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Thinking
of Breeding?
by S. Ludwig 2005
We
would like to breed miniature goats. Where do we start?
Well, this is as good a place
as any.
Knowing what you are doing at the start will save you a lot
of time, money and heart break. Most Reputable Breeders will
tell you to "do your research" before you buy, this
is probably one of the most important parts of breeding.
It
is important to understand (now at the start) that you
are not entering into an established breeding program
where you can be sure of the results you will produce.
Yes, you will be at the forefront, possibly one of the
"Founding Breeders" and creators of the breed
but you are not guaranteed to produce miniature animals
with every pairing you do or from the animals you will
use.
We are not developing a breed, we are CREATING
a new breed using (genetically small) animals that
are available to us and they are few and far
between. You will hear time and again that this is not
an over night venture and it's not. It will be a long
term adventure with plenty of ups and down along the
way, with lots of experimental breeding to try to create
a group of animals that meet the ideal. Some animals
will meet the height requirements and some will not
and you must consider that it can be up to 3 and often
4yrs before you find out.
So if your up to the challenge and you dont mind taking
3 steps back for every one step forward then this may
be the breed for you. The best part of breeding miniatures
(for us) is the wonderful people we meet, the friends
we make along the way and the feeling of accomplishment
that we get when a pairing actually turns out the way
we were hoping it would.
Sue Ludwig 2007 |
Some
Important Questions...
The following is a handful of the most commonly asked questions
that Breeders ask and the answers have come from years of
experimental breeding and from some of the things we have
learned. Answers are based on using GENETICALLY SMALL animals
(not stunted animals) and on information recorded with the
AMGR. Comparison data has come from our own internet searches.
Anglo
Nubian 34", Toggenburg 30", Boer 28",
Cashmere 25", Feral 23", *Grade Miniature
18.5"
*The 18.5" Grade miniature doe was measured
at two years of age
At 4yrs of age she is now 20.5" in height.
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So
How Small is Small?
Well, how big is a big goat? The Standard Dairy* Buck must
be at least 30-32 and weighs at least 85kgs, the
Standard Dairy Doe must be at least 28-30 and weighs at
least 70kg. Boer, Cashmere & Angora goats are around the
25-28 mark with our Grade stock from 23-25 and our ideal
purebred at 21 (weight is variable according to breed type
with the feral & angora being considerably lighter than
the boer and cashmere bred stock of the same size).
* Height
standards of the Australian Dairy Goat Breeds, British Alpine,
Saanen, Anglo Nubian, with Toggenburg 2 smaller.
Obviously
the smaller they get the easier they are to handle and the
less feed and space they need. Housing and fencing will depend
more on the numbers that are to be kept rather than on the
size of the animal/s in question and these days with access
to many types of electric fencing, keeping them in (or out)
has become relatively simple regardless of their size.
Impact on the property / area that they are kept on is related
more to management, if you do not intend to hand feed, only
keep as many animals as your paddock can support, or if you
want to keep more, simply feed them.
Working on 21" or 53.3cm as our ideal maximum height,
animals of this size paired together should eventually produce
Bucks measuring 53.3cm (21) and Does measuring 48cm (19),
comparing the natural height difference between bucks and
does in all other goat breeds. By setting our ideal at 21
we allow the bucks 2.5 (to 23.5), in affect creating a safety
net and reducing the need to drop them down in Grade.
Are
we simply breeding smaller versions of the standard types?
The Australian Miniature Goat has always been
known as the new "designer" goat, being a product
of many different breeds all incorporated together. The Sheltie
was the product of angora crossed with short haired breeds
which removed some of the ringlets to produce a wavy long
hair coat. The Nuwby was a product of Anglo Nubian and Boer
crossed with the smaller ferals and cashmeres to reduce the
height while retaining the ears and the Pixies were the result
of crossing Alpine, Toggenburg and Saanen with the feral or
cashmere also to bring in the types.
