Breed History of the
Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat
Used by permission from www.andda.org 

Like many breeds of domesticated livestock, the complete history of the Nigerian Dwarf is incomplete. Through the years and stages of development, records were not always kept, or if they were, they are sketchy at best. Developing the history of the breed is much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together that is missing many of its pieces. To reach the present day Nigerian Dwarf, one has to use a combination of documented facts, speculation, deductive reasoning and a little imagination.

What is known is that throughout tropical Western Africa, there is a type of goat referred to as the West African Dwarf (WAD). These goats are used as a food source, both meat and milk, for the local population. Due to economic hardships, keeping "pets" has never been an option. It appears that little thought was used in breeding and it was truly a survival of the fittest phenomenon taking place. In published writings about Albert Schweitzer and his work at his hospital in Lambrene in the country now known as Gabone, the local goat is often referred to, and is credited with supplying the milk for the hospital. The imported breeds typically known as dairy breeds weren't able to withstand the Tse-Tse fly, and therefore were not productive. But throughout the years, the WAD goats continued to survive and thrive. Books on Dr. Schweitzer show pictures of goats similar in type to the Nigerian Dwarves currently found in the United States.

Exactly how the WAD goats came to American soil is one of the missing pieces in the puzzle. One theory is that as the big cats were shipped to zoos, goats were loaded onto the vessels as a food source for the cats while in transit. The goats that weren't consumed went on to live and reproduce in those same zoos. As early as 1918, Joseph Crepin reported in the second edition of la Chévre that WAD goats had been imported to the United States. Additionally, there were a number of documented importations from the 1930s to the 1960s
The first miniature goats to appear in this country were part of zoo exhibits and occasionally research institutions. As the population began to grow, it became necessary to reduce the number of animals, and individuals had their first opportunity to own these unique goats. Originally, all small goats of WAD origin were indiscriminately referred to as pygmies. In the beginning, pygmy was used more to describe a size of goat rather than a specific breed, much like Swiss is often used to refer to the various erect eared breeds hailing from Europe.

As time went on, breeders began to notice differences in type within what had become the Pygmy breed. It became apparent that there were two distinct types: the shorter legged, heavier bodied, round bone animals more typical of what is known today as a Pygmy, and the more refined, angular animal that has become today's Nigerian Dwarf. As breeders began to communicate, they discovered there were others in the United States and Canada who had similar observances. Mrs. Bonnie Abrahamson of North Ogden, Utah, while working in a zoo in California, was one of the first to notice the distinctive difference.

Mrs. Abrahamson brought several black and white animals that she referred to as Nigerian Dwarves to an American Goat Society (AGS) Pygmy certification committee. Despite their more refined type and dairy appearance, these animals were accepted into the AGS Pygmy herdbook. At about the same time, Mr. Heabert Woods of Alexandria, Indiana, had animals similar in type to Mrs. Abrahamson's, but they were brown in color and refused entry into the National Pygmy Goat Associations herdbooks because of their color.

These two breeders petitioned the International Dairy Goat Registry (IDGR) to open a herdbook for Nigerian Dwarves. IDGR opened a separate herdbook for the breed, complete with a standard emphasizing dairy characteristics. On July 24, 1981, Mr. Robert Johnson's Bullfrog Alleys Johnny Jump-Up #2, a buck bred by Mrs. Abrahamson, became the first Nigerian Dwarf registered by any registry. By January 1987, there were 384 animals registered in the herdbooks of IDGR as Nigerian Dwarves, with 93 of those registered the previous year alone. In part, largely due to the fact that IDGR does not sanction shows, the popularity of the registry has waned over the years.

The early Nigerian Dwarves were seen most often in three distinct color lines, all of similar type, even though many of the early breeders attempted to keep each color line separate from the others. A majority of these early animals were brown, black or gold, all with or without random white markings. Possibly because of the limited number of representatives of the breed, breeders did begin to mix the color lines fairly early on, although references to specific color lines could still be found as late as 1988.

In 1984, AGS opened a herdbook for Nigerian Dwarves, and by September of the following year, 82 animals (representing breeders from eight states and Canada) had been registered. The first AGS registered Nigerian Dwarf distinction goes to Wrights Pansy, AGS # D-1f, owned by Francis Wright of Indiana. Mr. Woods was instrumental in getting a separate herdbook for the breed with AGS, and was made chairman of the Nigerian Dwarf committee. Mr. Wright and Pat Freeman of Dutton, Ontario, completed the original Nigerian Dwarf committee for AGS.

To form the foundation of the breed, applications were submitted to the committee along with a clear photograph of the animal and a measurement of the animal at the withers. If the committee unanimously agreed that the animal—that had to be at least one year of age—met the breed standard, the animal was then eligible to be registered as a purebred Nigerian Dwarf. Animals that were accepted for registration using this process are often referred to as a "committee animal." Some of the animals submitted, such as Mrs. Abrahamson's, were previously registered as Pygmies. It also would include animals with unknown backgrounds that showed true Nigerian Dwarf characteristics, and as time went on, animals that were of registered ancestry but which did not have the paperwork kept up. Many times, it was easier to submit the animal for certification than to retrace paperwork for several generations.

The original closing date for the herdbook was set at December 31, 1987. A change in the standard that year, however, would allow animals that previously were ineligible and the date was extended to December 31, 1990. In 1990, with fewer than 400 Nigerian Dwarves registered, the AGS Board voted to extend the deadline until December 31, 1992, to allow for a sufficient genetic base of foundation stock. The certification process did end in 1992, and all animals registered through this point, whether by ancestry or committee approval, carry an "F" suffix to their registration number to indicate that they are considered a foundation animal. Unfortunately, accurate records were not kept as to exactly how many animals were admitted via certification, but by the end of 1992, approximately 2,000 Nigerian Dwarves had been registered with the American Goat Society.

