Welcome to our blog. Check back often for official news and announcements from the KGBA and articles on various topics of Kinder goat care, raising, breeding, showing and more!
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Open Meeting Announcement
Hello Members!
We will be having an open KGBA Board meeting on October 25th, 2021.
The meeting will begin at 7:30 central time, and time will be limited to 1 ½ hours. It will follow our
normal agenda format with time allowed at the end for member comments, questions and responses.
This meeting will be held via video conference and is open to all KGBA members. We do ask that any
questions / comments that you would like addressed by the board during this meeting be emailed to
John James at fallfirefarm@gmail.com prior to the meeting so that we can get to as many as possible. If
time allows, we will also address questions texted to the moderator during the meeting itself. To join
the meeting, simply click on the link below. We look forward to “seeing” you there!
Meet the 2022 Candidates
Here you can find a list of the 2022 KGBA candidates and a brief introduction of each person.
Sue Beck:
Hello everyone! My name is Sue, and I raise Kinder Goats in Southeastern Wisconsin.
I have been on the KGBA board for a number of years, and have enjoyed the opportunity to help
promote the Kinder breed and get to know so many of our wonderful members.
Over the last few years, the association and the Kinder breed has made huge strides in growth and
overall breed improvement. I am thrilled to see the ever-expanding number of beautiful, dual purpose
Kinders spread throughout the U.S. and beyond. It is an incredible honor to be part of this group. If reelected, I will continue working hard to ensure the continued growth and success of our wonderful
association.
Ashley Kennedy:
Hi, I’m Ashley Kennedy, owner of Still Meadow Kinders, now in Maryland! I started out with my first
Kinders in 2002, and in nearly 20 years since, it has been my immense privileged to watch the Kinder
breed grow by leaps and bounds. The number of members committed to breed improvement is
inspiring, and the widespread interest in Kinder goats is testament to their hard work! We are a hard
working and passionate community that I feel so privileged to be a part of. Over the 8 years serving as
Vice President of the KGBA, I’ve been ecstatic to have the opportunities to help improve the function
of the association and widen the services available to members. The milk test program is up and
running, and more and more people are getting their Kinders on test! Our breed production and
components averages are incredible, and further prove that Kinders are truly the best. We are also
working on a program to document and prove meat efficiency and demonstrate the Kinder’s true dual
purpose nature. It was a great privilege of mine to participate in getting the KGBA evaluation program
off the ground and lay a foundation for years to come! Kinder goats have an immensely bright future
ahead and I would be deeply honored to continue to serve you all in the capacity of Vice President.
Thank you!
John James:
I have been raising goats for 30 years and have had Kinder Goats for nine of those. My wife and I
have fallen in love with this breed and enjoy representing the Association and Breed at the fairs,
shows and the Mother Earth News Fair.
My passion for working with 4H youth has led me to work with other KGBA members to develop a
youth program for the Kinder Goat Breeders Association. I want to continue to develop the youth
program so that it will be easy for others to carry on for many years. I also am excited about working
with technology to improve communications within the board and also with our membership.
Lisa LaRose:
Hello. My name is Lisa LaRose. I live in Southern Illinois with my husband of 29 years, and I have a
Kinder Herd with my daughter Kelsee Gibbs. We have about 28 does and 8 bucks. We have been
raising Kinders for about 11 years and mutt goats before that. We work hard to improve our herd each
year and advance the reputation of the Kinder breed. We have sold goats coast to coast and enjoy
having people visit our farm to see what they are about. We even had Kinders at the St Louis Zoo in
the Children’s Petting Zoo. I am running for Treasurer for 2020 and I have been doing this job for
several years now. I am happy to continue serving the KGBA in whatever capacity you, as the
members need me to. Thank you.
Kathrin Bateman:
I was raised on homegrown food and have lived growing my food ever since. I studied animal science
in school and have raised quite a few different species of livestock. I live in the western hills of
Massachusetts and have been breeding Kinder goats since 2014. I enjoy the challenge of breeding to
improve my herd and the stock I offer to buyers. I like the challenge of matching bucks to does to
create offspring that are meaty goats that produce a fine amount of milk from well-attached udders. I
enjoy helping to spread the word about this breed in this part of the country where a lot of people have
never heard of this breed. I love networking with other breeders to share genetics. I used to head the
newsletter committee but I have less time and Kendra has taken over the bulk of that work. I’m still
the person who handles the printing and mailing chores of the newsletter. I enjoy working with other
board members to keep this association a vital organization.
Results of the 2021 MO State Fair Show
Here are the results of the MO State Fair Show of 2021. Thank you so much to everyone that participated, watched, or helped make this show a success. See you next year!
