Breed Spotlight

Whether or Not to Wether?

April 16, 2021 by Kinder Goat Breeders Association

Every baby goat is perfectly adorable, but none are perfect, and some are more suited to be herd sires than others. Selling lots of bucklings as future sires is tempting. It is natural to want to recoup expenses after you’ve invested so much in buying, raising, and breeding your does. When 7 of your 10 kids are boys, what else can you do? Selling as many boys as possible as intact bucklings is definitely the easiest answer, but it is usually not the best for you or your buyers.

In order to continue to make advances within your herd and in the breed, only the best males should be used as breeding stock. Lesser-quality boys should ideally be culled, meaning that they should be wethered and sold as pets, weed-eaters, or go into the freezer. Selling lesser-quality bucks is never a good idea – it could set someone’s breeding program back years. Don’t forget that that poor quality buck and all of his offspring will have your name on their papers. If you are unsure of the quality of a buck, protect your reputation by erring on the side of caution and wethering him.

So, how do you decide which bucklings should be sold as breeding stock?

Promising bucklings, with good width, muscle, and rear arch.

First, make a list of your best does. These should be does that have evaluated as excellent, earned milk stars or have records of excellent milk production and long lactations, have performed well in the show ring, kid easily, maintain their weight well throughout pregnancy and lactation, and adhere closely to the breed standard. Yes, that is a lot of qualifications! Ideally, any bucklings you sell as breeding stock should be out of these does. As a general rule, only 10% of boys AT MOST should be kept intact. Since breeders with lots of experience and very high-quality lines often sell more than 10% of their males as breeding stock, new, inexperienced breeders should probably be selling less than 10% of theirs. This means that the bucklings you sell should only be from outstanding does and bucks.

Next, make a list of the bucklings out of the does you’ve designated as your best. Immediately remove any boys that have faults as described by the breed standard. Omit bucklings that are narrow, frail, or otherwise lacking qualities you look for in a buck. Now look at the boys left on your list. Determine which bucklings adhere most closely to the breed standard and embody the ideals of a quality Kinder buck – they should be reasonably big, well-developed kids that have good length of body, broad backs, good depth, and well-sprung rib cages. Overall, the bucklings on your list should have good, strong balance and already appear more masculine than your other kids. Watch them closely as they develop, noting which ones continue to impress you. Immediately rule out any kids that develop faults, grow more slowly, or loose width and muscling as they develop.

A buckling that should not be kept intact. Too narrow, leggy, and dairy.

Never keep a buckling intact based on color or because he is your sweet bottle baby!

While personality should definitely be considered when choosing who to keep intact – no one wants an aggressive buck – conformation and quality should always come first. Although everyone seems to love flashy kids, your buyers will appreciate that you sold them a quality buck instead of a just a colorful one in the long run.

By Sue Beck

Let’s Talk About Width

March 26, 2021 by Kinder Goat Breeders Association

I think we all love to look at a Kinder that’s chunky with lots of width, but how do we tell how much of that width is structural and genetic and how much is related to the level of condition they are in? Understanding a bit more about this question can help us avoid buying a goat based on its width alone while ignoring conformation negatives. It will also help us not to pass over a goat that may not currently show a lot of width but has great conformation over all, meets the Kinder goat breed standard, and is likely, if body condition is improved, to develop that lovely chunk and width we’re looking for in a dual purpose goat.

Lately, I’ve seen a number of goats posted that seem to show a lot of width and folks comment that it’s “structural width,” but I beg to differ and here’s why. I have a lovely mother and daughter from a lovely line of Kinders. They both tend towards meatiness, hold their condition well except for a while when feeding large numbers of babies, and generally are lovely examples of dual-purpose goats. I’ve got photos that show front ends that you could drive a bulldozer through and photos that show the very same goats looking almost narrow. We’ve collected some photos showing the same goat showing vastly different amounts of width to illustrate this point.

Think about it a moment. Let’s think of humans, for example. Let’s imagine two young girls, both slender, who while growing to childbearing age eat differently and end up at different levels of body condition. We wouldn’t expect the one who weighs more to give birth to babies who carry genes for a wider bone structure, right? We wouldn’t expect her babies to be genetically/structurally wider just because the mother has consumed more calories than needed and is carrying extra weight on her frame, right? Now apply this principle to goats. That chunky two-month-old kid you’re considering is not more likely to produce babies of great width just because she’s a little butterball from getting more milk and grain than that other kid in the herd whose mother is feeding quads or producing less milk. In fact, her extra fat makes it more likely that you’ll miss seeing structural flaws if your eye is untrained. Just as we need to avoid “color blindness” (the propensity to be attracted to a goat’s color and not notice its structural flaws) when assessing goats, we also need to avoid “condition blindness” (the propensity to think that a fat little buckling is going to bring the genetics for width into our breeding program).

