Kenosha Hills Kikos is a commercial kiko goat farm owned and operated by Scott and Julia Schmalken. We are located in the Missouri River bluffs south of Plattsmouth, NE.

“We specialize in low input, data-driven meat goats that thrive on pasture.”

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Current Operation

We are currently raising approximately 100 commercial kiko does. Our initial focus was to bring diverse genetics from proven operations to our farm. We started our commercial operation in 2019. We have sourced our breedstock from operations in Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Illinois. After sourcing stock we began applying deliberate selection pressure through the elimination of hoof trimming, grain rations, deworming, and we keep our goats on pasture without man made shelter for about 11 months of the year.

We select for a doe that raises at least twins, weans at least 85% of her body weight, has excellent mothering ability, and keeps condition without grain inputs. We capture as much data as possible on our goat kids, such as litter size, teat structure, average daily gain, and we take observational notes. We only bring the herd off of the pasture during blizzards or the first couple weeks of kidding season. Through data-driven culling decisions we have developed a line of kiko meat goats that works hard for us and the meat kids bring top dollar at market.

We also believe that ruminant livestock should be an integral part of land management. We have been able to transform our farm and neighboring properties through targeted grazing. The goats readily clear a number of weedy species such as gray dogwood, red cedar, asian honeysuckle, thistle, and sericea lespedeza. Using meat goats to transform parts of our farm from weedy shrubs to productive pasture has been extremely rewarding and has returned money while doing it!

Future Plans

Future plans will involve growing our herd to over 200 nannies, while still making the necessary culling decisions to keep a low input herd. We will continue to offer top quality commercial breeding stock directly from our farm. In 2026 we will have breeding quality doelings, breeding quality bucklings, and commercial meat kids available.

Some Favorite Photos

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