Kinder Korner Opal 
Derek’s Kinders FK Fame
Junior Does
Jr. Grand Champion Doe: Kinder Korner Opal – Owned by Lisa LaRose & Kelsee Gibbs
Jr. Reserve Champion Doe: Derek’s Kinders KF Fame – Owned by Derek Eddy
Kinder Korner Amaryllis 
Derek’s Kinders FS Shimmer
Senior Does
Sr. Grand Champion Doe: Kinder Korner Amaryllis – Owned by Lisa LaRose & Kelsee Gibbs
Sr. Reserve Champion Doe: Derek’s Kinders FS Shimmer – Owned by Derek Eddy
Kinder Korner Remington 
Shea’s Kinders Sheaaustin
Chevon
Grand Champion Chevon: Kinder Korner Remington – Owned by Lisa LaRose & Kelsee Gibbs
Reserve Champion Chevon: Shea’s Kinders Sheaaustin – Owned by Shealee Swisher
Volunteers Needed for Annual Election
The KGBA nominating committee is currently accepting nominees for our annual election. Any person holding a membership as of March 1st is eligible to be a candidate or recommend another for a position.Board members attend monthly board meetings via video or conference call, take part in various committees and work to promote the Kinder goat in accordance to our bylaws. Specific descriptions of each position can be found at https://kindergoatbreeders.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bylaws.pdf Directors serve without compensation. The elected term is 1-3 years, with directors spending an average of 5-10 hours a month managing the affairs of the association.If you would like to volunteer or nominate someone else for a position, please contact us via email at kindergoatbreeders@gmail.com prior to September 1st. Please include a brief introduction of yourself and why you would like to be on the board – it will be included with ballots). We look forward to hearing from you!
A Tribute to Sue Huston
June 18, 1936 – Oct 19, 2019
October 2020 marks one year since the Kinder Goat Breeders Association lost one of our most influential and beloved members. Sue Huston of Bramble Patch Kinders began her journey with Kinder goats shortly after the breed was developed and quickly became a driving force in the breed’s growth and success. From the day she fell in love with Kinders to today, she touched the lives of many breeders and will be greatly missed.
Sue married the love of her life, Tommy Huston, in October of 1954. She was just 18 years old and had known him for less than a year, but they both knew it was meant to be. Sue and Tommy were right together. They raised a family of two sons (Mark and Mikel), a daughter (Tammy), and too many animals to count. They were still very much in love when Tommy passed 63 years later. In the last few years, Sue spoke fondly of seeing him again in heaven. Of all that Sue accomplished, she was most proud of her family and her goats. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren and loved telling stories about them to whoever would listen. She loved talking goats!
Sue wanted goats since she was a child, but with the demands of work and family, she wasn’t able to make that dream come true until 1992. By then, her children were grown, and she had more time on her hands, so she started thinking about getting the goats she wanted so badly. That year, the Hustons went to a goat show where they saw an article in Small Farm Today about Kinder goats. They decided then and there that Kinders were the breed for them. Their journey began with a great deal of trial and error, but the Hustons eventually settled on a few strong Nubian lines and a single Pygmy buck to form the foundation of their herd. Bramble Patch Kinders was named for their farm business selling blackberries and raspberries to local customers, for which their little dual purpose goats served a third purpose clearing old bushes and creating mulch for the berry bushes. It was a match made in heaven.
Craig & Lisa Lamm, Sue, and Pat Showalter 2014 
Sue Huston & Lisa Lamm
One of the accomplishments Sue was most proud of was her contribution to bringing the Kinder goat to the Missouri State Fair. The other breed associations thought little of Kinder goats and argued that the barns were full, but the Hustons fought tirelessly and eventually they were allowed to exhibit. They brought the Kinder goat to a much bigger audience. The first year that the Hustons showed at the county fair, Harvey Considine judged the show. He agreed to help them improve their own herd while working with the Association nationally to create a goat that could hold its own in the goat world.
Through the years, Sue was a constant supporter of the Kinder goat and the Association. She volunteered on the KGBA board for years and was always quick to lend a hand or give advice to new breeders. She was constantly trying to help other Kinder owners in any way that she could – often allowing other breeders to use her bucks free of charge and giving goats to many children that wanted to show at the fair and start their own herds. Luckily, BPK genetics can be found in most of today’s herds, so the outstanding genetics that Sue worked so hard to achieve will continue to influence the Kinder goat for years to come.
Sue’s kindness and generosity have impacted so many – she will be dearly missed and remembered lovingly by all that had the good luck to know her. We love you, Sue!
Getting Your Does Ready For a Buck Visit or Artificial Insemination
To plan your does’ visit to a buck for buck service OR to get ready for AI, there are a few things you can do to ensure optimal timing and success. The most important consideration is to ensure that you know when your doe is ready and receptive! You have two options for getting the timing right: observe and mark heat cycles OR synchronize your doe using hormones.
Observe Heat Cycles
If your does’ heats are noticeable, you can watch for signs of heat and mark your calendar to pinpoint a good time for your buck visit. Heat signs seem to be stronger and more noticeable in the fall. Signs of heat in a doe include the following:
- Swelling of the vulva
- Seeking the buck or showing interest in a “buck rag.” (If you do not have a buck, please ask someone who does have a buck for a “buck rag” that has been rubbed on a buck to pick up his scent.)
