Breeding for Color Question

[Squirrelgirl88]

yes - AGS, sorry.

 

[Roll farms]

I will admit that I am breeding for color - with boers. BUT I am also trying to improve the colored boers, the teat structure and size..
Some breeders will breed any 2 colored goats and sell the offspring for big $, even if they're a truly inferior animal.

I tried to argue w/ a lady reserving a Nubian a few weeks ago. She insisted she wanted a 'spotted' kid. I agreed my spotted doe foxy's kid would be a good choice, but argued about making Derri her second choice. I don't care for her udder and she has a really short lactation for a Nub - I keep her for sentimental reasons and b/c her wethers (I never sell her buck kids as breeding bucks) do well in 4-H.

I suggested a blue roan doe as her 2nd choice - she has a nice udder and milks well for a long lactation, since she wants a doeling to milk.
She insisted, no, I want Derri for my second choice.

I pointed out that Foxy and Derri could both have UNspotted offspring, and that 'no spots' wasn't a legitimate reason for not buying a kid when they arrive, her reservation would be lost.

She still chose Derri as a back up.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Kim- anyone tackling the freakish, multi-teated boer situation with the level of commitment that you are gets a little leeway with the color thing in my book. The point is- you're not going to compromise on your main objectives just to get that spotted baby.

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

I will admit that when I started this thread - and opened a can of worms - that I was thinking only of the color aspect. I guess because I won't be entering any shows, I didn't think about the other factors.

I don't own registered dogs. I don't get into all of the breed hype, breed standards etc. I want a good dog that will bark when someone is at the door, and not eat my shoes. Why should I care if they are over height, or don't have the correct body shape/color?

I carried that attitude over to the goats and that was not the right thing to do. I bought pure bred registered goats and since I intend to sell any offspring as auch, then I need to take responsibility for maintaining breed standards regardless of the color or spots. Thank you nsmithurmond for the "tough love" post. I hit hard and that is what I needed.

I have found the Dam's breeder and have her pedigree as well as some other information. She had several half sisters that were shown and won. I'm still trying to find out about the Sire. AGS doesn't list the herd owners on their website like ADGA does.

I promise to research before buying a herd sire and make the decision based on his lineage, not his looks. We may only be using our goats for our family's milk needs, but I have to think about any offspring that will be sold.

 

[helmstead]

I will admit that I am breeding for color - with boers. BUT I am also trying to improve the colored boers, the teat structure and size..
Some breeders will breed any 2 colored goats and sell the offspring for big $, even if they're a truly inferior animal.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

I don't own registered dogs. I don't get into all of the breed hype, breed standards etc. I want a good dog that will bark when someone is at the door, and not eat my shoes. Why should I care if they are over height, or don't have the correct body shape/color?

Form and function go hand in hand. I think if you give it some consideration that it would also be important to you that your favorite mutt dog be healthy, not prone to trips to the vet for frequent illness, not difficult to keep in good flesh, etc. You probably don't want a dog that has the prettiest color but costs you a fortune to maintain. If it was simply a pet goat I was after then ease of keeping, hardiness, parasite resistance, not prone to udder injury because of poor attachment, ability to kid without needing assistance due to structural defects, etc would be at the top of my list. And breeding a goat like that is a tall order whether color is on the top of the list or not on the list at all. Like Kim pointed out- it's not to say it can't be on your radar, simply that it can't be the first priority at the expense of others.

 

[kstaven]

 

[spanish goatee guy]

ihave a strain of spanish goats that are a coco chocolate color , most spanish goats from TX are black some are multi, any way ibred my nigerian dwarf nanny to my red coco spanish buck and he came out just like his daddy coco , and most of his offspring,come out with his colors and his blue eyes , even when bred to non spanish , ive had white spotted nannys bred to him and they too come out solid coco or black.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Just curious, since it's a color discussion and I know many of you have Nubian x Boers, which color pattern is dominant in the first cross? Do you get Nubian looking coats or the colored head and white body of the Boer or a mix of both? I'd prefer the Nubian color pattern so I can look at registering them as section D and grade up a my milkers but I'll be milking and culling the same regardless of color I get.

 

[Roll farms]

If a traditional red headed buck is used, I'd guesstimate about 75% of the kids we've had that were boer x Nub came out white w/ a red or lt. brown head.