Extra body fat at any age will tend to smooth out how a goat looks and help hide some flaws. It can be a mistake to think that a herd of fat goats is closer to the dual-purpose body style we’re looking for in Kinders. A better way to judge where a goat is on the meat/dairy spectrum is looking at substance (thickness) of bone, whether leg bones and ribs are more flat (dairy) or more round (meat), and paying attention to proportions of body parts. Long necks and long legs tend to indicate a more dairy body type, while blockiness of body, meatiness of hind end, shorter neck, and thickness of bone indicate the meat end of the spectrum.

When we compare kids at different farms, it’s important to pay attention to how they are fed. Bottle-fed kids who are fed as much as they are interested in drinking will look fatter and wider than dam-raised kids who are often getting less milk. Remember, if a doe is capable of giving a gallon of milk a day and you take a half gallon at morning milking, that leaves only a half gallon to divide among her kids for the rest of the day. It’s no wonder that bottle fed babies sometimes grow faster and fatter than dam-raised babies do. Don’t think that the bottle-fed baby who shows that chunkiness now is necessarily more capable of bringing width to your breeding program than a dam-raised baby who perhaps isn’t as chunky now but might actually carry more genetic width to pass on to her/his offspring.

So how do we avoid misjudging width when buying a goat? Try looking at the parents, ask about feed amounts, look at older siblings, etc. Yes, there are some herds that have all ages in a higher level of condition than is optimally healthy, and their high condition can give the impression that these are meatier goats, but think it through and look at the body proportions, bone substance, etc. Expect herds that are on dry lots eating out of mangers all year to look different than goats that are walking out to pasture and back, avoiding bugs, and constantly on the move.

Maybe looking for width is something we do partly because it’s easier to assess than other aspects of correct conformation are; but if your goal is breed and herd improvement, it’s going to help more if you can assess all aspects of conformation rather than chunk factor alone. Yes, we want width, but extra condition can be mistaken for width, and mistaking extra body fat for meatiness and correct conformation won’t help us reach our goals for our herds.

By Kathrin Bateman

Linebreeding Case Study: Still Meadow Kinders

March 12, 2021 by Kinder Goat Breeders Association

1) What are your particular breeding goals for your herd, beyond a healthy herd that reflects the Kinder Breed Standard?

For me, in addition to a correct animal that displays appropriate breed type, function is truly key. At the end of the day, I want my Kinders both to produce enough milk to be a competitive dairy animal for their size and to efficiently convert feed into a quickly developing and muscular carcass.

2) What do you see as the general pros and cons of linebreeding?

Linebreeding intensifies and solidifies traits. Its primary goal is to influence consistency. Unfortunately, this does not mean only positive traits, but negative ones as well. While breeding should always be done with careful thought and clear goals, linebreeding even more so. Ultimately it is a tool that should be wielded carefully, as it has the potential to improve or weaken the resulting offspring.

Please offer an example of a linebreeding you have chosen to do.

Still Meadow Diego. This 3.5 year-old buck is the result of a close linebreeding (sire bred to his own dam). [See pedigree.]

4) What was your reasoning behind this particular match?

After having Diego’s dam for many years and being familiar with her strengths and weaknesses, as well seeing a lot of positive qualities in her son Rusty’s offspring, I decided to experiment with breeding them together to solidify their numerous similar and ideal qualities. In general I prefer to be as familiar as possible with a goat and its lines before experimenting with heavy linebreeding.

5) How did the offspring turn out? Did you get what you wanted?

Arguably, Diego turned out very well. I’d like to see more levelness hip to pin and straighter front legs (he turns out), and he lost a bit of size compared to his immediate family, but otherwise I’m extremely pleased with him. As a sire he’s been very interesting. He nearly universally adds width throughout (including rump width), heaviness of bone, and muscling to his kids. But he doesn’t seem to affect much else. He has a pretty decent topline but didn’t seem to pass that on to any of his kids. Whatever the dam was like, the kids took after her. I noticed that tendency to a much lesser extreme in his sire (influencing levelness in toplines and rumps). Tightening those genetics definitely led to a more pronounced bend toward (not) affecting levelness. To be fair, Diego has not seemed to make any kid worse from my observation; he just lends no improvement whatsoever in that area.