There was still some concern that the breed needed a broader genetic base, and a progeny program was put into place until December 31, 1997. An unregistered animal would still be considered for registration if, when bred to several different AGS registered Nigerian Dwarves (three for does, four for bucks), the animal and all surviving offspring met breed standard and received unanimous approval of the Nigerian Dwarf committee. Again, accurate records were not kept, but one committee member recalls very few of these coming through committee. In keeping with AGS philosophy of closed, purebred herdbooks, since January 1, 1998, the only way to be registered as a purebred Nigerian Dwarf is to be the offspring of two registered purebred Nigerian Dwarves. While there have undoubtedly been animals of varied background admitted to the herdbook, essentially since 1992 the herdbook has been closed. Using the wide genetic base created through the open herdbook, breeders are now molding the breed into a superior milk-producing animal of unmistakable dairy goat type that also happens to be small. While the Nigerian Dwarf and the Pygmy share common ancestry, they have clearly become two, distinct breeds through the efforts of breeders of both of the breeds.

The popularity of the breed has continued to grow, in part because of AGS sanctioned shows being held across the country. The first show that offered a separate sanction for the breed was the 1985 AGS National Show held in Graham, Texas. Only two exhibitors of Nigerian Dwarves were present (Shaula Parker and Kathleen Claps), and the breed wasn't official, but there has been no looking back since.


Pine Cone Valley Black Satin, a doe that is listed as an original import, owned by Ms. Claps, had the distinction of being crowned the first AGS National Champion Nigerian Dwarf. While the popularity of shows skyrocketed after this, another AGS National Show was not held until 1996.Through the hard work of Nigerian Dwarf breeders, an AGS sanctioned National Show, with classes for the Nigerian Dwarf, has been held every year since. Interestingly, the four does to win the national after Black Satin all trace their bloodlines back to her many times.

From the first show in 1985 with a few animals, it is now not uncommon for a show of Nigerian Dwarves to approach 200 animals. AGS sanctioned shows are being held in almost every part of the country, and Nigerian Dwarf breeders are traveling thousands of miles a year to promote the breed and their herds.

In 2002, the Nigerian Dwarf was also accepted into the American Dairy Goat Association herdbook. The first ADGA National with a Nigerian show was held in Louisville, Kentucky in 2010. Nigerian breeders traveled from far and wide to participate in this historic event, bringing along 81 junior does and 109 senior does, for a total of 190 exhibits. It was a grand showing with GCH and RGCH senior doe honors going to Rosasharn P Haiku and AGS Rosasharn's Buckwheat Honey, respectively. Anne Petersen, Massachusetts, owned both does.

Looking back at the breeders that have made this all happen, the most influential would be Mrs. Abrahamson. It was her vision that the breed be classified separately from what was known as the Pygmy. Due to her failing health, Mrs. Abrahamson was force to sell her herd in 1981, and Robert Johnson, owner of IDGR, purchased her herd. Her Bullfrog Alley herd can be found in many of today's Nigerian Dwarves, either directly, or more commonly through Mr. Johnson's Pine Cone Valley herd.

Of course, Mr. Wood, working primarily with the brown line, was quite influential, and Highland Woods animals are evident in many pedigrees. Mr. Wood worked closely with Mr. Wright of Wrights Acres, and those animals appear in many pedigrees as well. Ms. Freeman's Braco herd, primarily through the popularity of one buck, can be found in many pedigrees. Of these early breeders, unfortunately many are no longer alive or no longer active. Ms. Freeman still breeds goats, but her herd is known more for its Pygmies.

Moving a bit forward, one can find three other prominent herds that have heavily influenced the Nigerian Dwarf breed. Mrs. Sandra Mason, now of Medina, Ohio, but previously from Texas and then Washington, owns the Brush Creek herd. Much of her original herd traced to the San Antonio Zoo that reportedly had direct imports. Mrs. Mason has been breeding Nigerian Dwarves since 1982, was an AGS Nigerian Dwarf committee chairperson and an ANDDA Director.

Also beginning in 1982, Mrs. Shaula Parker of Willow Park, Texas, began breeding under the herd name of Willows or Willow Creek. Mrs. Parker's animals can be found in pedigrees throughout the country. Additionally, Mrs. Parker was the breeder of the 1996 National Best of Breed doe. Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Mason formed a very close relationship, and animals from each herd could be found in the other. Also, these two ladies co-edited the first breed publication, Footnotes*.

The last herd to be mentioned is that of Ms. Kathleen Claps, of Dripping Springs, Texas. Her Goodwood animals have stamped a very distinctive type across the breed. The achievement of the Goodwood animals is nothing less than remarkable. The first Master Champions bear the Goodwood name, the 1997 National Best of Breed doe was a Goodwood doe, and the first animals on test were owned by Goodwood. Ms. Claps was also the founder of one of the original breed organizations for the breed, and following the decision to stop publishing Footnotes*, she began the breed magazine, Ruminations, and was its editor for many years. These three ladies have done more than most will ever know, in helping the formation of the breed to what it has become today.
 

Stricter rules on imported frozen meat stay in the Philippines
[23 December 2010] The Philippine Department of Agriculture is bent on implementing Administrative Order 22, which requires increased sanitary procedures on all frozen meat products, despite calls from meat importers and requests from the US and Canadian governments for its deferment. The order became effective December 12. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the order would remain as it is beneficial to both consumers and producers. However, meat importers and traders have earlier said that the new order has deficiencies and was put in effect without consultation with stakeholders.
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Global food prices to reach record highs
[23 December 2010] Global food prices are expected to set new highs as by the year end, a UN official said. “The situation has deteriorated since September,” said Abdolreza Abbassian of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. “In the last few weeks there have been signs we are heading the same way as in 2008.” The food crisis in 2008 left as much as 25 countries in riots. The Wall Street Journal reported that the UN’s food price index hit 205 in November,  only seven points less than the highest level in June, 2008. Abbassian said the rise of food prices indicates the beginning of a long-term wave of increased prices after as long as a century of deflation. 

Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Pork Commentary: US Pork Exports Continue Strong
US - In this week's Pork Commentary, Jim Long writes about US pork exports during October.


Jim Long is President &
CEO of Genesus Genetics.
USA October pork exports were $407 million in October; the third highest month in 2010. Year to date (January to October) 1.39 million metric tons have been exported for a total value of $3.49 billion. The 1.39 million metric tons is estimated to be 23.5 per cent of total US hog production. Mexico, Japan, and Canada are the leading export markets taking about 75 per cent of US exports.

It would be interesting to see a calculation how the $511.8 million of pork in the first ten months exported to Canada relates to the value of pigs sent from Canada. Our cowboy math stab at it the $511.8 pork exports in ten months is $51 million per month. Canada’s small pigs’ exports to the USA are hovering around 400,000 head per month. Small pig value average of $60/head = $24 million/month. Trade works both ways!

The strong US pork exports seen in 2010 are expected to continue in 2011 with FAS estimating new record tonnage of 2.221 metric tons eclipsing the previous record of 2.117 in 2008.

FAS estimates the US will remain the world’s largest pork exporter with a forecast market share of 35 per cent in 2011. With Canada estimated to export about 20 per cent of the world pork exports. It is not hard to calculate the global dominance of the US – Canada pork industry with 55 per cent of the world’s pork exports. The two other major global export players are EU -27 with 25 per cent and Brazil at 10 per cent.

Bottom line: Strong export demand will push hog prices in 2011. The Achilles heel to big dependence on exports is the danger of a major swine health break that can hinder market access.

Other Observations
The US corn ethanol industry got an early Christmas present by getting their 45 cent subsidy and tariffs renewed for one more year when it got tied to US tax bill. For livestock producers the continuation of the insanity of corn ethanol subsidization was if the Grinch had stole Christmas. Corn around $6.00 a bushel is driving swine cost of production higher. If what’s good for the goose is good for the gander maybe congress should subsidize livestock producers. Why is corn ethanol any more important than meat protein production? When the price of food inevitably goes higher from the pressure of higher feed prices. It will be interesting to see how the politicians that continue to vote for corn ethanol explain high food prices to the electorate.


Cattle prices are real strong. Live fed steers are $1.00 a pound, a year ago they were $79.20. This price surge despite marketing numbers up are a reflection of excellent domestic and export demand. Beef prices 26 per cent higher than a year ago. Last Friday’s live cattle futures for 2011 ranged from $104.50 - $109.90 per pound. It looks like real high cattle prices in 2011 will be their support hog prices.


After several weeks of chick placements around 7 per cent year over year. The chicken broiler industry has pulled placements down to 1 – 2 per cent year over year. The 5 per cent difference is between 40 – 50 million pounds of chicken a week. The high feed prices have shocked the chicken industry from their own game of chicken suicide. Less chicken will support hog prices.


US cash small pig prices continue to move higher up $2.00 to $4.00 per head last week. Early weans averaged $52.23 (41 – 62.00) 40 pound feeder pigs $64.38 (48 0 71.00). The strong price move is exceptional in the face of high feed prices. In our opinion the lack of small pigs and lean hog futures of near 90 cent lean a pound are overcoming the fear and reality of $6.00 bushel corn.


In last week’s commentary we wrote about the British report that estimates that unless European hog market margins improve up to 60 million hogs a year of production could disappear in the next three years. This past week we had visitors from Spain. Spain has 2.8 million sows. The spoke about the crisis their hog industry was in. High feed prices, low hog prices, many legislated mandates including banning of gestation crates in 2012. The point is the challenges we have in North America are not unique. All producers are under constant pressure to increase productivity and get value for expenses. This constant pressure is difficult for all involved affecting our family life on top of the financial pressures.
Summary
US pork exports are strong, and will continue strong. We expect US – Canada hog production will be lower in 2011 than 2010. The combination of strong exports, steady domestic demand, and fewer hogs are good reasons to believe lean hog prices in the high 80’s are a good bet indeed. We see scenarios that could push hogs north of 90 cents in the summer. Prices can’t be too high to fill the equity hole.


Author: Jim Long, President & CEO, Genesus Genetics

Voluntary End to Surgical Castration of Piglets by 2018
EU - The European Commission welcomes the announcement made earlier this week that several main actors in the pig meat chain have agreed on a plan to voluntarily end the surgical castration of pigs in Europe by 1 January 2018.


As a first step, from 1 January 2012, surgical castration of pigs, if carried out, shall be performed with prolonged analgesia and/or anaesthesia.

A European partnership will be established in order to develop the tools necessary to reach the goals and to make sure that eventual costs are shared in a fair way.

At the invitation of the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency and following a workshop on alternatives for pig castration, representatives of European farmers, meat industry, retailers, scientists, veterinarians and animal welfare NGOs met in Brussels to discuss the issue of pig castration and its possible alternatives.

The parties signed a European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs, which sets the basis for the voluntary cooperation between the actors. Surgical castration of pigs is an animal welfare concern. Castration is practised to avoid undesirable sexual or aggressive behaviour and the development of boar taint, the odour or taste that can be evident during the cooking of pork products derived from non-castrated male pigs. Different alternatives to the procedure are already being applied in the EU and elsewhere.

The Declaration, the first of its kind at EU level for animal welfare, is an open invitation for every actor in the European pig sector to join this voluntary initiative.

Deal raises Nobel’s sugar cane capacity to 17.5 million tonnes
[22 December 2010] Noble Group, Asia’s biggest commodities trader, said it would pay USD950 million for two Brazilian cane mills, raising its crushing capacity by 84% in the world’s largest sugar exporter. The acquisition of Catanduva and Potirendaba, fully operational mills in Sao Paulo State, will propel Nobel into the top tier of sugar cane milling companies globally, taking the combined annual potential crushing sugar cane capacity that it will control to 17.5 million tonnes.



