take bucks from different herds and raise them under the same management. The goal is to find out which goats perform when it comes to growth, parasite resistance, and resiliency on pasture.
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What is a performance buck test?
A buck test is a structured, third-party evaluation where bucks from multiple breeders are raised together under the same conditions for a set period of time. By removing the advantage of one farm’s management or feeding program, it provides an unbiased comparison of how different goats perform side by side.
Here is what these tests typically measure::
- Growth rate / average daily gain (ADG)
How quickly bucks put on weight over the testing period. Faster growth means kids reach market weight sooner, saving time and resources. A buck with a high ADG passes on genetics for efficiency and profitability in the herd. - Parasite resistance and resilience
Many tests involve deliberate exposure to pasture-based parasites like Haemonchus contortus (barber pole worm). Bucks are monitored through fecal egg counts (FEC) and FAMACHA scoring to see how well they resist or tolerate infection. With dewormer resistance a growing challenge, genetics for natural parasite resistance are increasingly valuable. This is one of the most important reasons farmers use buck test results when selecting sires. - Carcass traits
Using ultrasound, many tests measure ribeye area, back fat, and muscling. Bigger ribeye and lean muscle development translate into more desirable carcass quality for meat production. This is especially useful if you are marketing goats into a commodity livestock sale, with a wholesale buyer, or through direct meat sales. - Adaptability to stress
Beyond just numbers, performance tests show which bucks can maintain condition under environmental pressure, such as heat, humidity, parasites, or limited inputs. This resiliency ensures the herd thrives on forage without constant intervention, which is critical for pasture-based systems.
The key idea is that every buck is managed the same way during the test. Differences in performance reflect genetics, not management. For farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders, this provides a reliable way to identify sires that improve herd efficiency, hardiness, and profitability. Bucks that do well in these programs represent genetics proven under real-world grazing conditions, which over time leads to stronger and more resilient herds.
Pasture-based and forage-based buck tests
These are the programs most relevant for pasture-focused herds, since they evaluate how bucks perform on forage, with parasite pressure and real-world challenges.
- Dakota Meat Goat Buck Performance Test, North Dakota State University (North Dakota)
Pasture-based test at Hettinger Research Extension Center, using smart feeders to track feed efficiency. ABGA-approved.
Program Page | 2025 Registration Form & Rules - University of Florida IFAS Small Ruminant Buck Test and Sale (Florida)
Pasture-based, focused on parasite resistance and growth in humid Southeastern conditions.
Program Page | 2025 Overview PDF - West Virginia University Small Ruminant Evaluation Program (West Virginia)
Parasite challenge test with growth and carcass ultrasound traits. Heavy Kiko participation.
Program Page | 2024 Guidelines PDF - Mississippi State University, Southeast Kiko Buck Test (Mississippi)
Pasture-based buck trials run through Southern SARE funding into 2026. Focused on parasite resilience and gain under commercial farm conditions.
Southern SARE Project OS24-180 - Eastern Oklahoma State College Forage-Based Buck Test (Oklahoma)
Long-running forage-based test. Currently paused (no 2024 cohort), but historically publishes detailed reports.
Archived Program Materials and Results (2006–2023) – no longer available online - Kerr Center Forage-Based Buck Test (Oklahoma)
The original forage-based test (2007–2012) hosted by the Kerr Center, later transitioned to Eastern Oklahoma State College.
Test Reports Archive (Kerr Center) - Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Test, University of Maryland (Maryland)
Not currently running (ended after 2016), but results remain a valuable resource for evaluating historical herd performance and bloodlines.
Archived Reports and Data (2006–2016)
Other buck tests
These are not primarily pasture- or forage-based but still provide useful genetic and performance information.
- Pennsylvania Ram and Buck Grow Test, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Penn State Extension (Pennsylvania)
Central feed-based, measuring growth, feed conversion, and carcass ultrasound.
Program Overview - North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Umstead Research Station (North Carolina)
State-run buck and doe evaluation program paired with a field day.
Umstead Research Program - Angelo State University Meat Goat Performance Test (Texas, 1990s–2000s)
Historical central test design, archived in technical reports. - Texas A&M AgriLife, Angora Buck Performance Test (Texas)
A forage-based performance test, but specific to Angora (fiber) goats rather than meat goats.
AgriLife Info
How to use buck tests as a resource
You don’t have to have your goats participate to benefit from these buck performance testing programs. Here are a few practical ways:
- Purchase top test bucks, semen, or even other stock from goats within the genetic lines of top test performers.
- Follow or purchase stock from goat breeders whose bucks perform well year after year.
- Study reports to understand which lines are excelling.
- Consign bucks yourself if you are breeding seedstock. It is unbiased marketing data and a way to benchmark your herd.
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