Knowing how your genetics work is so important to the quality and future of your
herd. It can either help improve your stock or completely destroy it. There are many factors
that come into play when breeding livestock such as growth rate, health, and consistency.
Keeping good records and doing test breeding will help you understand what works and
what doesn’t. This isn’t something that you will learn overnight, it will take years.
Over the years we have worked with many genetics where some worked well, and
others failed. Keeping records on the kids is important but records on the breeding stock
can help determine how well they will do in the long run. We will test breed a doe by
breeding her to a different buck each year. If the kids are consistent each year, we know
the doe is doing a good job and is worthy of continuing to breed. If she is inconsistent, we
know she is not going to work in our program or possibly anyone else’s. We use the same
breeding strategy with our bucks to determine if they will continue in our program.
Culling is important in any good breeding program. Not every animal is meant to be
breeding stock. Culling, removing from a breeding program, means the animal is not used
for breeding. Instead, the animal is used for meat, pets, or even a pasture grazing
business. The best way to decide if an animal is a cull is to first decide what your criteria is
in a quality breeder. Not everyone has the same criteria, and every program is different. In
our program, the criteria we want in a breeder is high parasite resistance, good mothering
ability, and good hooves. We also want to see quality milk supply with heavy cream and
1x1 teat structure. We also make sure they are as healthy as can be and test our entire
herd yearly for disease. Once you find out which breeding stock works best for your
program, you are ready to start breeding for the next generation. Each generation should
be evaluated and culled to continue improving your bloodlines. It seems, in our experience,
that homegrown stock is much stronger and healthier with each generation.
There are many factors that come into play when deciding if an animal is of
breeding quality, however, these factors may not be seen when looking at pedigrees. A
pedigree is just showing lineage, not the individual animal’s qualities. Just because their
pedigree is full of well-known genetics doesn’t mean the animal itself is worth breeding.
For example, we strive to see weaning weights on our Kiko Goats around 40-50lbs,
anything larger is a bonus. This can fluctuate depending on if the dam is a first freshener,
how many kids in the litter, any feed or water issues, weather, and stress. Knowing how
genetics work can help you determine when an animal is of breeding quality when any
type of stress is involved. Record keeping is truly the best information when selecting for
breeding quality.
We have used genetics from another farm. We chose based on one quality we
wanted to add to our herd. We used this new buck and bred to multiple does, expecting
some nice kids. Instead, we ended up with the entire kid crop from that buck being culls.
We not only culled the kids but the buck and the does. It was a hard cull, as we had hoped for better, but it was necessary to keep the rest of the herd moving in the right direction.
As you can see, what works for some may not work for others. Knowing that even the does
could throw poor quality from this buck, made us rethink their quality as well. The
opposite can also happen, that’s when I get excited about breeding.
A great example in our herd is a buck I always rave about. FPR Bear’s Bazooka, a
homegrown buck, has been working in our herd for five years now. He has proven himself
year after year. I know how his genetics work and how his offspring grow. A few years ago
we had a buck born, FPR Bazooka’s Cosmos. He was born a single and his dam, MWS
Player’s Pinky, being a heavy milker. I expected him to grow quickly and wean heavy
because I knew this cross would work well. That year we had some problems with hay and
then added a move on top of it. The stress caused Cosmos to wean small. As a single, his
average daily gain was only .31 and he weaned at just 37.5lbs. Almost any breeder would
have culled him by looking at his records alone.
This is when I took everything into account. Knowing how Bazooka’s genetics work,
looking at the body structure of Cosmos, and understanding the stress involved, I decided
he was still of breeding quality. At 7 months old and 60lbs, he went to a friend’s farm to
be a breeder for their doe herd. They were very pleased with him as a breeder and his kids
consistently hit 50lbs or more at weaning. They raise their goats on hay and pasture alone.
Two years later they asked if they could trade Cosmos for new genetics since they had
kept so many of his offspring. I agreed and they brought Cosmos back, weighing a
whopping 255lbs. They are very happy with the new genetics they took home. Cosmos has
since been added into our breeding program and is consistently producing for us today.
Once you understand how genetics work and how long it can take to have enough
records to prove a bloodline, you’ll understand why animals cost what they do. The saying,
“You get what you pay for,” is very true. It is important to consider the Breeders that are
out there to better the breed and that breed the same way you plan to. This will save a lot
of time and money in the long run. These breeders are always more than willing to help
you get started and answer any questions you may have. Quality genetics don’t just
happen, they are created through selective breeding by compassionate breeders whose
entire lives revolve around their herd.
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