 
Brands get healthy in Asia
[22 December 2010] Nestlé and PepsiCo plan to capitalize on growing health concerns among Asian consumers by using herbs and traditional medicines to create a new range of products. Nestlé will invest USD 500 million over the coming decade on health foods while PepsiCo will pump in USD 2.5 billion in Asia over the next three years. Nestlé will consider wolfberry plants, chrysanthemum leaves and tremella, a fungus commonly thought to help improve the skin, strengthen bones and control weight, while PepsiCo has already launched wolfberry and tremella-flavoured Quaker Herbal Oatmeal, and a range of herbal teas

By: Joan Coolidge (Watsonville, California)

Little did I know that because I was a “pedigree buff”, and mainly, because I fell in love with a picture of Marvin in the Dairy Goat Journal (a 1976 issue) that a long-term friendship would begin with the Thrashers and Marvin. Since that time I have, shared a variety of experiences with both Barbara and Marvin (some happy, some sad).

For a long time I had searched for a buck to breed to my one and only Nubian doe. After seeing Marvin in the Dairy Goat Journal, I immediately knew that this was the only buck I wanted to use. Upon our first visit to see Marvin, found myself purchasing a beautiful blond buck kid (who is now my senior herdsire) — *B Pepperwood Farm Frosty Pepper. Because of my admiration for Marvin and for Barbara’s fine herd, and with the purchase of my beautiful new buck kid, a very close and rewarding friendship started with a much admired buck and a very lovely lady: one that taught me the value of a dairy goat as a productive animal who has much to contribute to the dairy goat industry. Also, an animal who has much to offer in the way of intelligence, loyalty and friendship.

Throughout these years I have seen Marvin’s progeny grow to become grand champions, Top Ten milkers and to be the beginning of many herds as well as valuable additions to others. Throughout those years, Marvin has earned the title of “Mr. Consistency” to me as well as many others. I honestly feel that Marvin is the greatest buck for those attributes he consistently passed on to his progeny. I am sure many will say, “Well, he’s not all that great, or I’ve seen more milk passed on or better udders produced.” In many cases this is true. I also have found several bucks who have produced better udders (however, with varied consistency), but I have found no buck more consistent than Marvin overall.

Some bucks are fortunate enough to be in good herds and bred mainly to quality does, so the end results should be good- to- excellent progeny. However, if you breed bucks to poor quality does from all different lines, you may or may not get good animals. Marvin was a buck bred to all lines and all types from the very poorest to grand champions. He maintained and improved the quality of the majority and improved something in all. His ratio of improvement was no “hit or miss”. Marvin was most consistent in his ability to smooth out the very coarse does; to greatly improve top lines, to sharpen many shoulders, widen many chests, to improve pasterns, and also to take poor blending animals and make parts look as if they belong together.

Marvin had one quality many Nubians never had (or perhaps never will have) and that is he had an extremely wide chest with extremely sharp, tight and well-blended shoulders. Nubians as a general rule have a tendency to have round or flat shoulders, or if they are sharp, they have a tendency to be narrow chested with little or no brisket. Marvin (and his son, Pepper) have the nicest blending shoulders I have ever seen. Over and over again, in the showring, Marvin and his progeny were especially noted for their outstanding smoothness, exceptional blending and dairy character. In these ways Marvin was the best. He consistently improved udders and pulled up some really bad udders to produce a grand champion or two.

Throughout the years, Marvin has been consistent in many ways, however, one of the most striking is his ability to produce the same look in the area of the head, ears, and especially the face. His sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters (through several generations) display a smaller, more beautiful face being wide between the eyes but with a shorter, more stylish, length of head. This is a unique trait that has been passed on from one generation to another, imprinting Marvin’s very own style throughout the Nubian breed.

Marvin himself, was a very smooth, large and powerful animal (with probably the largest neck I have ever seen), but with much, much dairy character. His daughters are very feminine and dairy. Marvin was the epitomy of masculinity while his does display tremendous femininity, dairy and breed character. I have a GCH (triple granddaughter) of Marvin’s who was bred back to Marvin and together they produced a more feminine, refined doe who has an even higher, tighter, and wider udder than her darn. Upon maturity, I expect her to be grand champion material. The line is quite often slow maturing (3 to 4 years) and takes a while for depth and barrel to appear. Since there is great longevity in this line the slow maturing factor does not really hinder any breeding program (patience is a virtue in breeding).

I have found the more I linebreed on this great line the better the animals become. Marvin is not a line unto himself, but an excellent product of the great Hallcienda Herd. Upon linebreeding with Marvin, one can draw upon the great genetic background of Marvin’s illustrious parentage, as well as his own unique genetic pool.

Marvin brought hundreds of people together, not only as business acquaintances, but as life-long friends — to himself as well as to the Thrashers. People were drawn to him for not only his conformation, strength and beauty, but because of his magnetic personality, warm expressive eyes and his kind, gentle face. Probably the greatest quality Marvin did possess and did pass on to his progeny was his fantastic disposition. He was quiet, gentle, proud and dignified — a true gentleman.

In the Aug. 1982 issue of the Dairy Goat Journal, a list was published of the Elite Nubian Bucks. Marvin was not only on this list, but his photo was featured and at that time was the only living Elite buck. In 1980, at the age of 8 years and 8 months, Marvin classified Excellent 90 (89 90 91)!

Marvin had lived as he had died, with pride, dignity and grace, the epitomy of a true grand champion!
 
 
 
NOTE:some of the greatest bloodlines can trace part of their pedigree back to the Hallcienda bloodlines.Lakeshore to Kastdamur,Kastdamur to Hallcienda and Hallcienda to Warpaint.Hallcienda bred the great Frosty Marvin.Frosty Marvin has helped to produce some of the greatest dairy nubians we have today.The other great goat that helped the dairy industry was Conquest a double CGH ++* B Hallcienda Frosty Marvin.

