# Bloodlines??



## VelvieLilly (Jul 29, 2011)

I am more familiar with horses then goats when it comes to bloodlines, So that's why I'm asking this question. 
I am gonna breed pygmy's and I'm looking for a good registered pygmy to start with  and I see people when they advertise there goats they say like "Out Of ________" and I'm not really sure what Names/Bloodlines I should be looking for . . .Help??

Thanks, Carlee


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## Bedste (Jul 31, 2011)

bump


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## treeclimber233 (Aug 1, 2011)

That depends on what your final goal is.  Do you want milkers? Or are they for show?  Or pets with a good temperment?  Show goats that are good milkers will probably cost more that a goat from good milking line that is not shown.  Also where you are located unless you want to ship one is important.


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## VelvieLilly (Aug 3, 2011)

Bedstead@ thanks for the bump 

Treeclimber@ I would like to show mine and also milk them. 


Thanks )


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Aug 4, 2011)

treeclimber233 said:
			
		

> That depends on what your final goal is.  Do you want milkers? Or are they for show?  Or pets with a good temperment?  Show goats that are good milkers will probably cost more that a goat from good milking line that is not shown.  Also where you are located unless you want to ship one is important.


The OP asked about Pygmy bloodlines- Pygmies are meat goats not milk goats.  Nigerian Dwarf goats are dairy animals.  Not that you can't milk a pygmy, I know some folks do, but teat size is going to make it a challenge at the very least and you'll never get the sort of production you'd get from a dairy breed.


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## lilhill (Aug 4, 2011)

n.smithurmond said:
			
		

> treeclimber233 said:
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## Roll farms (Aug 4, 2011)

Also, names alone don't mean as much as the milking / production / show records behind an animal of a given herd name.

If I buy a "fancy pedigree name" buck and breed it to crappy does, then I can say they're 'sired by fancy name' but that doesn't guarantee output / quality of offspring, it can just be an indicator of potential.

Like the others said, pygmies are meat critters, reasonably common in 4-H shows...but you won't find any production records for them...so 'out of' will only indicate they've got a chance to have good conformation, not production.

I had to milk a pygmy once to get her colostrum.  Now, milking them may be fine for folks who are used to it...but for me, used to milking standards, it was an exercise in frustration.  I had to use 2 fingers to get 3 oz in 10 minutes.  I'm used to using 2 hands and getting 1/2 gallon in half the time.


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## treeclimber233 (Aug 6, 2011)

Sorry.  I am new to this. I  confused pygmy with nigerian.  I understand the frustration with the two finger milking.  I have a Mini Mancha that has tiny teats.  I have a hand milker and her teats are so small it barely works on her.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Aug 6, 2011)

I don't think anyone can really say "these are the bloodlines you want," but there are some ways to ensure you're starting off with quality stock are going to help you meet your herd goals.  Firstly, you want to nail down what your herd goals are... milk, show, pet, a combination of these things, etc.  Unless you want to ship you can probably narrow down your search quite a bit by finding out who's in your area or within what you see as a reasonable driving distance (for some it's an hour or two, for others 16 hours in the car to pick up a goat isn't at all unreasonable.  )  Attend a show, see the goats in person, and talk with breeders to try and find stock that meet your criteria and your type preferences.  It takes time and a whole lot of trial and error to understand what certain bloodlines are going to do for your herd- I think early on I'd be more concerned with finding a reputable breeder with quality animals that suit your goals than with focusing on a particular bloodline.


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