Dairy Goat Character Defined:

[mikey]

  
Dairy Character Defined
By Jennifer Stultz
(Based on information from J.D. Shreve, Jr.) 


Dairy character is one of those desirable traits which novice and experienced goat enthusiasts can pick out, whether they realize it or not. At first glance, the near perfect dairy goat, one with combined excellence of the various elements involved, will impress even the complete novice. This is because dairy character is, above all, grace and refinement, superposed on body strength and capacity to produce. In other words, that doe which really catches the eye and seems to glow with health and productivity...she's got dairy character.

Dairy character is, by definition, angularity and general openness with strong yet refined and clean bone structure, showing freedom from coarseness and with evidence of milking ability giving due regard to stage of lactation. It becomes a practical, not theoretical, grouping of body traits found to correspond with milk production. This group of body traits (neck, withers, ribs, flanks, thighs and skin) sets apart generations of superior animals from their average contemporaries. Repeated observation and study of these desired dairy traits can help anyone develop a basis for picking out the likely capability to produce milk, even before the dairy animal reaches breeding age.

For a specific breakdown on where to look on a goat for dairy character, check the wording of the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) judging scorecard. The following components are listed in head to tail order. Thinking of them in this order helps develop a viewing pattern or study sequence for the assessment of dairy character.

"Neck: long, lean, and blending smoothly into the shoulders; clean cut throat and brisket." By truly studying many, many does and bucks, the observer will see very large differences in necks and throat shape. Cleanness becomes obvious. It helps some to look from the top down to evaluate the neck-shoulder blend.

"Withers: prominent and wedge-shaped with the dorsal process arising slightly above the shoulder blades." The withers encompass one of the most complicated joining of body elements in the goat structure... shoulder blades, ribs, backbone and its extension into the neck. With all these bones meeting at one point, one tends to think of it as a nearly fixed configuration, stable in appearance and feel. Not only does the basic formation vary tremendously from goat to goat, it changes surprisingly in a given animal with differences in stance, with both neck and head positions, and especially with neck in tension versus neck in compression.

A good showman can position and hold an animal to make the withers look and feel better than they really are. This can be proven with experimentation. With one hand positioned with one finger on each shoulder blade and one on the backbone, raise and lower the dairy goat's head; next, misalign the front feet; compare the feel of the withers with the head up and pulled backwards and with the head up and pulled somewhat forward... in both cases the collar is to be high, really lifting at the throat. Head attitude of the goat can also create differences in wither perception. A nose-out head carriage (face nearly horizontal) does not create the desired alignment effect that a chin-in position (face close to vertical) can. With the chin-in and the neck gracefully extended, the tension in the top of the neck reaches all the way down into the withers and lifts the neck immediately in front of the withers to smooth the top line. At the same time, tugging forward brings the front legs into a vertical line.

Often, an experienced showman will choose to set the hind legs back, then slightly lift the dairy goat by the chest to let the front legs swing back also. By doing so, the entire back from pool to pins is placed in its best possible profile. As a last check, compare the withers of thin, well-fitted and fat, over-fitted individuals.

Of course, not all withers can be made good. There are still noticeable fundamental differences in the construction of withers and top lines that begin in genetic standards and contribute to the overall dairy character assessment.

"Ribs: flat, flinty, wide apart, and long" is the third specific called out in the dairy character definition. Many dairy producers and judges alike, rely on rib structure to provide the best indication of milk production potential. Placement reasons in the show ring often reflect appreciation for "wide apart" spacing. This correlates to the scorecard statement that dairy character requires general openness, and freedom from excess tissue. Greater rib spacing spells openness, but the ribs must also feel bony and lean to be correct.

A way to measure rib spacing is to place one's fingers between the rib bones. Differences can be noted in the width there (or lack of it). The hand can also detect tightness or roundness of rib bones... not as desirable as the flat, open-ribbed feel. After evaluating the spaces, check the condition of the goat. If correctly fitted, the ribs might feel somewhat like the back of the human hand. The time of lactation should be taken into consideration when evaluating condition as felt over the ribs.

The excellent producer may start putting on weight after milking six to 12 months, but the rib feel will come through as an accurate indicator of true production. For example, a tight-ribbed doe carrying an udder of good size and appearance is very apt to have more permanent tissue than milk, i.e., a meaty udder.

Length of rib is also desirable, a hint towards greater depth of body and increased body capacity, which combined with wideness, flatness and large spacing rib to rib, make for the better goat, the greater milk producer.

"Flanks: deep, yet arched and free of excess tissue." This is probably the most obscure section of the dairy character definition to flesh out, unless you understand that it deals with the flap of skin—a sort of webbing—located between the frontal surface of the rear leg and the body side. It is a curtain, sort of, that shadows the upper part of the udder from the side. In beef animals, this flap hangs well down and has an almost straight bottom from body to rear leg. To compare the beef animal type to a dairy animal type, picture trimming or cutting out the larger part of the webbing. The result is a refined, clean arch in front of the rear leg where it joins the body. The webbing left is short and the side of the front half of the dairy goat udder is put in clear sight.

"Thighs: in side profile, moderately incurving from pin bone to stifle; from the rear, clean and wide apart, highly arched and out-curving into the escutcheon to provide ample room for the udder and its attachment." To visualize dairy character in the thigh area, one must be familiar with goat parts. Once the parts are known, the wording in the thigh category becomes fairly self explanatory. Comprehension is somewhat easier if the entire picture is thought of from top to bottom. The wanted shape is straight to flaring or curving out to the side; the "incurving" applies more accurately when tracing the thigh upward from stifle to pelvis. A wider stance is assured if the thigh swings out (curves out) as it extends down to the stifle. The result is a roomier escutcheon and more natural space for the udder for the same width of hips, thurls, and pin bones.