6) What traits will lead you to decide to cull an animal, and how does line breeding affect your willingness to cull?

Any fault or extreme weakness in any area of conformation and type could be a reason to cull. I’m quicker to cull for poor udders and substandard milk production, as well as lacking muscularity and general meatiness. But it depends on each individual and whether that goat has enough positive qualities to be worth keeping in the Kinder gene pool.

7) How do you personally balance linebreeding with outcrossing and at what point do you decide to outcross?

I regularly outcross for various reasons (including maintaining genetic diversity). I tend to outcross when I’m trying to bring in traits I need to improve on, and I linebreed when I’m trying to cement in the qualities I like and want more consistency in.

8) If you are also buying or breeding first gens, what are your strategies for introducing terrific new genetics that don’t derail the traits you have linebred to achieve?

I chose to focus on a few select traits when picking Nubians and Pygmies for my first generation lines. I went with heavy-boned, well-muscled animals (particularly in the Nubians) that displayed a lot of capacity and matured early. I paired that with nice udders and heavy production while avoiding extreme faults such as overly steep rumps, overly weak chines, etc. My first gen kids so far have been displaying the best of these traits, with few and mild weaknesses throughout. I intend to use them to influence better udders and higher milk production in my existing lines, while complementing my general style (heavy, efficient meat traits).

By Elizabeth Sweet and Ashley Kennedy

Linebreeding Case Study: Bramble Patch Kinders

February 5, 2021 by Kinder Goat Breeders Association

1) What are your particular breeding goals for your herd, beyond a healthy herd that reflects the Kinder Breed Standard?

My purpose for breeding the Kinder goat was to breed a goat of good conformation and good udders and udder attachments that would also produce a good meat carcass.

2) What do you see as the general pros and cons of linebreeding?

I do not see any negatives. Linebreeding and inbreeding are the same with all animals, BUT there is one big difference with breeding Kinders. Here you are outcrossing two different breeds. When breeding a Pygmy and Nubian, you are breeding 50/50, and that will never change no matter the number of breedings, so how are you going to find any consistency here? It is simply the matter of trying to fool mother nature, of finding the good traits and determining where these good traits come from, then repeating the genetics of that goat over and over again in your lines. Looking for those good Nubian lines will probably be much easier than looking for good lines of the Pygmy. My first breeding for Kinders was strictly a shot in the dark, so to speak, because I did not know the genetics of that first Pygmy, but later I did much research and knew that I needed to go with a Pygmy that came from good milking lines and a breeder that was interested in good udders or a breeder that was interested in show wins. I did both! Alice Hall’s Pygmy lines were the ones that I searched for in my second Pygmy buck. I tried to use as many of the Gasconade Nubian lines that I could find because they are the more meaty of the Nubians. Harvey suggested this in his first evaluation here. Evaluations, this practice is the key to good breeding.

3) Please offer an example of a linebreeding you have chosen to do.

I will show E Lee for my example.

4) What was your reasoning behind this particular match?

Wanting to keep the Ruppel genetics strong in my lines. She evaluated as excellent! She had a good udder and milked well and her body conformation was very good. Her teat size made her easy to milk, which is very important in a Kinder. Concord also evaluated as excellent.

5) How did the offspring turn out? Did you get what you wanted?

Yes! I can see her all down the lines. Concord is her sire and her grandsire, and he comes from milking lines, and these lines have continued in my herd.

6) What traits will lead you to decide to cull an animal, and how does linebreeding affect your willingness to cull?

You must cull no matter the breeding – linebreeding, inbreeding or crossbreeding. No one is going to breed perfect animals, so those less perfect need to be culled, and this is where evaluations really are important. All breeders are barn blind, thinking all their animals are just wonderful. This is where an experienced person that has been schooled along these lines is needed to help evaluate what is good and what is bad in each animal. There are lots of long-time breeders that can help guide us, but it takes that trained individual to really see those positives and negatives in our herd. Most judges are good evaluators, but most judges that we see today do not understand the dual-purpose animal. There are many breeders out there that only want to breed the animal that suits them and not the animal that fits our scorecard and breed standard, and there are many judges that do not understand our dual-purpose goat, either.

7) How do you personally balance linebreeding with outcrossing and at what point do you decide to outcross?

After I got started, I outcrossed only with animals that I knew what their good traits were.

