Achieving Consistency

Consistency is an ideal for most herds. 

But how to achieve this ideal while keeping inbreeding coefficients within a "safe" level?

This post will review the strategies that I've used and a new one that I plan to use in the coming years.

• Focal Sires
• Proving a Sire
• Outcrossing
• Genetic Weaving
• Producing  your Sire

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Use a limited number of sires each year

An approach that I adopted several years ago was to have a single focal sire each year. The majority of my does would be bred to this sire, with the exceptions being does that were too closely related or that were being used to prove a junior buck.

The focal bucks HAD to be proven before assuming that role. This involved a certain amount of luck since my herd is very small, making it difficult to prove a buck through his daughters. One strategy that I used was to snap up proven bucks as they became available. 

This strategy worked well for me. One of the first homebred sons of Manuka Honey was named an ADGA Sire Development Program Buck. Nuke's daughters have milked and appraised well. Shotgun Wedding produced Owlhaven SW Farida, who scored VEEE 90 in Linear Appraisal as a 3 year old. I retained Watermelon Martini, who is developing into a beautiful milker.

Reference: Goat Gab episode 45

SG ++*B Algedi Farm MB Manuka Honey 01-06 VVE 88​, Daughters' Average FS 86.2, pc Algedi Farm

+*B GCH Algedi Farm JD Shotgun Wedding 5-03 VEE 86, pc Heather Manzo, Sierra Aspen

Proving a Sire

Panache is an example of a focal sire that I had to prove. Panache was bred to a small group of does in 2016. I waited for his 2017 kids to freshen before using him on a small group of does in 2018. After seeing second freshening daughters, he was used heavily in 2020 and 2021. It's 2022 and he is 6 years old. After reflecting on Panache's timeline, I believe that the proving process needs to be faster and more intentional.

Sierra Aspen PS Panache, pc Owlhaven Farm

A strategy that I learned by listening to Goat Gab (64) was to breed a new buck to a minimum of 5 does as soon as the buck is able to cover a doe. This year the buck is Curbstone Valley H Kobold *B, a mature buck who was ready to work immediately. He's being used heavily in January 2022. Kobold will be rested during the fall 2022 breeding season as I wait for his daughters for freshen in spring 2023.

Kobold, pc Curbstone Valley Farm

A junior sire that I am grooming is Castle Rock Captain Underpants. He checks off a lot of must-haves:

1. E mammaries: dam, granddams, and most great-granddams
2. National-level show genetics - Goodnight Moon placed third in the yearling milkers class at the 2019 ADGA National Show
3. High linear appraisal scores throughout the generations, paternal and maternal
4. Productive milkers - Goodnight Moon milked in the high 4# through first three milk tests in 2021. Saragosa (paternal granddam) milked 1,040 in 2019.
5. Max COI when bred to my doe herd is 13% in ten generations, which is within my limitations.
6. I'm sure that his genetics will blend well with mine because the majority of my animals have Castle Rock genetics.

As of January 2022, Captain was finally ready to cover some does, so he was used as a cleanup buck. 

It's like Christmas for Captain.

Update: I was wrong. He wasn't ready. However, he did provide a great deal of entertainment as he valiantly attempted to do his job. 

The updated plan is to use Captain heavily in September 2022 for January/February 2023 kids. This will enable me to retain five does to freshen in 2024.

Click on the image for name and photo credits.

Captain's Evaluation Timeline:

September 2022: Breed to several does

Evaluation Point(s)
February 2023: Retain a minimum of 5 doelings
2022 or 2023: Evaluate Captain in Linear Appraisal

November 2023: Breed Captain's 2023 kids to Manhattan
Fall 2023 breeding season: Captain will sit this one out

Evaluation Point - Captin is 3 years old
April 2024: Freshen Captain's 2023 doelings

If the majority of Captain's daughters evaluate well, then he will be used heavily in the 2024 breeding season.

Reference: Goat Gab episode 30 and 64

When to Outcross?