- Standing for mounting by the buck, a teaser, or even other does
- Urinating frequently
- Flagging tail
- Vocalizing, often loudly (some does do this; others don’t)
- Presenting mucus discharge that appears crystalline at the beginning but may have a cheesy appearance near ovulation time
Synchronize Your Doe
If you have difficulty identifying your doe’s heat cycle (some does are subtle about their heats; others are foghorns), or if you wish to synchronize your doe’s heat cycle to an alternate date for your preferred buck visit or kidding schedule, hormone therapy for estrus (heat) synchronization can be a valuable tool, allowing you to time your does to be bred and to kid closely together.
You’ll need a few items to follow the recommended protocol, and while the initial investment may be considered steep, it works out to be under $20 per doe to synchronize. (Prices quoted were found on valleyvet.com at the time this article was written in 2017):
The hormone progesterone is required to bring a doe into heat. While no current sources of this hormone are currently approved by the FDA for goats, CIDRs are approved for use in sheep and are being used for goats. The use of CIDRs in goats has been demonstrated to efficiently induce and synchronize estrus and ovulation during the breeding as well as the non-breeding seasons.
According to the website published by its maker, Zoetis, “The Eazi-Breed CIDR Sheep Insert is a convenient and effective method for inducing estrus in production animals and contains the natural hormone progesterone. Intra-vaginally placed CIDR’s release progesterone at a controlled rate into the blood stream.”
When this article was being written, Eazi-Breed CIDR Sheep Inserts were listed $124.49 (20 count – $6.22 per doe). An Eazi-Breed CIDR Sheep Applicator on valleyvet.com is a $9.99 one-time purchase.
Lutalyse for Cattle, Swine, and Mares is $19.99 (30 ml) and is a prescription that your vet must write before your order can be filled (15 doses – $1.33 per doe).
P.G.600 Swine Vaccine is $43.95 (5 doses – $8.79 per doe).
This minimum purchase total with shipping was $220.92.These products will enable you to synchronize a minimum 5 does at a rate of $16.34 per doe (not including the applicator or shipping).Additional supplies can be purchased as needed. Please keep in mind that the use of CIDRs, PG600, and Lutalyse in goats is extra-label drug use, and you should consult your veterinarian if you have concerns.
While there are a number of protocols that are referenced, the current protocol recommended by BioGenics is as follows:
Day 1: Insert CIDR.
Day 14: Inject IM 2ccs of Lutalyse
Day 15: Pull CIDRs and immediately inject IM 1-1/2 cc’s PG 600 (ensure to mix powder with sterile liquid per instructions first).Freeze any leftover solution for future use.
Day 16: Waiting day – do nothing. They should go into a raging heat.
Day 17: At the same time of day the CIDRs were pulled/meds given, check to see whether the does are in heat. If so, proceed with AI or take to buck.
Day 18: Reserve this day in case it is needed to continue checking for heat – AI should be done by end of day depending on the time you gave Lutalyse, pulled CIDR’s, and gave PG 600.
Tips
The Lutalyse injection and the PG 600 injection must be given at the same time both days to secure a better chance of a successful AI.
If artificial insemination is used instead of a buck, insemination should be performed approximately 48 hours after CIDR removal or within 12 hrs after onset of estrus.
The CIDRs should not be re-used for health reasons.
Leftover PG 600 can be frozen, but it can be unfrozen only once. If it is refrozen a second time, it will not work.
Timing your does’ heats can be extremely helpful if you are trying to prepare for efficient breeding without a buck conveniently on site. For more about artificial insemination, including instructions, tips, and available Kinder buck semen, see https://biogenicsllc.com/kinder-sire-directory-domestic/
For additional reading on other methods of inducing estrus during the non-breeding season, please visit the link below: https://goats.extension.org/season-impacts-reproduction-out-of-season-breeding/
Also, please visit the link below for a better understanding of hormonal control of reproduction in goats: https://goats.extension.org/reproductive-biology-goat-reproductive-physiology/
By Kirsten Simons
References (peer-reviewed abstracts):
- E.C.Bowdridge, W.B.Knox, C.S.Whisnant, and C.E.Farin.2011.NC Synch: A protocol for ovulation synchronization and timed artificial insemination in goats.J.Anim.Sci.89 E-Suppl.1:658.
- http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/training../ reproduction.html#seas
- Whitley, N.C., C.E.Farin, W.B.Knox, L.Townsend, J.R.Horton, K.Moulton and S.Nusz.2011.Comparison of two ovulation synchronization methods for timed artificial insemination in goats.J.Anim.Sci.89 E-Suppl.1:658.
- Reference: Whitley, N.C.and D.J.Jackson.2004.An update on estrus synchronization in goats: a minor species.J.Anim.Sci.82: E270-276E (Proceedings); http://www.luresext.edu/goats/training/ reproduction.html
Disclaimer: The opinions, views, and thoughts expressed by newsletter and blog contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Kinder® Goat Breeders Association. Goat husbandry advice found in the newsletter and blog is not meant to substitute a valid veterinary relationship. Please request permission to share or reprint newsletter and blog posts.