The Goat Gazette

The Goat Gazette
Official Publication of the Silver State Pygmy Goat Association
NOTE FROM THE
PRESIDENT
Wow, there are so many
people to thank for making
the Silver State Classic a
success. We couldn’t do it
without the Caldwells and
Byers’. Living so close to
Susanville, they handle so
many details. Their strong
backs come in real handy,
too. Thanks to Laura Byers
for our beautiful, patriotic
decorations.
God Bless
America! Having the Baughers and Williams’ there for
setup sure helps.
Judie
Baugher does a great job as
our show secretary and
Betty Williams is more than
happy to sell you some of
our club merchandise. Nic
Everett makes a show so
special. He provides music
throughout the show, brings
his super coffee machine,
and took great
(to pg 2)
NEXT MEETING
Sat. Oct. 24, 2009
12 noon
MiCasa Too Mexican
Restaurant, Reno
Visit our Website
http://www.sspga.org
Volume XVII, Number 9
SEPTEMBER 2009
LOOKING FOR MR. RIGHT
by Maxine Kinne
I’ve known people who have never
owned a buck. Most of them have asked,
“Am I stupid not to buy a buck?”
My response has always been that not
having one is a whole lot smarter than
keeping one! And that’s not just because
they don’t have to contend with additional
pens and upkeep. Without the convenience of a buck out on the back 40, you
really have to do your homework on the
bucks that are available to breed to, either
by live service or artificial insemination. It
compels you to be more observant and
critical of your does’ structure and function. Buck keeper or no, anyone calling
himself a breeder should be thorough in
evaluating each breeding and making the
best possible informed decisions on what
their next generation is going to be. And
that all depends on the sires they use now.
Ideally, each doe should be bred to the
buck who shares her good traits, in order
to consolidate them more firmly. It is just
as easy to concentrate good genes as bad
ones, and nobody wants bad ones. The
sire should be very correct in areas where
the doe needs improvement in the hopes
that he will pass this correct trait, not an
exaggerated one. Always choose a correct
trait rather than an excessive one, because
it is very likely you will get both extremes
instead of the blending toward the middle
you hoped for.
Before you decide on a sire for any
breeding, think about the type of kids you
want to have. In the early years, when a
breeding program is being established, it is
common for kids to resemble either the
dam or sire. Over several or more years,
an intelligent breeding program blends the
genes to give you more
(to pg 3)
BLURB FROM THE BARN
by Larna Hoyt
We have another Silver
State Classic under our
belts. I think everyone had
a good time. My goats were
sure glad to get home. They
always resist loading into the
horse trailer to go to a show,
but watch out when you get
home. All I have to do is
open the trailer doors and
get out of the way. They
will be waiting for me at the
pen gate. They stand there
and yell, “We’re home, we’re
home.”
Have you got your winter
hay in yet? Isn’t it wonderful that hay prices went
down this year?
(to pg 2)
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Cindy, Chris, Thomas & Erin
Nason
Standish, California
The McClelland Family
Smartsville, California
Barbara, Trinity & Colton
Keisker
Nevada City, California
Jake & Kim Heflin
Kernville, California
The Davies Family
Placerville, California
The Cobb Family
Janesville, California
Sherry Beattie
Parma, Idaho
TATTOO LETTER
FOR 2009 IS
Z
FY09-10 Board of
Directors
President
Vice Pres
Secretary
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Larna Hoyt
Sandy Caldwell
Laura Byers
Ray Hoyt
Guy Baugher
Judie Baugher
Chuck Byers
Lane Caldwell
Bob Henwood
Linda Henwood
Julie Kirby
Betty Williams
Cage Williams
Editor
Ray Hoyt
(775) 267-4355
rhoyt@charter.net
Webmaster
Don McRoberts
(775) 267-0025
drmcroberts@charter.net
Website
http://www.sspga.org
ACCESS TO INTERNET?
If you don’t already, you
should consider taking your
Gazette from our website
each month. It would save
us some postage! PLUS, it
would be in living color!
