About Yarrabee

The Stud is owned and operated by Helen Darlington and family members including her husband Dan, and parents John and Elizabeth Macqueen. All partners have a role in the business, with Helen being specifically involved in the management and marketing of the goats.

Helen has a lifetime of interest in animals, and a background of qualifications and experience in livestock production and management, and Boer goat judging. She is equally qualified and experienced to provide tertiary level education in animal and agricultural production, and specialises in this through goat industry training courses. She has worked in various agricultural situations and training institutions, and enjoys offering work experience opportunities to students interested in goats. Helen is experienced with the management of a variety of livestock, including dairy, feedlot and beef cattle; dairy, fibre and meat goats; and sheep and pigs. Her involvement with farming Boer goats began in early 1996.

The goats are farmed in conjunction with a stud and commercial Dorper sheep enterprise, over an area of 600 acres. The land ranges from hilly to undulating, with a cover of native grass and some improved pasture species. The flatter areas are utilised for the growing of forage crops in summer and winter, if rainfall allows.

The Yarrabee flock currently consists of over 300 goats. The number of registered breeding does varies annually, according to the climatic situation. Approximately 100 does produced over 200 kids in 2021.

The principles at Yarrabee have never varied from the original intent to produce sound, quality, easy care Boer goats that perform in a paddock situation. Over the years, the quality of the goats has gradually improved through careful selection and attention to breeding programs.

From 2000 to 2010, the majority of young Yarrabee Boers were sold as breeding stock to export destinations. However, the breeding program has never lost sight of the great importance to continue to breed the type of goat that is equally at home on large Australian acreages.

Yarrabee Boer Goat Stud donated ten young bucks to a Boer buck trial that was run in the western division of NSW throughout 2005 and 2006. The Yarrabee bucks had a high survival rate and were reported to perform very favourably.

Subsequently, young bucks sold to large commercial meat goat operations in western Qld and NSW have received exceptional reports. One customer’s comment was: “If I don’t buy them from Yarrabee, they die”.