: Barbara Thrasher (Covelo, California)

The first week of April, 1972, I went to a local dairy goat breeder to pick out a doe kid to help start my herd. It was exciting for me, I only had two other does. They were registered Nubians, but one was twelve-years-old. There were eight or ten doe kids in a pen together. They were all about two-months-old. It was extremely hard to choose one, they were all so pretty, but hard to get a good look at. They were wild, having been raised on their mother. When I tried to get close to them, they would crowd together in the corner of the pen. While trying to approach these frightened little does, I felt some little hooves on the back of my leg. I turned around and there he was; a beautiful light blond, roan kid. What a charmer.

I thought he was truly gorgeous. Of course, being a beginner, I didn’t have much conñdence in my judging ability. He really appealed to me though. He was smooth, well-proportioned, had a super personality, and was a beautiful color. I asked who he was and was told he had been ordered from a breeder to the north of us and when he was delivered she had been disappointed in him. She said the breeder had told her to try to sell him and send her the money. The breeder that I had gone to in search of a doe intended to take him with her to an upcoming show in an area where lots of people eat goat meat, and to sell him there if she couldn’t sell him before. I couldn’t bear the thought of someone butchering that little buck, so I asked her how much she wanted for him. She told me $50.00.

Believe it or not, I told her I would have to think about it. After all, I only had three does. Did I really need a buck? Of course I did! And besides I was already in love.

The next day I went back to finalize the deal and pick up the little buck.

“Does he have a name?” I asked.

“Oh, I think his name is Marvin,” she said. I decided that was a pretty plain name for such a handsome buck, so I decided to add Frosty to it because of his color. Also I thought it would add a touch of class to his name. We tried it out, “Hallcienda Frosty Marvin”, yes, that would sound good over a loud speaker at a show.

Completely satisfied with my decision, I took Marvin to his new home. He moved right in and took over our home as if he’d been born there. It was, however, difficult to convince Marvin that he was supposed to live in the barn with the other goats. He much preferred to be in the house with us.

Still unsure of my ability to judge the conformation of my new purchase, I asked a prominent breeder in our town to come take a look at him and give me her opinion. I guess I wanted assurance that I had made the right decision to purchase him. She walked around him in a full circle and looked up with a very serious look on her face. She told me that, in her opinion, I should try to sell him as quickly as possible, even if I had to take him to the auction, before I had any more money invested in him.

I sure was disappointed, but as I said before, I was in love and decided that I liked Marvin and didn’t care if anyone else did or not. That is an opinion that I have always stuck with throughout the years. You have to have confidence in what you like.

We had quite a few problems in the beginning. Marvin had been weaned early and I wanted to put him back on milk. But I had a problem, none of my three girls were in milk. I started looking for a milker to buy. I looked at one doe that I liked a lot and who was a good milker. But I could not afford her, they wanted $125.00 for her. Ironically, that was Rancho Nuevo Belle Nouvelle, who later became the mother of Marvin’s first daughter — GCH Rancho Nuevo Jody. (I sure kicked myself around over that!) We did, however, find a milker in our price range. Marvin really liked his milk, but had continuous problems with diarrhea and bloating. Once he bloated so bad that I put him in the car and started for the veterinarian’s office about 20 miles away. By the time we were half way there, the bumping from the car had helped to relieve the bloat and he seemed better. I took him in anyway and found that the real source of his problem was coccidiosis. After medication, he was fine and thoroughly enjoyed his milk with no ill effects. He grew and blossomed.

We went to our first show in May. Marvin was four-months-old. He really did enjoy himself, as he always did throughout his show career. He behaved so well. I was standing with Marvin at ringside, watching the older bucks, when a friend with an older buck said, “Enjoy him while he’s young because the older he gets the meaner he will be.” He pointed to a buck that was pawing and urinating on his owner’s leg. “That buck has broken that man’s ribs, too!” I told him I just knew Marvin would never be that way. I was right, I could always   handle him with ease. He was such a showman; he loved being posed, either for the showring or for pictures. At his first show he was Junior Champion on Saturday and Reserve Junior Champion on Sunday. Marvin was on his way to proving that what I had thought of him the first time I saw him was true. One rewarding part of that first show, was when the breeder who told me to cull Marvin approached me to reserve two breedings for that fall.

Marvin grew to be a very large buck. He was very impressive, even to people not experienced with goats. He stood out in a crowded show barn being both large and unusual in color. Many times people would make remarks like, “I see you brought your pony”; or, “Do you have a saddle for him?” One judge upon placing him second said, “I know there must be some dairy character in there somewhere.” Another judge once said, “This is a very flashy, showy buck, but frankly, I would be afraid to breed him to any of my does.” (To that remark my husband muttered under his breath, “What do you raise, pygmies?”) Marvin had an excellent show record; most judges liked him and the ones that didn’t usually mostly objected to his size. One judge really made us proud by saying, “I know a lot of you people think this buck is fat, but he is not, he is all buck, very sharp at the withers, with excellent ribbing.”

Marvin was a joy to show. He always made a lasting impression on those who met him. At one crowded show where there were not enough pens, we put him together with the small babies. Everyone was so surprised that he would not hurt them. He was extremely gentle to people and other animals.

All except horses, that is. He had a real hatred for horses and would go through a fence to get at them. It was a strange sight to see my old gelding frantically trying to get away from Marvin one day when the gate had come open. Marvin was bitten on top of the head when he was a yearling, and his dislike for horses lasted the rest of his life. Marvin loved to go in the van, he would load himself when we opened the door.

Always, after Marvin had been in the showring, he wanted to smoke a cigarette, when he was through. He had a way of letting us know by looking at my husband’s shirt pocket and then looking straight in his face as close as he could reach. He also did this to people that came to visit him (if he could smell smoke on them). Ron would light a cigarette and Marvin would take deep breaths of the smoke and relax after a class. Honestly, sometimes I thought he was human.