8) If you are also buying or breeding first gens, what are your strategies for introducing terrific new genetics that don’t derail the traits you have linebred to achieve?

I have very seldom ever outcrossed. When I did, it was usually from my breeding, where I knew both the Pygmy side and Nubian side. I always look for some of my genetics in an animal that I am going to buy. Those genetics may be back four generations, but I almost always make sure some are there. This is what makes having our database showing each of our Kinder goats genetics so very important. We can see all their bloodlines for generations back. May I end by saying that these are only my thoughts and how I bred Kinders. I am not schooled in genetics; however, I think genetics would be most fascinating to learn. Harvey Considine’s evaluations and linebreeding were my main tools for breeding the Kinder goat.

By Sue Huston

A Breeder’s Toolbox: Crossbreeding, Outcrossing, Linebreeding, Inbreeding

December 18, 2020 by Kinder Goat Breeders Association

When Kinders are born and bred on our property, we become Kinder breeders. That project is exciting and endlessly interesting! Most of us keep in mind how breeding strategies can help us achieve our goals not only in our own herds but also on behalf of the Kinder breed as a whole. There is a place for different approaches at different times and even on the same farm.

Pygmy breeder Maxine Kinne reminds us of a vital point that holds regardless of the approach we choose, “A cardinal rule of selective breeding is that two goats with the same fault are never mated.” Instead, breed a goat that is weak in one area with another that is correct in that area. For instance, breed a doe with a weak chine to a buck with a level topline. Keep in mind a mental picture of the kind of Kinder you are breeding to achieve, adding animals to your herd that help you to achieve that goal.

As you work toward the herd you want to see, you have several options by way of breeding strategies and may well decide to utilize more than one strategy in your breeding program. What follows is a nontechnical discussion of these. In case you want to take a deeper dive into how genetics work, plunge into the list of helpful resources that follows this article.

Crossbreeding First Gens

Crossbreeding refers to mating goats from two different breeds, with each individual carefully selected with goals for the resulting offspring in mind. The Kinder gene pool is still small, which is why the work that a number of Kinder breeders are doing in breeding first generation kids is so important. Carefully chosen Pygmy bucks and Nubian does can lead to some very promising first generation kids that grow up to produce some very nice second generation kids. Yet there is still likely to be more variability among the kids who are born than there will be among Kinders that have been thoughtfully paired over several generations. Occasional lanky kids may hearken back to their Nubian parent or grandparent, for instance, while others inherit a smaller Pygmy-type udder with less capacity rather than their dam’s or grand dam’s capacious Nubian udder. That said, enlarging the Kinder gene pool is critical work done on behalf of the future success of the breed. Here you can find more information on breeding first generation kids.

Outcrossing

Outcrossing is the term for breeding two animals (of the same breed) that do not share common ancestors for four or more generations back in their pedigrees. Because Kinders are a young breed, when we examine our Kinders’ pedigrees, we often find common ancestors, especially the farther back we look, because the gene pool was smaller. But for each generation we move backward, the amount of genetic material contributed by any one ancestor is halved. You, for example, have half your genetic material from each parent, 1/4 from each grandparent, 1/8 from each great grand parent, 1/16 from each great great grandparent, and so forth.

In an article originally published in Dairy Goat Journal, Alice Hall sums describes the outcomes of outcrossing:

If the breeder is working with heterozygous (relatively genetically diverse) parents, he might end up with any number of combinations in the kid. The results would be very unpredictable. This is what happens with outcrossing or cross-breeding. The kid would be a combination of all kinds of genes, only the dominant of which would show. The breeder would have no idea what recessive genes are masked in the genotype of the kid. A breeder can continue to keep the recessives masked and work with dominants as long as he continues to outcross, but he will continue to have unpredictable results unless he happens to hit on some lucky combinations of homozygous [relatively genetically similar] dominants.

Outcrossing, Maxine Kinne points out, works well when the dominant traits we see expressed in both parents are the desirable ones we are after. Outcrossing introduces more variability and less consistency but can be especially useful when linebreeding uncovers some undesirable recessive trait. For example, two very nice animals with straight hind legs are linebred and produce kids with cow hocks they do not grow out of. That is a breeding not to repeat because cow hocks are lurking in recessive genes of those parents. An outcrossing might mask that undesirable recessive trait. Outcrossing also aids in preventing or correcting inbreeding depression (a loss in vigor, fertility, or survivability) that can happen with linebreeding or inbreeding.