Recently, however, some Breeders have wanted to concentrate
on producing smaller versions of the standard Angora or cashmere
types who are naturally smaller animals anyway. Any animal
meeting the height requirements that will consistently produce
small offspring is of value.
Do all young animals have the potential to go "Overheight"?
Every animal has the potential to grow over
the height. Unfortunately it is often impossible to know what
heights the animals parents, grandparents and often great
grandparents were. We are still in the very early stages of
the Breeds development and even when we do finally get to
purebred, I think that breeders will still find the odd "throw
back" to larger animals occurring with small to small
pairings, as we use such a diverse gene pool with many larger
animals in the early pedigrees and because we are still in
the very early stages of the breed's creation.
It is important for the Breeder to be very selective with
the animals that they use. If you must use a larger animal,
be sure to pair it to a much smaller one. Tall to tall breeding
rarely produces small offspring.
To date, The AMGR is very happy with the heights now coming
in for both bucks and Does (many of which were predicted at
the time of setting the height standards).
There have been a few of our good quality bucks that have
gone an inch or two over height, but their Owners have been
more than happy to use them to breed with in the hope that
they will carry the smaller height gene and thus pass it on
to many of their progeny. This is how the breed was started,
using larger animals. Remember this is not an over-night venture.
Is there any data on Growth Rates?
There has been lots of discussion on Growth
rates in the past. We have found, from our own records and
from growth patterns collected by other breed groups that
growth rates can really only be applied to individual animal
families and individual studs at this stage.
Why?
Growth of any animal is affected by its environment. Animals
on one Stud may be on a different plane of nutrition, they
may be subject to different diseases or may simply be under
different environmental pressures that those of another. Mothers
may have free access to the nutrients they require during
pregnancy while animals on other Studs may not. Some breeds
grow faster than others and mature earlier.
The Registry has been collecting data on heights since we
started in Feb 2000. We will continue to add to these height
for age records in the effort to build an accurate average
growth rate chart that we hope to be able to include in our
next Studbook.
Where
have all the little kids gone?
Most Breeders sell the animals that they
do not intend to breed with, as bottle babies, after
all it is a "PET MARKET".
Every knowledgeable breeder knows that all of our miniature
bred babies have the potential to exceed the height
requirements of the breed. We are still using GRADE
Stock and this should always be considered. This is
why all of our babies are sold as "Potentials".
Even the smallest of parents, bred for several generations,
have the potential to "throw" an Overheight
offspring and it is important that the Buyer is made
aware of this at the time of sale.
Not every goat owner wants to be a breeder, most simply
want a goat or two as an alternative pet, a companion
to love and enjoy. |
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Bottle
babies are ideal for this. Many of these "bottle babies"
are simply "lost" to us however just as many pop
back in to be put in kid or occasionally get sold back to
a Breeder who then updates their records.
Should we use Kid Stock before it has been height verified?
Absolutely. If we all waited until our animals
were three years of age before we used them, it would take
us approximately 14 years to get to purebred if we start with
Grade D animals. By using our younger animals and breeding
at about 12mths of age, starting with adult Grade D's we could
be at adult purebred in about half that time.
Obviously there are risks involved in using young stock that
has not been height verified and breeders that do choose to
use younger animals, do so at their own risk.
Young stock has the potential to exceed the height for it's
Grade and young stock may be lost before it can be Graded
affecting the Grading of its own offspring. With good selection
and good management skills most risks can be drastically reduced.
What about using Kid Stock that has young parents?
Using young stock that has young parents is
very risky as the final heights of the parent stock will ultimately
affect the "potential" Grading that the animal will
be eligible for. eg, Your "potential" A Grade buck
may suddenly only be eligible for Grade B if his parent/s
upon being measured, are Graded as C's. Worse still, one parent
may be sold or be lost, before being 3yr height verified making
the youngster only eligible for Grade C or D.
Many Breeders do use their own young stock (that have young
parents) most own the parents thus relying only on themselves
to make sure that the parents are 3 yr height verified when
due.
How do we work on Height reduction?
Just because Grade D animals can be up to 25"
doesn't mean that we have to use them.