Marvin was always very healthy. He occasionally had bouts with bloat as he got older, so when that happened, we would go for a ride in the car over to Joan Coolidge’s house and together we would drive him around town until the vibrations made him belch it all out.

Marvin’s constant companion was a small Barbados sheep named Fuzzy. She was very devoted to him and misses him a lot. I believe it is important to give bucks the company that every animal enjoys. Marvin always had someone to share his living quarters with, play with if he felt like it, and to sleep with when the weather was cold. I think it kept them interested in life.

Last summer, Marvin fell and cracked a vertebrae in his neck. It threw his back so much out of line that it looked like an S-curve. He couldn’t straighten his neck out and was in great pain. I made arrangements through my veterinarian to take Marvin to the University of California at Davis. It was a five-hour drive there and all the way I could hear the bones grinding every time he moved. He also would grind his teeth from time to time indicating he was in pain.

The staff at Davis who met us (after business hours) were all so very nice. They took a look at Marvin and remarked something about, “Oh, a billy goat”; and proceeded to examine him. They took him into the X-ray room and took several pictures.

I expected them to tell me we would have to stay over for treatments of some kind or other, but instead they called me into a small room where they read the X-rays. They told me that his spine was full of arthritis and was almost completely fused together. It was such a shock I couldn’t speak at the time.

I went back to the X-ray room where one of the technicians was waiting with Marvin. He walked out to the car with us, trying to console me the best he could. He said they usually don’t enjoy working with “billy goats”, but he was glad to have met Marvin; he was truly a gentleman. The road home seemed so long, I cried most of the way. They had given Marvin medication for pain and I hoped that he was more comfortable.

Once home, I set about making him as comfortable as possible. I decided to do everything that could be done, despite the bleak outlook for the months ahead. Our friends, Alice and James, gave us a special orthopedic heating pad that fit the length of his back, and we gave him heat and massage treatments several hours a day. Another friend, Mary brought aloe vera juice for him. I put it on his grain. I really feel that it worked wonders. Between the two treatments, Marvin’s spine became almost straight again, and he had several more good months. He could walk well and was seemingly free of pain.

When winter came, despite a warm coat, the dampness took its toll on him. In his last days, we tried to comfort him, keep him company and give him the things that he liked best. Alice cut him fresh alfalfa blossoms every morning. He was too proud to be hand fed; he preferred to eat them by himself out of the bag she had brought. If I had to go out for awhile, Mary came by several times to make sure he could reach his water, talk to him, and give him fresh food.

I know lots of people reading this will not understand that an animal could mean so much to so many, but all I can say is you had to know him. I am very grateful for the years we had, the many lasting friendships that developed, and all the wonderful experiences we had together.
 
 
 

 
The Home of Past, Present and Future Champions
 
 This tribute to GCH ++*B Hallcienda Frosty Marvin (1972 - 1982) is the combined efforts of three dairy goat breeders who have owned and/or worked with the buck.
   
 
Written for the Dairy Goat Journal, (Vol. 61 No. 3) appearing in their March, 1983 publication.
 
 
 
Section #1
 
 
 
By: Alice Hall (San Bernardino, California)

Every breeder needs a buck he can believe in! Hallcienda was fortunate to start with such a buck — perhaps out of ignorance, but the truth was, GCH ++*B Naja Goliath-Hall’s Doll turned out to be a buck a herd could believe in. He didn’t seem that way to others, and by the time he’d been zapped in the showring a few times because he lacked depth and had a terribly serrated scrotum, Hallcienda leased him out for a time.

Meanwhile, Alice Tracy of Hurricane Acres advised, “Serrated scrotums don’t mean a thing. If you believe in the buck and his pedigree, forget what everyone else says!” When Hallcienda saw what Goliath was doing for his daughters in the other herd, Hallcienda concurred with Hurricane Acres and brought the buck home.

One of Goliath’s most beautiful and productive daughters, GCH Hallcienda Cleopatra 5*M, was the daughter of a doe that had a severely undershot jaw. Since Goliath also was slightly “pouty”, Hallcienda determined never to breed 2 the two together, but the doe slipped through the fence, was bred to Goliath, and produced Cleopatra, who was probably one of the best things that ever happened to Hallcienda.

Rather than experimenting with in breeding immediately, Cleopatra was bred to *H Hallcienda Magic Garry, the son of GCH *B Black Magic’s Andre Nicki, another buck Hallcienda believed in. All it took was one look at Nicki and his daughters at a few shows and Hallcienda believed in the potential of Nicki. Nicki’s son, Garry, didn’t inspire Hallcienda as did Goliath and Nicki, but he was bred to yearling Cleopatra as a trial. The resulting daughter, Shelly, was another beautyl

Unfortunately, Shelly died young with infectious arthritis, but a repeat breeding had been made. The result was GCH ++ *B Hallcienda Antony, who was another buck Hallcienda believed in implicitly. In almost 100% of the cases, Antony improved his daughters over their dams in conformation and production.

It’s difficult to define what “believing in a buck” is. It’s sort of a gut feeling that he has what a herd needs and is going to pass that quality on. It may or may not be related to pedigree or appearance. Some instinct tells a breeder that one of a pair of twins is worth believing in and the other isn’t. A herd that is using a buck it can’t believe in, regardless of the pedigree, is on a down-hill trend.

Garry didn’t give Hallcienda that gut feeling and sure enough, he died young with infectious arthritis as did several of his daughters. Goliath was getting older, so Cleopatra was bred to her sire, Goliath, a few times. By the time she was bred to her great son, Antony, she was older, her resistance was down, and she and the triplet does she carried were lost. But, one of the Cleo-Goliath breedings resulted in triplet does, one of which was Noel. Noel was a big, rangy doe, that matured early. She was bred to Antony at eight months, to double up the breeding on Cleo.

