Welcome to the official KGBA Evaluation Program!
The KGBA is thrilled to announce the reintroduction of a KGBA herd evaluation service for our members!
Many years ago, the KGBA was lucky enough to have renowned judge, author, and goat evaluator Harvey Considine agree to help us create an evaluation program for the Kinder breed. Harvey worked closely with KGBA members for many years, developing a Kinder scorecard used by Kinder goat breeders and as a guide for those judging Kinder goats in the show ring. The herd evaluations and scorecard were invaluable in improving Kinder goats as a breed, helping to judge them fairly in the show ring, and helping individuals choose and breed goats more responsibly.
Unfortunately, Harvey did all evaluations himself and the service was lost to us when he passed away. Over the last few years, the association has been working tirelessly to reintroduce the evaluation program, and we are excited to begin the year with two qualified evaluators ready to visit your farms!
In order to make evaluations more cost effective and therefore more attainable to our members, the association will be subsidizing the cost of travel for our evaluators, cuttings costs for our members. Priority will be based in part on the number of goats signed up to be evaluated in each area, so consider working with others in surrounding areas to sign up for multiple farms or to plan a large group evaluation at a single location. Our evaluators will also happily do evaluations on site before, during, or after shows, so please contact us as soon as possible if you are planning on holding shows in the future. Traveling longer distances becomes much more valuable to many if they can bring their entire herds to a show, spend the morning showing, get their herd evaluated in the afternoon, and go home with ribbons, scorecards, and a plan for herd improvement!
I really hope that people take advantage of this opportunity. I knew that evaluations would be valuable, but had no idea just how beneficial they would be until I had my own goats evaluated and the scorecards spread out on my table. Looking at them, it made it easy to decide who to keep, who to cull, and who to breed to whom.
If you are interested, just send us an email at kindergoatbreeders@gmail.com, and we will work with you to arrange a convenient time for evaluations. Contact us even if you only have two goats and don’t know anyone else nearby with Kinders; we will happily do whatever we can to help you get your goats evaluated. You never know… you may have Kinders or an evaluator living just down the road!
The KGBA scoring system has been developed specifically for Kinder goats, drawing inspiration from Harvey Considine’s Herd Evaluation Scores, ADGA’s Linear Appraisal program, and others, while keeping the unique form and function of the Kinder Goat front and center. This program is designed to assist and support you in breeding the best Kinder Goat you can! This program is not an attempt to direct you regarding herd goals, keeping, selling, culling, or breeding decisions. We only hope to arm you with as much objective information about your animal as possible. Please note that goats can look different depending on age, maturity, seasons, etc, and this can change from day to day. Our Evaluators can only assess what they see on that given day. If possible, we encourage evaluating the same animal at various stages of development across it’s life, to form a more complete picture.
Scoring
How to interpret KGBA Evaluation scores and score sheets; The scoresheets are broken down by categories, General Appearance, Kinder Character, and Mammary or Reproductive. Each category is further broken down by parts and traits falling within each category. For each part or trait, they are scored by our Evaluators on a scale of 1-5. 1 being the worst, and non-conforming to the Breed Standard, 5 being the best and strongly conforming to the Breed Standard. You will be able to see how your animal scored and have a general idea of how they ranked in accordance to the Breed Standard. Please feel free to ask your Evaluator questions, and clarify any comments they leave on the sheet about your goat. The sheets are then sent back to the KGBA. You will then be returned your copy of the Evaluation sheet, complete with category rankings and the total score for each animal. Each category will be ranked from Excellent, Very Good, Good, Average, or Poor. The individual category scores are added together to equal their total score. The total score will reflect the final total ranking of the goat, along with a final number score. Please note that any points lost in any category will be reflected in the total score, and may result in the total score being in a different ranking than the individual categories.
