Welcome to Stoney Creek Kikos

---

Stoney Creek Kikos is located near Okmulgee, Oklahoma. We began raising Kikos in 2013 with five does and a buck. From those beginnings, our herd has grown to more than 60 breeding-age does and several mature bucks. Like most people starting something new, we made a ton of mistakes early on—and we're still learning today.

As our herd grew, so did our expectations. We changed bucks, added does, retained homegrown replacements and made some tough culling decisions along the way. Over time, those decisions helped develop doe families that now go back several generations at Stoney Creek, along with generations of STO genetics born and raised right here.

Our breeding program focuses on producing an all-around Kiko that can work in real-world conditions. We look for maternal ability, growth, parasite resistance, structural soundness, longevity and the ability to remain productive without requiring excessive management. Pedigrees matter, but so does what an animal actually does.

Our herd consists of registered 100% New Zealand and Purebred Kikos. We continue to use production records, performance testing and our own experience with the animals to help guide breeding and culling decisions as we build the next generation of the Stoney Creek herd.

Stoney Creek was formerly known as Stoney Creek Heritage Farm. As we transitioned away from other breeds and species of livestock and focused entirely on Kikos, Stoney Creek Kikos became a better reflection of who we had become and where we were headed.

Our Kikos are raised in Oklahoma conditions, where summers can be hot and dry and pasture quality can change considerably throughout the year. Our pastures are a mix of Bermuda, fescue, native grasses, forbs and whatever else Oklahoma decides to grow.

We use rotational grazing when conditions allow, but we're also realistic about what our land can provide. During periods when forage isn't enough, we supplement with round bales of hay. We use a pelleted feed ration strategically—prior to breeding for a nutritional flush, during the last month of gestation and through roughly the first 45 days of lactation. Kids are also supplemented through weaning.

We don't believe good management means doing as little as possible. It means knowing when an animal should be able to perform on her own and when good husbandry calls for giving her what she needs. At the same time, we expect our Kikos to remain productive without requiring excessive inputs or individual attention year after year.

Our way of doing things isn't for everyone, but it works for us. We want Kikos that can perform in real-world conditions and genetics that can go on to work in other production herds—not goats that only succeed under one particular management system.

We use a combination of on-farm production records, independent performance testing, herd health testing and reproductive technologies to help us make informed breeding decisions. None of these tools replaces knowing the animals in front of us, but each gives us additional information we can use when evaluating our herd.

Stoney Creek has participated in university performance testing since 2019. These tests give us an opportunity to evaluate our genetics outside our own farm and management system, with independent measurements of traits such as growth and parasite resistance. Over the years, several STO bucks have earned Top 10 overall finishes in university performance tests across the country, along with numerous Top 10 finishes in individual performance categories. The numbers are valuable, but what matters most to us is how we use that information when making breeding and culling decisions at home.

Herd health and biosecurity are equally important to our program. Since 2020, our entire adult herd has been tested annually for CAE and Johne's. Every doe we consign to a production sale is also individually tested, regardless of when she was last included in our annual herd testing. Animals coming into Stoney Creek are quarantined and tested before entering the main herd. We believe protecting the health of the herd is part of protecting the genetics we've spent years building.

Reproductive technologies have also become an important part of our breeding program. We utilize laparoscopic artificial insemination (LAP-AI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), embryo flushing and transfer, and semen collection to preserve genetics, make planned genetic combinations and expand the influence of animals we believe can contribute to the future of our herd.

We don't use records, testing or reproductive technology simply because they're available. We use them when they can provide information or opportunities that help us make better decisions. At the end of the day, those tools still have to produce Kikos that perform where it matters—in the pasture.

We don't offer regularly scheduled farm tours, but visitors are welcome by prior arrangement when purchasing Kikos or when there's an opportunity to spend some time talking goats.

A visit to Stoney Creek is a chance to see our herd, talk about our management practices and breeding program, and share experiences. We enjoy visiting with other producers and believe there's always something we can learn from one another. Our way isn't the only way to raise Kikos, but if something we do here gives another producer an idea they can take home and make work on their own farm, that's time well spent.

Biosecurity remains a priority during any visit. For that reason, visitors aren't permitted to walk through our pastures or have unrestricted contact with the herd. Our livestock guardian dogs take their jobs seriously as well, so pasture access isn't something we can safely offer.

If you're interested in purchasing Kikos from Stoney Creek and would like to arrange a visit, just contact us ahead of time so we can find a time that works.