Noel freshened in the winter at 13 months when milk was sorely needed. She had a single buck kid, born on a Saturday. He was a pretty little blond buck, but Hallcienda didn’t need a buck out of a yearling. Hallcienda needed the milk, so the little buck was taken away from Noel and brought into the house to await Tuesday’s auction.  By Tuesday, the little buck had so wormed his way into everyone’s affections that the auction was out of the question. Besides, he was rather pretty!

A high school student was found who wanted to raise a kid, and the little blond buck went to live with the boy. What a life the buck had! He named him Marvin, and Marvin lived in the boy’s bathroom for over two months. The boy often allowed Marvin to follow him to school because he knew the teachers would make him take the buck back home, and that was a good way to miss class time. Marvin became sort of an FFA mascot, being used to demonstrate dehorning, tattooing and hoof trimming at the school agriculture classes.

By the time Marvin was three-months-old, the boy’s father decided he’d out-grown the bathroom and had to find another place to live. So Marvin came home to Hallcienda. By that time it was apparent that he was quite a handsome buck and that his mother, Noel, was a good producer — a good combination. But Hallcienda still had Goliath and Antony, and it didn’t need another buck.

Then a friend called to say she needed a buck; what did Hallcienda have? Hallcienda described the buck, perhaps using the term ‘light roan’, and said, since it was a friend calling, that she could have him for $50.00. The deal was made over the telephone, and Hallcienda drove Marvin about 100 miles to his new home. The woman looked at him and said, “He’s blond! I don’t want a blond buck!” Hallcienda was shocked and disheartened. The buck was not wanted back at the farm. Besides, he didn’t know he was a goat — he thought he was a person and was a pest. He didn’t know how to relate to does — he had a lot to learn. So in disgust, Hallcienda said, “Oh, just keep him here and sell him.” However, they neglected to specify what price they wanted, so Marvin found his permanent home for $50.00.

The new owner, Barbara Thrasher, didn’t particularly like the name Marvin, but the buck came when he was called and knew the name so well, it was impossible to change it. So she added the prefix “Frosty”, and the buck became Hallcienda Frosty Marvin. Hailcienda was not overjoyed at letting a buck go for so little money, but in retrospect, it was a good deal for everyone! Marvin was coddled and loved by Barbara as he had been by the high school student. In addition, he was campaigned and used widely and wisely, and the results were worth more to Hallcienda than any outlandish original sale price would have been.

And Marvin, too, like his sire and both grandsires, was a buck a breeder could believe in — wholeheartedly!
 


 
 
 
 

I do not have all the current prices but I think its the jumbo that sells for P4.50 each.Hope this helps.

45-50 grams: Pee Wee
51-55 grams: X Small
56-60 grams: Small
61-65 grams: Medium
66-70 grams: Large
71-75 grams: X Large
76-80 grams: Jumbo

Metro Manila Prevailing Retail Prices
as of Dec. 16, 2010
Commodities Prices
Rice, Regular milled P30.00 per kg.
Rice, Well milled P35.00 per kg.
Tilapia P90.00 per kg.
Galunggong P120.00 per kg.
Beef brisket P200.00 per kg.
Pork ham/Kasim P170.00 per kg.
Whole Chicken P130.00 per kg.
Chicken egg P4.50 per piece
Tomato P60.00 per kg.
Pechay, native P30.00 per kg.

South Australia maintains low Ovine Johne's Disease status
//16 Dec 2010
Prevalence areas for fatal sheep disease OJD will be downgraded in Victoria, Western Australia and some parts of New South Wales from 1 January 2011.
Dr Rob Rahaley, South Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, urges all sheep producers to familiarise themselves with the new movement requirements, under the national Ovine Johne’s Disease (OJD) control program.

“The national sheep industry recently recommended these changes in prevalence areas and scores, as a result of increased detections in Victoria, Western Australia and New South Wales,” Dr Rahaley said. “While South Australia’s prevalence areas have not changed, producers wanting to import sheep from medium to high prevalence areas interstate, or from Kangaroo Island (medium prevalence area), must be familiar with the new rules. “This is critical for mainland South Australia to maintain its low OJD prevalence rating and to help to further prevent the spread of the disease when trading sheep. “Our low prevalence area status is evidence of industry and government’s $9 million investment, since 1998, in controlling the disease.”

The reclassification of the prevalence areas and OJD scores will result in Victoria’s north-west and Western Australia’s prevalence areas dropping from a score of 4 to 2, while mainland SA retains a score of 4. Dr Rahaley said the relevance of this to cross border trade is the key premise of the national OJD program.


NOTE:one of the main reasons why the USA and Canada does not allow imports of live goats and sheep into N.America is the fear of Johnes disease.Countries will high sheep numbers are prone to Johnes dease.

SMFI’s Sumilao hog farm fully operational
[17 December 2010]   San Miguel Foods Inc (SMFI) has finally begun operations of its hog farm and meat processing facility in Sumilao, Bukidnon Province that was mired in a land distribution controversy a few years back. Leo Obviar, General Manager of SMFI Poultry and Meats Business said that the facility, which now has 4400 sows and can produce 88 tonnes of processed meats annually, began full operations in mid-2010. Half of the facility’s total production will be for the Luzon market and the other half for local markets in Mindanao.

Excellent US corn quality in 2010-11
[17 December 2010] US corn quality for the 2010-11 crop is excellent, but the price may rally due to low ending stocks, said Jay O'Neil, Senior Economist at the Kansas State University's International Grains Program. In a webinar held yesterday by the US Grains Council, Mr O'Neil said the crop contains an average moisture content of 14.5% versus 24% in the previous crop, while its protein content appears to be close to 8% versus 7.5% average in the previous crop. "This is a 180-degree turnaround from the previous crop," he said. Due to good weather conditions, the corn was naturally dried in the field and this resulted in low damage (less than 2%, down from 3.5%) and far less BCFM (broken corn and foreign matters)," Mr O'Neil said his data was obtained from interviews with grain silo owners and corn producer cooperatives in several states in the US. However, he said, given a mere 21 million tonnes of carry over corn from 2009-10, corn futures prices could rally to USD6-7/bushel, and could reach USD8/bushel in a year from now, unless a bigger crop is produced. "My advice to buyers is that there is a possibility that the price (or corn) could go very high. You should be careful with your pricing strategy," he said. The US is expected to export 49.5 million tonnes of corn in 2010, a slight decrease from 50.5 million tonnes in 2009, while an estimated 122 million tonnes will be diverted into ethanol production, up from 116 million tonnes in 2009.