Total Score rankings are broken down as follows:
E = Excellent 90 – 100
V = Very Good 80 – 89
G = Good 70 – 79
A = Average 60 – 69
P = Poor 0 – 59
Category Score Rankings for Does in Milk
General Appearance Score
E = 25 – 30
V = 19 – 24
G = 13 – 18
A = 7 – 12
P = 0 – 6
Kinder Character Score
E = 29 – 35
V = 22 – 28
G = 15 – 21
A = 8 – 14
P = 0 – 7
Mammary Score
E = 29 – 35
V = 22 – 28
G = 15 – 21
A = 8 – 14
P = 0 – 7
Category Score Rankings for Dry/Junior does
General Appearance Score
E = 33 – 40
V = 25 – 32
G = 17 – 24
A = 9 – 16
P = 0 – 8
Kinder Character Score
E = 37 – 45
V = 28 -36
G = 19 – 27
A = 10 – 18
P = 0 – 9
Reproductive Score
E = 13 – 15
V = 10 – 12
G = 7 – 9
A = 4 – 6
P = 0 – 3
Category Score Rankings for Bucks
General Appearance Score
E = 33 – 40
V = 25 – 32
G = 17 – 24
A = 9 – 16
P = 0 – 8
Kinder Character Score
E = 41 – 50
V = 31 -40
G = 21 – 30
A = 11 – 20
P = 0 – 10
Reproductive Score
E = 9 – 10
V = 7 – 8
G = 5 – 6
A = 3 – 4
P = 0 – 2
*Only scoresheets received from the KGBA with a KGBA stamp on them are official scores. If you see or receive a scoresheet without a stamp, this is not an official scoring*
The Process:
Our evaluators will have a limited time to evaluate your goats. In order to allow for a smooth, timely evaluation process, please prepare for your evaluator’s visit by doing the following:
- Prepare an area for evaluations to be done. This should be a well-lit area on level ground free of tall grass/mud that would impede the evaluator’s ability to assess levelness, feet, etc. It is best if this area is covered for shade and rain protection, but a covered area is not a requirement.
- Ideally, there will be a table and/or chair for the evaluator’s use. They will bring their own equipment, but having a platform/table to write on and somewhere to sit will make their job easier.
- Goats should have collars on, be penned near the evaluation area, and be easily caught. If possible, have someone available to help you swap goats between evaluations.
- Does in milk should have full to mostly full udders. This will allow your evaluator to accurately assess attachments, capacity, and other important udder qualities.
- Know the age and milk production of each of your goats. Evaluators will ask these questions, and well as when the doe last freshened, how many kids she had, if she kids easily, etc. Answer as honestly as possible – these evaluations are meant to help you improve your herd, not a competition.
- Get your goats used to being touched and handled. We understand that most goats will be nervous and a bit jumpy when faced with new people and situations, but a goat that is wild/ dangerous or unable to be touched by our evaluators will not be scored.
- Have goats clean and in good weight for their evaluations. Have their feet trimmed and if possible, their udders clipped. This will allow the evaluator to assess your goats at their best.
- Do not question the evaluator while they are assessing a goat. Owners may answer direct questions asked by their evaluator, but they may not question or comment on an individual goat’s evaluation until it is complete, at which time you may feel free to ask questions. If an owner argues with or questions the evaluator during an evaluation, the evaluation may be deemed invalid. Evaluations are final once signed by the evaluator.
- Have fun! Remember – there is no such thing as a perfect goat. Our goal in evaluating your herd is not to tell you whether a goat is good or bad, but to give you another tool with which to make breeding, buying, and selling decisions. Assessing your Kinders’ individual strengths and weaknesses will help you make more informed breeding choices and should offer insight into overall trends in your herd, allowing for more focused and consistent improvement in your herd and ultimately in the Kinder breed as a whole.
Thank you for participating in the Kinder Goat Breeders Association Evaluation Program!
Updates
Our Evaluation program development is ongoing, and updates or changes may be made after regular program assessment by the Board and/or Evaluation Committee. We have recently made an adjustment to the scoring sheets and final score display to allow for more accurate and clearly defined scores and scoresheets. We have also implemented Maximum Scores. These scores limit the total score reflected for the animal. Young does and bucks, as well as dry does will be capped at 89 Very Good. They will be eligible for higher scores once bucks reach their 2nd birthday, or once a doe freshens and can be evaluated with a mammary. Maximum Scores have also been implemented breed wide, with the highest possible score at this time being a 92 Excellent. We will continue to open up the high score category over time upon assessment of the Evaluation Program.
Upcoming Updates – as of January 1st, 2022
Per goat evaluation fee – $5 each
Private stop fee – $25
Show stop fee – free!
Goats will not be able to participate in same day sign ups. You will need to sign up and pay in advance. Please coordinate with Ashley Kennedy and email us at kindergoatbreeders@gmail.com for sign ups and payment. Any goats not evaluated will be refunded.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this assessment and adjustment process, and aim to provide you with the most accurate tools possible in utilizing the KGBA Evaluation Program!