Here are some reasons to outcross:

​1. To reduce COI
2. When you need to breed daughters of your focal sire. 
3. When you want to improve or enhance some particular qualities (2-3, no more). 

Have a shortlist of clear reasons when selecting outcross animals. A new buck can't fix everything - and may cause some damage. For example, you may introduce deleterious recessive alleles, lose some production, etc. Look for 2-3 incremental improvements (Goat Gab episode 30). For example, I brought in Cedar View Placido to improve rumps and increase production, without sacrificing correctness. I didn't know much about his sire, but I admired his dam, SGCH Cedar View Isabella 4*M 04-02 EEEE 91, an ELITE doe with a lifetime production record of 6,592 pounds.
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However, I did not know if Placido would blend well with my herd. He was an expensive gamble.

Panache was much less of a gamble. I've worked with Castle Rock and Algedi genetics extensively. Panache was brought in for two reasons:  to enhance mammaries and because he is polled. I hate disbudding.

His sire is Castle Rock Port Sunlight *B, an ADGA Sire Improvement Program buck. Port Sunlight's full sibling, CH Castle Rock Tahitian Sunset, has since been awarded 2019 ADGA National Champion and National Best Udder. Panache's dam, Trilogy Ranch MH Jasmine had a pedigree filled with proven animals of Algedi genetics.

​While I had a good idea of what to expect from him, he was also closely related to many of my does. This made it harder to use him on the whole herd. 

Captain was bought to breed to my Panache daughters. Again, I am working with (mostly) familiar genetics. However, Captain's sire line is new to my herd, which means that he can bring the COIs down to the 4-13% range. I'm hoping for improved production without sacrificing correctness, style, or attachments.

I've added the concept of style because when we talk about consistency, in part we are talking about style. Style  meaning the distinctive look of goats produced by a particular herd. 

​A sample pedigree of a Captain's daughter:

Sire: Castle Rock Captain Underpants

• Grandsire: Quaking Canopy Dexter 
• Granddam: Castle Rock Goodnight Moon 03-03 VEEE 91 - Third Place Yearling Milker, 2019 ADGA National Show

Dam: Owlhaven P Calista

• Grandsire: Sierra Aspen PS Panache 
• Granddam:  Owlhaven R Charisma

Panache daughter - Owlhaven P Coco Bean

Restoring Consistency

Consistency may need to be restored after using a buck with predominantly new genetics. This can be done by breeding the outcross buck's daughters to a homebred buck.

​One buck that I am evaluating for this purpose is Owlhaven P Aries. Aries is third generation Owlhaven genetics. His dam is Adele, a a young and very promising doe who received a V in mammary in linear appraisal several days before kidding, and before her capacity became apparent. Adele's mammary system exemplifies what I had hoped to gain from Placido. ​

​Here is a sample pedigree when bred to Captain's offspring:

Sire: Owlhaven P Aries

• Grandsire:  Sierra Aspen PS Panache 1-02 VVV 86
• Granddam:  Owlhaven P Adele 3-02 VVEV 88

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Dam: Owlhaven CU DOE'S NAME

• ​Grandsire: Castle Rock Captain Underpants
• Granddam: Owlhaven P Calista

Adele, 3rd freshening udder

Genetic Weaving

Genetic weaving is a great concept that I learned from Goat Gab (episode 30, Kirt Schnipke interview).

Genetic weaving builds consistency in your herd through focused linebreeding. First, identify a small number of does who you want your herd to look like. Second, buy bucks that are closely related to your target does (sons, grandsons, brothers, nephews). Third, use doe 2's buck on daughters of doe 1's buck. Fourth, continue weaving those genetics back and forth over the generations. This will build your herd's look and train your eye. Cull animals that don't fit your desired look.