Agribusiness to face market volatility next 3-5 years
[17 December 2010] Agribusiness companies are likely to face increased market volatility and higher prices over the next three to five years, findings of Rabobank Food and Agribusiness Research and Advisory said. This will present challenges as risk management and positioning become even more important yet it will also create opportunities for trading. Its Global Strategist David Nelson added that slow world economic growth and food demand shifting east will cause companies to rebalance their operating portfolios or bear the risk of having regional imbalances.

Rene
I think it would be safe to say that a productive livestock producer today must also be a good forage feed producer.As time goes on the industry is learning by leaps and bounds.There is a better understanding of genetics,breeding and feeds needed to be a productive producer.With the limited information published for everyone to read the industry is growing all the time.For those willing to share their information this industry is better for it.We as a whole are learning more about forages and the different types that seem to work well for goats.It is hoped in time the agri. universities will help with providing more information about the formulation of the different forages grown in the Philippines that may help the provincial farmer.Off the shelf concentrates are still too expensive for the average provincial farmer to provide for their stocks.A forage leaf meal that meets the requirements needed and able to be harvested during the rainy season and dried and formed into a pellet form that can be stored for the dry season is a step in the right direction for the provincial farmers.

The country is still a major importer of milk products but at the same time the country is a exporter of dried milk products.With the growing interest in dairy goats this will help the country export even more products while importing less milk products over time.


The wild card here is China,China is poised to become a major importer of corn and grain products for livestock feeds.The extra pressure may force the cost of livestock feeds to increase which will affect us all.

Pork Commentary: Hog Markets Tread Water
US - In this week's Pork Commentary, Jim Long writes about the Iowa – Southern Minnesota hog market.

Jim Long is President &
CEO of Genesus Genetics.
The Iowa – Southern Minnesota price last Friday averaged $68.10, while USDA cut – outs averaged $78.50. Producers are losing money. Breakeven is approximately 80 cents lean. US hog marketing’s last week were 2.257 million head, up 22,000 from a year ago. The big difference year over year is that carcass weights are averaging 208 pounds; a year ago they were 202 pounds. Those 6 pounds extra carcass weight is obviously putting extra pork tonnage on the market. Lean hog prices are now only 5 cents more than a year ago when as an industry we were still playing defense with H1N1 (swine flu) being trumpeted by the Government and the media (maybe we should sue for damaging our industry).

Other Observations
Cash early weans averaged $50.51 last week ($39 - $58) while cash 40 pound feeder pigs averaged $60.11 ($50 – 69.50). A continual increase over the last few weeks in these small pig prices is a reflection of lack of supply and strong demand which is flying in the face of high feed prices.


While lean hog prices are 5 cents per pound higher than a year ago. Sow prices are 13 cents per pound higher year over year. This year (500 – 550 pounds) $51.50 last year $38.25. Strong demand for the sausage trade and fewer sows going to market is allowing gross revenues per sow to be $65 a head better than a year ago. The revenue per sow of over $250 is allowing gilts to be purchased for very close to even money.


The USDA came out with projections last week that US pork production will increase from 22,346 million pounds in 2010 to 22,591 million pounds in 2011. We will see, but we find this increase hard to believe when our production base has a 100,000 fewer sows than a year ago. In our opinion, $5 corn is and will make fewer hogs over the next several months.


USDA is projecting total beef, pork, broilers, and turkey production in 2011 will be 91,319 million pounds and 91,320 million pounds in 2012. In our world that is same. Let’s assume a 1.5 per cent increase in USA. population continued export growth. Equal meat tonnage with more buyers we find it not hard to assume meat prices at minimum equal to 2010 with upside of 5 – 10 per cent in prices year over year.


DTN Ag Data had a chart last week which estimated gross pork packer margins. The chart showed packers have had around $35 per weight of carcass the last eight weeks. The three year average was $20 over the same 8 weeks. Bottom line: Packers have been doing fine. As an industry we want strong packers to have money to re – invest into their facilities, resources to get retail shelf space and pound into export markets. One of the greatest strengths of the US hog industry is the financial strength and production capacity of packers. It appears to us, packer margins have begun to narrow as hog supply begins to seasonally decline.


The European Union produces about double the pork of North America. It produces approximately 20 per cent of the world’s production. EU sow herd is about 14 million sows. Recently a survey by producers by the United Kingdom’s National Pig Association came up with an estimated 2.9 million tonne decrease over the next 3 years. In the EU a 14 per cent decrease in pork production in the three years. A huge decline.
Reasons given are:

Many producers losing money for nearly half a decade.
Loose housing is mandatory legally in 2012. The cost is prohibitive for many producers.
Higher feed costs.
Lack of bank confidence in swine production sustainability.
The projected EU decline if fulfilled in the next 3 years is equal to 6,380 million pounds or a US production decline of 28 per cent! It is hard to believe such a decline is likely. If it happens the EU will not be a factor in global pork export markets. Such a decline would lead EU hog prices that would be record breaking.

Summary
It continues to be a harsh time to be a hog producer. Market prices are lower than break evens. It is discouraging. Feed prices have been surging with the underlying concerns of potential further price gains. On the plus side, lean hog futures are strong reflecting prices $20 - $40 per head higher than they are now. We expect prices to move higher than they are now. We expect prices to move higher in the coming months. Profits are on the way!


Author: Jim Long, President & CEO, Genesus Genetics