As some of you know, I lost a prize doe in January due to bloat from something she was fed through the fence; the vet could not determine exactly what. I am still not adjusted to her death and it will be two months on Monday. I'm not sure what is the most difficult thing to accept - that I lost such a sweet goat, that is the first adult loss, that she was so young, that she was such a great milker, or that I named her after my great grandmother thinking I would have her for many years to come. (She only had one litter since I do extended milking and only breed every other year.) If she had kidded, she would be having her litter this week.
But on to the reason for this post - which doe should I ask for a doeling from?
I have contacted the man who bought her son, the only buckling I ever left intact because of the dairy lines and the outstanding milker his mother was.
He has two does which will have kids fathered by Moonlight. He has sent me a copy of their pedigree and asked which one I would like a doeling from. (I had told him when he bought Moonlight, I might want one of his girls - just didn't expect it so soon.)
One of the does is a champion show goat that can no longer be shown because she lost part of her ear during a predator attack. That, of course, does not affect her offspring.
I've attached copies of their backgrounds. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Replies
You can't really tell that much from a pedigree like this. It doesn't include any milk records, and none of the goats are "famous." I personally ask for milk records and pictures of the doe's udder. I would never buy a goat without seeing milk records and pictures of the dam's udder and the sire's dam's udder. (In this case, you know the latter quite well already.)
I also want to mention that a doe with an ear ripped by a predator CAN be shown. Maybe the owner is just assuming he can't show her, but he can. I once saw an Oberhasli at a show that had these tiny little mouse ears. I asked her owner about it, and she said that the doe had lost her ears to frostbite as a kid. Prior to that I had also asked an ADGA judge about showing a kid I had that had lost part of an ear to frostbite, and he said no problem. The only ear DQs are those that are genetic, such as airplane ears.