Breeders are always encouraged to find smaller animals to
include in their breeding programs. Obviously we need to use
bigger animals to bring in our beautiful types but these taller
animals should be used over our smaller animals.
Ideally, Breeders should only keep bucks out of their smaller
Does.
Reducing our heights does not have to stop when we get to
purebred. Our maximum heights will hopefully be the top end
of the scale. Bucks 23.6", Does (being naturally smaller)
22.4". Ideally, Breeders should set their goals 2-3"
under these heights and use the smallest animals that they
can find. If you have to use larger animals, only pair animals
over 23" with animals well under 23" in an endevour
to bring heights down and bring type in.
How
Low Do We Go?
Just how small do you want to go
and at what cost to the animals you are breeding? Yes, a 17
adult doe sounds wonderful, but what would you pair it to
and how much trouble will it have when it kids? Not only is
the height reduced on such a small animal, the overall structure
is reduced, smaller abdomen, much smaller hips. It is believed
that the kid/s will only grow in proportion to the size of
the doe and from what many Breeders have seen, this has been
true, however the head of these smaller youngsters usually
remains quite large and is usually the problem when birthing
difficulties arise. Should she give birth without too much
trouble, what about the kid suckling on an udder that is almost
on the ground?
Mature Height under 16" is a disqualifying
fault (animals cannot be registered), with this in mind, we
would consider 20-21" to be really small for a buck and
18-19" to be really small for a doe.
Should
we Replicate pairings when good results are achieved?
Under ideal conditions, most Breeders do try
to replicate pairings when good results are achieved but due
to the fact that our animals are the result of many different
crosses, the outcomes are not always the same. Unfortunately,
many Breeders do not have continued access to the same buck/doe
in a pairing and those that do, may want to experiment with
other pairings or may not want to pass up the opportunity
to use a better quality buck.
Other Breeders having obtained the results that they were
after, may prefer to use a different pairing to bring in different
traits while others simply like the idea of experimenting.
Ultimately, it is in the hands of the Owner/Breeder.
When
should we Focus on Breed Characteristics?
Most Breeders choose
the breed that they would like to produce, early so
that they can select animals suitable to produce that
type, from the start.
The Grade System is designed to cater for the introduction
of types using the larger breeds crossed with smaller
animals, most times producing good quality Grade D's
and on occasion Grade C's.
Breed types should ideally be close to perfection by
the time the Breeder reaches Purebred status.
Purebred to purebred pairings should ideally be the
continuation of fixing height and types and not the
continued correction of them.
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What
is the "sprint to purebred"?
Purebred is the ultimate end goal for most
of our serious Mini Goat Breeders. You will often hear many
"Genuine Breeders" say that they want to get to
purebred with quality animals that they are proud to call
purebred rather than get there with animals that are nothing
more than little "mongrels". Many Breeders put many
hours of thought into their pairings to ensure that they will
indeed produce the ultimate "ideal" animals at each
Grade level so that they have quality, conformationally correct,
small stock to use when finally pairing for purebred.
The higher grading of our animals DOES matter,
as the higher the Grading, the more generations of small heights
in the pedigree with (ideally) the reduction of overheight
offspring being produced.
Unfortunately the adult height was believed to be reached
at two years of age, when the original Grading system was
created (2000-2001). Many of our original foundation animals
grew an extra two to three inches after reaching two years
of age, in effect making our small two year olds rather large
adults. Many Breeders did not re-measure their animals after
they turned two years of age and most of our "base stock"
was sold on when their offspring was old enough to breed from,
so many Breeders were unaware of the extra growth between
2yrs and 3yrs of age. Many "Founding" Breeders are
only now (2005-2006) collecting 3yr measurements from animals
that they have actually bred (from their own pairings).
Many Breeders are "starting from scratch" again,
using the smallest (D Grade) animals (3yrs+) that they can
find in an effort to fix the smaller heights, earlier in their
breeding programs and to ensure that their adult heights are
in fact small.
Why do Breeders desex most of their male kids?