​Does that meet my ideal and that I have incorporated into my genetics include the following (not an exclusive list):

• SGCH Algedi Farm H Purple Rain 04-02 VEEV 90 (numerous proven offspring)
• ARMCH-GCH CRF Castle Rock Tuscan Sun 1*M *D VEEE 90 (numerous proven offspring)

One homebred buck that I am evaluating for genetic weaving is Owlhaven P Whiskey Manhattan. I'm using Manhattan because I want my doe herd to look like his dam. Whiskey is correct, stylish, and productive. 

Whiskey traces back to a buck whose genetics are woven through my herd: SG NC Promiseland RC Bonafide ++*B, ELITE 2015 through 2019. Bonafide is a son of  ARMCH NC PromisedLand Beau-Nita E 3*D 2*M (1xBIS, 14xBOB, 3xGCH, 16xBU, and 2008 Breed Leader for production). When selecting a sire I look at both the production evaluation and type evaluation. Bonafide's average female score is 86.5 over 12 daughters. He tends to throw strong animals with wide rumps and excellent foreudder attachments. Forty-eight percent of 29 linear appraisal records had "Excellent" mammaries, 24% had "Very Good" mammaries, 24% had "Good Plus" mammaries, and 3% had "Acceptable" mammaries. His daughters produced in the 90+ percentile over eight years.

Bonafide's genetics have been woven into my herd through Dill's BF Diamond Rio +*B (represented by Buddleia and Barbarella), Dill's GA Whiskey Lullaby (represented by Manhattan and Watermelon Martini), and Dill's GA Fascination (represented by Charisma).

​The plan is to breed Manhattan to Captain's daughters.
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Here's a sample pedigree:

Sire: Owlhaven P Whiskey Manhattan

• Grandsire:  Sierra Aspen PS Panache 1-02 VVV 86
• Granddam:  Dill's GA Whiskey Lullaby 4*M 6-05 EEEE 91

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Dam: Owlhaven CU DOE'S NAME

• ​Grandsire: Castle Rock Captain Underpants
• Granddam: Owlhaven P Barbarella

Dill's GA Whiskey Lullaby 4*M 6-05 EEEE 91, pc Ellen Dorsey, Dill's-A Little Goat Farm

Of course, Manhattan will have to be proven in order to assume the focal sire role. Here's his evaluation timeline.​

Manhattan's Evaluation Timeline

September 2022: Breed Manhattan to several does

Evaluation Point
February 2023: Retain a minimum of five doelings

November 2023: Breed Manhattan's doelings
Fall 2023 breeding season: Manhattan won't be used

Evaluation Point - Manhattan is 3 years old
April 2024: Freshen Manhattan's daughters

Keeping a Buck Kid

Goat Gab episode 30 (with Kirt Schnipke) made some excellent points about retaining a buck that you bred.
​

• Is your buck the best animal that you can find or afford? 
• Will your buck get your herd where you want it to be?
• Do you want your herd to look like the dam (and granddams) of your homebred buck? 

Incorporating AI Genetics

I'm planning on using a lot of AI in the future and have a select collection of straws. An advantage of using AI to produce a sire is that you are able to bring in new genetics while preserving a certain amount of the consistency that you've already established in your herd.

Buying New Does

I've come to prefer adding new genetics by buying does instead of bucks. Here's why:

1. If all goes well, the does should pay for themselves with their first couple of litters.
2. I can see the doe close up and personal on a day to day basis and evaluate production myself.
3. I can see if the doe crosses well with my genetics before using her genetics on the whole herd via a herd sire.
​4. If it doesn't work out, does are a lot easier to sell.

Returning to the topic of identifying four does that I admire. Another doe that I admire is SGCH Wood Bridge Farm Hocus Pocus 2*M, for that reason I purchased a daughter, Lil Miss B Haven Bewitched 3*M. If all goes well, Bewitched will be used to produce a future buck.

One Final Note

When I breed to produce my own herd sires, I prefer to keep a buck and a doe out of the pairing. That speeds up the evaluation process because it enables me to see udder development within a year. ​