Haphazard outcrossing of a carefully developed line, on the other hand, can undo generations of progress; so it is important, when outcrossing, to ensure that the animals used for the outcrossing also exhibit most of the desirable traits breeders want to see in the offspring.

Linebreeding

Linebreeding is key to bringing out desirable traits that tend to be recessive, like improved toplines and level rumps. The focus of linebreeding is to create a line of goats that has sufficient genetics in common to cement their desirable traits, so that these traits are more consistently reflected in offspring, generation after generation. In lines where this is skillfully done, we may recognize the line when we spot that goat we would love to add to our herd.

When they choose to linebreed, breeders may pair half siblings or cousins, aunt and nephew, uncle and niece, grandfather and granddaughter, or grandmother and grandson, with the clear understanding that promising offspring will be added to the Kinder world, while kids with faults, deformities, or health issues will be culled, as in destined for the freezer. Effective linebreeding depends on culling as a key strategy, with only its successes added to the Kinder gene pool.

Successful linebreeding is always based on an outstanding individual or individuals (not just average descendents of those outstanding individuals). As Maxine Kinne points out, “Linebreeding average animals is counterproductive, as you are certain to fix mediocrity firmly in your herd.”

Inbreeding

Inbreeding is the most radical form of linebreeding. It can bring out recessive genes that are otherwise masked by the dominant ones that determine a goat’s physical appearance. Father/daughter, mother/son, or full siblings may be mated, but this should be done only with the understanding that inbreeding requires rigorous culling (meaning goats in the freezer). Breeder Alice Hall notes that the more successful close linebreedings are often those involving half siblings. The most risky are those involving full siblings.

Inbreeding is a daring experiment of sorts—recessive faults or even serious mutations or deformities may lurk as surely as desirable results do. On the other hand, remarkable individuals can also result, who leave their stamp on the breed. Whatever the results of the experiment, inbreeding reveals very useful information about what a physically outstanding individual really brings, good and/or bad, to the gene pool.

Strategies for Successful Linebreeding

Boar breeder Tom Boyer points out a number of ways that linebreeding efforts can go wrong (see his article referenced below). Here is an inverse of his list, indicating what you need to be willing to do in order to linebreed successfully:

Have a firm grasp of the Kinder Breed Standard and the kind of animal you are aiming to produce (in the case of Kinders, think about both meat traits and good udders, milk production, length of lactations, overall hardiness, parasite resistance, easy of kidding, etc.).
Keep detailed records that can help you make informed breeding decisions.
Obtain superior does and especially outstanding sire(s), even if you have to travel or spend more up front to get them.
Cull undesirable animals by stocking the freezer (and sell that reasonably nice doe you love if her daughter is better and you do not have room for both). (If you are selling animals, please make sure they go to good homes where they will be cared for properly.)
Retain some of the very best kids for your breeding program rather than selling them all, so that you are improving your herd generation by generation.

Which breeding strategy you choose at any given point in your breeding program will depend on your goals in each instance, but Boyer notes that the trouble and expense you undertake to implement a successful linebreeding program can pay off richly in terms of the quality of your herd.

As you make breeding decisions, keep in mind what we know about dominant and recessive traits and those that are otherwise more or less heritable.

Dominant	Recessive
Long ears	Short ears
Wattles	No wattles
Long hair	Short hair
Nervous behavior	Calm behavior
Descended Testicles	Cryptorchidism
Normal reproductive system	Hermaphroditism (does)
Straight hocks	Cow hocks
More Heritable	Less Heritable
Steep rumps	Level rumps
Weak chine	Level topline
Short stature	Tall stature
Posty hind legs	Ideal hind legs

Maxine Kinne has compiled a valuable chart on heritability percentages for a long list of traits at http://kinne.net/heritcht.htm.

For more information, especially on linebreeding and genetics, see resources below. We pair this general overview with two linebreeding Q&As and case studies, one with breeder Sue Huston and one with breeder Ashley Kennedy. We hope to follow up with another case study or two in our summer issue. There’s nothing like learning from the experience of others who are generous enough to share! Most important of all are the insights into how experienced and skillful breeders make breeding decisions.