For those that do, I
send a group email each
month, with a link to the
website, advising that the
latest issue is now available.
Give it some thought…..
PREZ (cont’d)
BLURB (cont’d)
Pictures of the winners.
What
about that Saturday night tri-tip
dinner and Sunday lunch?
Bob
and Terri Haver did it again. Even
though there was some wind and
rain, the Havers prevailed. I must
admit, I had more than one helping!
Larry Gray drove up from
Gardnerville, NV on Saturday and
gave out ribbons. He should have
stayed Sunday too. I gave out ribbons on Sunday and missed two
back to back classes!
If you
should have received a ribbon in
those two classes and did not, contact me and I’ll see that you get it.
The SSPGA appreciates your support of bringing raffle and auction
items, and of buying raffle tickets
and bidding on the auction. We
sure appreciate Ron Schager. He
priced all of our raffle donations,
ran the raffle and still was a big
help to the Havers in food preparation. Thanks to Chris Mello who
stepped right up to be ring steward. Ray really appreciated the
check-in assistance from Inga
Gonzales, Laura Byers and Tammi
Josephson.
I truly can’t believe how many
of you just jump in with both feet.
Thanks to all of you who brought
goats and some of you who
brought lots of goats. We appreciate the professional job of both of
our judges, Michael O’Kelly on Saturday and Tim Norman on Sunday.
There are so many of you that
support our association in so many
ways. A big thanks to all of you.
At least they went down in my area.
Our hay is here and stacked in the
barn. It’s a beautiful sight! I wasn’t close to being out, but it’s always a relief to me to have the winter supply in the barn. The goats
were all watching closely, just making sure it looked like there would
be enough!
One, small,, pre-winter project
is finished. I had one pretty goodsized spool in the doe yard that had
the slats removed on two sides.
Ray & I got some lumber and made
new slats for one side, so it should
now be a cozy, warm place for a
couple of goats this winter. The
patio blocks still have to be bought
for that project, but the real bugger
is going to be repairing the monstrous spool. It has even started
listing to one side and it could sure
use a few more new slats, too.
Some of these projects are supposed to make things easier for me.
Others, are to make smiley goats!!
For you pygmy goat exhibitors,
don’t forget the Goat-Tober-Fest in
Red Bluff, CA. It will be held Oct.
17-18. If you have any questions,
contact show chair Tammi Josephson.
Don’t forget SSPGA’s meeting
on Saturday, October 24th. That
will be the Saturday following the
show in Red Bluff, CA. Come join
us for good food, camaraderie, and
goat talk. No one seems shy when
it comes to talking about their
goats. If you have something in
particular that needs to be brought
up, just give me a call and I’ll put it
on the agenda. Again, the meeting
will be at MiCasa Too in Reno at 12
noon.
Good grief! How could I forget
to thank the show chair of the Silver State Classic, Ray Hoyt? It’s a
lot of work as you other show chairs
out there know, so thanks Ray.
Hopefully, I’ll see many of you
soon.
Until next time…
Larna
NEW KIDS IN TOWN
C 4 Rascals (Caldwell)
9/19: PGCH Whirlwind Farms Total
Confidence (sire) and Silex Farms
West Mariah (dam) - 1 caramel
buckling, 1 dark agouti buckling.
If you send “new kids” info to
me, I’ll print ‘em.
2
Larna
MR. RIGHT (cont’d)
dependable results. When you introduce a new
bloodline to one that is firmly established, new kids
can look different than what you have come to expect. It takes time to meld some bloodlines, especially when traits in the new one are quite different
than the ones you have experience with. When you
want to use an outcross bloodline, ask others who
have used it what their results have been.
I’ve bought two outcross bucks. I was only able
to see a few pictures of one of them. He looked
great, but some of the traits he passed were not
what I wanted. I kept what I liked and have bred
“away” from him since.