"Skin: thin, loose, and pliable with soft, lustrous hair." The range of observable differences in this category is large. It is important to recognize skin quality as a simple but effective gauge of the health of the animal. Poor diet and parasite infestations quickly dull and coarsen the hair and tighten and stiffen the skin. These factors act along with genetic influences to establish skin characteristics. There is no mention of bloom or shine on the scorecard, but superior animals of any specie have it. It is not a consequence of shampoo or show coat toner. Bloom, a.k.a. superior dairy skin and hair, comes from the inside, a memorable combination of the right care and the right heritage. Good skin and hair quality seem to bring with them the many other desirable attributes dairy goat breeders strive for. Experienced judges consistently award merit to soft pliable skin and a beautiful hair coat on the dairy animal.

In the overall scheme of things, dairy character doesn't stand alone in the Champion circle. It's part of several interrelated points (general appearance, structural correctness, mammary system, body capacity, etc.) that join together to make the perfect goat. But it is an important aspect to understand because often the goat with exquisite dairy character is the one which not only catches the eye but also puts the most milk in the pail.
 



 

[mikey]

Recorded Grades Find Favor with Many Dairy Goat Breeders

By Janet Hurst 


Recorded Grade goats are defined by the International Dairy Goat Registry as: "Those goats having little or no information available on their ancestry or of their ancestry were not registered, then the goat can be recorded as Grade. The application process to register a grade animal requires identification of the breed the animal most represents, a photo and available background information on the animal. If the animal is found to conform to the breed standards for its age and gender but has no registered ancestors, it will be entered in the Grade herdbook as Recorded by Appearance."

Many breeders favor the Recorded Grades for a variety of reasons. Most notably, selective breeding for specific traits or breeding for the elimination of identified weaknesses. Silvia and Nancy Shirley have become well known for their herd consisting of Alpines, LaManchas, Grades and one Mini Mancha. The Shirleys are located in Arkansas and their herd, "Harmony Goats," has become well-known in competitive circles at Missouri and Arkansas shows.

"We want our goats to show and milk well," Silvia Shirley said. "I find the grades versatile and interesting. We have one that is half LaMancha and half Saanen. She has the LaMancha personality but milks like a Saanen. With Recorded Grades you can get the best of two breeds. Sometimes you get a better quality animal than a purebred. To me some of the grades are more productive. Also, you never know what you are going to get, colorwise or ear wise, which makes it fun."

Recorded Grade dairy goats come in a wide variety of colors and types. Silvia Shirley, Flippin, Arkansas, enjoys the freedom from breeding for specific color and ear correctness and instead likes to concentrate on pairing genetics for milk production and structure with her herd of Recorded Grade dairy goats.
Photos provided by Harmony Goats Farm, raising quality LaMancha and Grade dairy goats, www.freewebs.com/harmonygoats
 
Hybrid vigor is a factor in the consideration of Recorded Grade dairy goats. "Heterosis," hybrid vigor or outbreeding enhancement, describes the increased strength of various characteristics in hybrids. As Shirley mentioned, the superior characteristics of two breeds can be combined to create one animal with traits of both breeds. Selective breeding research is currently in progress all over the world, with goats being bred for superior conformations, udder formation, stature, milk production and butterfat content. Parasite resistance is also a point of research within theses selective breeding programs. Combining the best of both breeds can result in offspring which is superior to both parents.

Silvia Shirley started with dairy goats as a 4-H project wth a Grade LaMancha. Noted traits such as "airplane ears," found in Nubian crosses, are evident in her herd. She has also found the earless appearance of LaManchas to be a dominant characteristic in her crossbred kids. However, she, like most breeders who raise Recorded Grades, feels the trade-off in the classic breed standard appearances is worth the increased production and overall increase in hardiness of the animal. It makes for an interesting kidding season as well, as one is never sure what the result of crossbreeding dairy goats might be.

The Harmony goat owners follow a strict CAE prevention program by removing the kids from their dams at birth and feeding them heat treated and pasteurized colostrum and milk. A diet of locally grown grass hay also provides nutrition. Shirley's award winning stock can be seen on her website at www.freewebs.com/harmonygoats.
 

[mikey]

Breeding Up

By Janet Hurst 


Standards set forth by the American Dairy Goat Association allow for the recording or registration of American Breeds. American Breeds are the result of four generations of does and five generations in bucks, of combining uncertain parentage with purebred pedigrees to reach an American status. The following breeds are recognized: American Alpine, American LaMancha, American Nubian, American Oberhasli, American Saanen and American Toggenburg. These breeds can be recognized within the Native on Appearance category, if the goat is of an unknown pedigree and conforms to a particular breed standard, and then bred up to American status. Another option for registration is the Native on Performance category which is based on performance if the doe meets or exceeds the minimum milk or butterfat requirements while on official milk test.

Grading up is the sequential use of purebred animals over a series of generations to provide a nearly purebred result. The usual sequence is that a purebred sire is used on females that are either crossbred or of another breed. The resulting offspring are half the pure breed of the sire. The daughters are then mated back to another sire of the breed, providing offspring that are 3/4 pure breed. The next generation provides offspring that are 7/8, then 15/16, 31/32, 63/64 and then 127/128 and so on.1

Recent statistics from American Dairy Goat Association National Shows offer a glimpse into the popularity of Recorded Grades. Results from 2006 note 90 junior does participating in the annual judging, along with 74 senior does, for a total of 164 entries. 2007 entries were 64 junior does and 74 senior does, total 138. 2008 entries were static with 61 junior does and 72 senior does judged for a total of 133 animals. By comparison, Nubians were at 187 junior does and 189 senior does, a total of 376 animals, roughly a third of the Recorded Grades.

1 Phil Sponenberg, Ph.D.