Resources

Boyer, Tom. “Linebreeding vs. Inbreeding” (http://www.chalkcreekboers.com/Linebreeding.html
Getz, Will. “Genetic Improvement and Crossbreeding in Meat Goats
Lessons in Animal Breeding for Goats Bred and Raised for Meat” (http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/training/appendixI.html).
Hall, Alice. “Linebreeding, Inbreeding… What’s the Difference?” (http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/378878/26602312/1444759258933/Alice+Hall+Linebreeding.pdf). Published by Dairy Goat Journal Online; previously published in Dairy Goat Guide, also found in Fundamentals of Improved Dairy Goat Management.
Kinne, Maxine. “Genetics 101: To B or Not to BB” (http://www.kinne.net/2bornotb.htm).
—— “The Heritability Percentage of a Number of Traits” (http://kinne.net/heritcht.htm).
—— “Selective Breeding for Herd Improvement” (http://kinne.net/matesys.htm).
Shoenian, Susan. “Genetics 101” (https://www.slideshare.net/SusanSchoenian/genetics-101-16142943).

By Elizabeth Sweet

Breeding First Generation Kinder Goats

December 4, 2020 by Kinder Goat Breeders Association

Growing first generation Kinder goats is an important part of the Kinder breeding program and necessary for the advancement of this lovely breed. First generation Kinders are the result of breeding a 100% Purebred Nubian dairy goat and a registered Pygmy goat. From 1^st generation Kinders, all other generations are achieved. Producing 1^st generation Kinder goats of good quality is ultimately the most important way to ensure a good foundation to build a superb Kinder herd. Thinking about raising 1^st generation Kinders? Awesome idea, the breed needs more diversity. There are some things to think about when considering your breeding stock Nubians and Pygmies for this project.

Nubian dairy goats come in a range of body types. Nubians, who are the descendants of Jumna Pari goats, can be of very dairy character, and on the thinner-boned side. They can also be larger, heavier-boned ‘old-style or Anglo-Nubian. American Nubians are the ancestors of the original Anglo-Nubian goats produced by breeding in Zairaibi goats to add thickness and fleshing to the breed by the British. The first Anglo-Nubian goats arrived in America in 1896 and were officially established as a breed in 1913. Anglo was dropped and they were just called Nubian.

Pygmy goats are a miniature domestic breed from Africa known for their hardiness, friendliness, year-around kidding and adaptability for nearly any climate. Pygmy goats were imported to the US from Brittan in the 1950’s and mainly used for pets and exhibition.

As you can see by the best qualities of both breeds, we get heavy-boned, midsized goats with hardiness, friendly personalities, good milk quality, production, and year around breeding. Their smaller size provides a better milk-to-feed cost ratio than traditional dairy breeds. What a great combination. Picking those breeding animals is important because inferior Nubians and Pygmies will make inferior Kinders. Starting with good quality stock, although not guaranteed, increases the chance of good Kinders.

The common and healthiest option is to breed the Pygmy Buck to a Nubian doe. You can produce Kinders from a Pygmy doe and Nubian buck but the chance of kidding issues is huge due to the problem of birthing kids that are too large for the Pygmy to deliver. Pick a good old-style Nubian of heavy bone, level topline, and excellent udder capacity and construction. Knowing the milk history of the doe’s dam and grand dam is important. Check for kidding problems, disease, and quality of siblings if possible. Inspect the sire if possible and his dam’s milk records. Have any stock tested for CL, CAE, and Johnes. Consider other disease testing if animals come from an area of specific disease such as TB, as many states are TB free.

When picking a Pygmy buck, you want a long bodied, level, heavy boned and muscled animal. A long body allows plenty of room for kids to grow. Heavy bone and muscle helps to ensure Kinders are stocky. Most Pygmy breeders do not milk so it is important to closely inspect if possible the teats and udders of the Pygmy and his Dam/Sire. Rule out any buck with teat deformities, spurs, or extra teats. Pick a buck that is not timid. A timid buck may be too scared to breed a much larger Nubian.

Pick animals that are naturally healthy. Ask about any history of kidding problems, how often the stock has been wormed, needed other medications, or if there have been any illnesses or injuries. Some goats just require less intervention and raising stock genetically healthier can save time, money and heartache. Avoid animals that are routinely wormed or require routine meds to maintain health. When breeding these goats, you may need to provide height to assist. You can assist by providing a step, hay bale or other platform. The doe may have to be positioned against it when in standing heat for breeding to occur. A Pygmy buck would most likely not be able to breed from level ground.

The Kinder breed needs additional genetics and growing great 1^st generation Kinders is a wonderful way to improve the breed. New quality lines make the breed stronger. Having Nubians, Pygmy goats, and Kinders can open up a dialog with visitors about the breed and the benefit of the combination of these breeds. What a great way to promote these amazing animals.

By Lisa LaRose