I’ve only taken four does to two different outcross bucks. The first one was a bit nervous with a
stranger in his pasture, so I had a great opportunity
to see how he moved. From a distance his shoulder
attachments looked good, rear leg angulation was
superb and width fore and aft was more than adequate. Then the owner held him so I could confirm
that his physique was all it appeared to be under
his heavy hair coat. Nice thick neck. Good sternum
extension. Well-attached shoulders. Wide, level
loin and rump. Then I asked the owner if I could
examine his feet. She looked surprised but said
OK. I picked up a back foot first, then a front foot,
observing the balance and levelness between the
two claws and that the hooves had the proportions I
wanted in my herd. I took two quite different does
to him and got two quite different sets of twins, as
is common in outcrosses. (One of the kids we got
was our first permanent champion, and his sire
went on to become a permanent and national
champion.) Although this buck had been used very
extensively by many people throughout the area,
his owner said to me that I was the only person
who ever asked to lay a hand on him. Really!?
Well, how did they know what they were breeding
to?
Don’t count on eyesight for your evaluations if it
is possible to see a sire up close. Watch from a distance to see how he moves. Then get your hands
on him to make sure you’re getting what you want!
Get a little more personally familiar with your does,
too, and a hands-on examination to learn more
about their structure.
About ten years after the first off-the-farm
breeding, but not really thinking about another outcross, I spotted an extremely correct adult buck at
a show. As his owner walked him around before his
class, I sidled up to admire him. While I petted
him, I felt his neck, shoulders, and top line. His
feet were good, too. Wow! Had to have a piece of
him. Between this up-close-and-personal scrutiny,
and knowing his immediate ancestors, I decided
that he would maintain my does’ over-all (to pg 4)
3
MR. RIGHT (cont’d)
structure, stature, angularity, size, and the type of
head and feet I like. Plus, his loin had greater
width and levelness than I had been able to get in
my herd. Although he wasn’t the champion that
day, he was a PGCH and a National Champion before long. My reasoning was good - his bloodline
and mine blended seamlessly. And now we have
better loins to boot.
Maybe you’ve wondered about my foot fetish…
There are easy-to-trim and hard-to-trim hooves.
They can even occur on the same goat, because
there are shape differences between the front and
rear feet. Hoof trimming is quicker and easier if
done with well-conformed feet. Bad feet and legs
can seriously interfere with the quality of life as a
goat ages, so I’m stacking all of the cards in my
goats’ favor.
Get a copy of the standard for your breed and
study it thoroughly. Learn the names and locations of all the different goat parts. If you don’t
feel comfortable evaluating your goats using the
breed standard as a yardstick, try to find someone
with experience in your breed to help you. General breed type is important, but it has little impact
on productivity.
We can have excellent breed
type, structure and productivity all rolled into one,
but it takes a knowledgeable breeder and a good
manager all rolled into one to get it. Shows are
another way to get someone’s opinion of how your
goats stack up with a bunch of other goats.
If your breed or registry association supports
production records, you may be ahead of the background checking game for the new sire you want
to use. There are many good resources available
for those complicated dairy traits. Fiber goats lack
comprehensive industry-wide testing, although
quality standards do exist for mohair and cashmere. Prolificacy and rate of gain are among the
most important productive qualities in meat goats,
but different factions in the industry have had their
differences. In contrast to other types of goats,
the only criteria for Pygmy goats in NPGA has been
success at shows, based on a breed standard that
emphasizes breed type and meat characteristics.
This fails to address tangible productive qualities,
but it is a good measure of breed type. In AGS,
the Pygmy has value in a dairy capacity, and
shows are also available.
As the old adage goes, the proof is in the pudding. When you study the background of a sire
you want to use in your breeding program, pay the
closest attention to the qualities of his parents and
any offspring he may have produced. These animals are genetically the closest to the buck in
question.
You may find enough similarities
amongst these related goats to make (to pg 5)
YOUR BUSINESS CARD
COULD BE HERE
ONLY $10/YEAR
4
AGRICULTURAL INSPECTIONS
AT CALIFORNIA BORDERS
For those of you that transport
your pygmy goats or other livestock
into California from a bordering
state, you may find this article interesting.