Not all Buck kids are suitable for use as breeding
animals. Reputable Breeders select the very best bucks born
in a season, most only rearing animals that they would use
in their own breeding programs. Many Breeders selectively
breed animals together with the intention of only keeping
Does from most pairings. For example, a Breeder pairing two
average size parents would ideally keep only the does with
all the males being wethered. The smallest parents would be
used to produce the next generation of bucks (Does being a
bonus).
Some Breeders will often keep a larger buck kid that is very
close to their ideal type, (colour, Blue eyes etc) using this
animal over smaller females to reduce the height while trying
to introduce the type in the following generation. Unfortunately,
it is very hard to know what animal will go overheight and
unless the young buck has other exceptional qualities worth
incorporating into the breed or the breeder is still working
on lower Grades, it is far wiser to try to use bucks that
have been 3yr height verified.
How do we comply with Fair Trading laws?
Firstly, Sellers should provide information
to their "prospective" purchasers. This can be as
simple as giving them a web address so that they have free
access to Australian Miniature Goat information. We have published
brochures that explain the Grades, the Breed and the Types.
They are available to all Breeders and Breeders can put their
own contact details in the space provided on the back. Brochures
were designed so that "Sellers" could hand out information
at the time of sale so that new buyers would have immediate
access to it.
Secondly, It is important that animals are not advertised
as PUREBRED MINIATURES.
*Buyers and Breeders should be made aware that, even though
we do advertise our animals under the name of "Australian
Miniature Goats", our animals are only "Grade Stock"
and we are still in the developmental stage of producing the
Purebred animal.
In addition to this,
* animals under three years of age should only be sold
as "Miniature Bred" and "Potential" Grade
Stock as they have not been height verified. This also
applies to animals being sold as a "possible/potential
grade" when the parents have not been height verified
and graded accordingly.
Does your advertisement correctly describe the animal you
are selling?
* If your doe is sold pregnant, will the purchaser have the
right to a return service if she does not give birth when
due?
* "This baby will stay
really small", and if he doesn't, are you
prepared to refund or replace?
* "Parent heights are tiny"
(but how old are they?), if they are still young themselves,
are YOU keeping them until they are 3yr Height verified or
are they also for sale?
Perhaps your "potential" buyer should be informed
of this...
* "A Grade buck kid"
(NO he's not, animals are not Graded until they are 3yrs of
age),
* your advertisement MUST correctly describe the animal that
you are selling as a purchaser has every right to a refund
if they purchase an animal that is not what you have said
it would be.
And finally, make sure that your "purchaser"
knows and understands what they are buying. Purchasers
buying a young pet, or breeding animal should always understand
that the animal has the potential to keep growing beyond their
expectations. Most of our buyers find us through our websites
and many have already done researched on their prospective
purchase. Most people will not simply hand over money without
having some idea of what they are buying.
What is the Marketing direction?
Our idea on "Marketing" is not to
increase sales but to increase awareness. The AMGR offers
enquirers, easy to understand information on the breed and
is always working on promotion, all in the effort to make
the public aware of the existence of this new little breed.
Breeders are encouraged to do their share of the "marketing/promoting"
by dropping brochures into their local produce stores and
vets or by talking to people about their goats and by contributing
to the AMGR Newsletter and /or message board from time to
time. Promoting the breed in YOUR OWN area will open YOUR
market and hopefully increase YOUR sales.
Making your Stud known in the beginning will inevitably help
you sell your stock when the time comes. You wont be mistaken
for "some stranger" if you are regularly featured
in the newsletter or if you maintain a Stud website and /or
if you chat from time to time on the message board.
How do we attract New Breeders?
All Breeders are encouraged to give purchasers
ongoing support, as quite often "pet owners" become
new Breeders (in your own area), often returning to purchase
their own "start up stock".
The AMGR aims to encourage longevity of existing Studs and
to attract new Breeders to our industry by ensuring that information
is easily accessible and user friendly for all enquirers.
Sue Ludwig
Patona Park
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