On 9/10/09 (as indicated by the
punched out date on the Inspection
Certificate to the right), Larna and I
were transporting some goats to a
goat show in Susanville, CA along
US395 north of Reno, NV. At the CA
Department of Food & Agriculture’s
inspection station (commonly known
as the “bug station”), the inspector
asked me for my travel permit and
health certificates. Although I am familiar with the regulations, I could immediately tell that the inspector seemed not to be. This was not surprising. For the 18 years we have traveled into California
for goat shows, never have we been asked for any paperwork at any of the “bug stations” through
which we have passed. When told that we were coming from Nevada and going to a weekend pygmy
goat show and would be returning home several days later, CDFA inspectors have always waved us
through.
In this particular case, when I offered to scan all of the goats in the trailer so the inspector could
check them against the registration papers (the cars were stacking up behind us at the check booth!!),
the inspector apparently decided not to pursue the matter. The inspector did enter us into the log they
keep and issued us the above Certificate of Inspection, although no inspection was conducted!
This “bug station” had only one lane open and only one inspector on duty. A suitable inspection
would have required the inspector to match up the goats listed on the Health Certificate with those on
board (checking tattoos or microchips against registration papers). Even with just the five goats in our
trailer, that could have taken at least 10-15 minutes or so. At this particular station with no secondary
inspection turnout, I would envision many dozens of vehicles stacking up behind us!!!!! The inspector
decided against such a move.
I don’t know if these inspections are going to become routine at California border check stations, or
if our experience was just a fluke. It was an interesting experience, to say the least!!!
Ray Hoyt
MR. RIGHT (cont’d)
more informed decisions about him. Then look at
all four grandparents, because they all contributed
to his makeup. Evaluate the good and bad traits
of all these related animals. Did any of the parents, grandparents or offspring have any serious
faults? No buck can be blamed for everything that
went wrong, nor can he take credit for everything
that goes right. He contributes one half of his
genes to each kid, and your doe supplies the other
half. It can be very tempting to blame everything
on a new sire.
A sire can carry and pass certain of his dam’s
and both granddam’s traits without displaying
them himself. One obvious example is milk production - he doesn’t do that, but he carries the
many genes that do. On the other hand, a dam
carries her sire’s and both grandsires’ traits and
passes them to her sons. Testicle size is an example of this. That’s why it becomes so important to
look at a sire’s entire family to see that they have
all produced what you think you want.
When we thoroughly investigate each potential
breeding and make smart choices, our kids should
excel their parents in conformation and productivity. And with continued wise breeding this new
generation will, in turn, have a more positive impact on their own offspring.
Copyright 1998
© Updated 2000
All rights reserved
This article is reprinted here with the written permission of the author, Maxine Kinne. This and
other articles can be viewed at her website at:
http://kinne.net.
5
10/2-4
2009 SHOW SCHEDULE
SILVER STATE CLASSIC SHOW RESULTS
Harvest Fair, Santa Rosa, CA
Judges: Fran Bishop/April Seiler/Mark Adkins
Contact: Kevin Kress 707 996-6673
The 13th Annual Silver State Classic was held on
September 12-13, 2009 at the Lassen County
Fairgrounds in Susanville, CA. Shown here are
the champions:
10/17-18 Goat-Tober-Fest, Red Bluff, CA
Judges: Tim Norman/Jennifer Josephson
Contact: Tammi Josephson 707 347-5877
11/7
Fall Fun Jr. Show, Red Bluff, CA
Judge: J.T. Struthers
Contact: Tammi Josephson 707 347-5877
11/14-15 1st Annual Fall Frolic, Gridley, CA
Judges: Rebecca Mumpower/Denise Fraser
Contact: David Wortham 530 923-2155
For those who might be wondering about the Tulare (also known as the Thanksgiving Show) normally occurring in November, that show will NOT
be held this year. This information from Merri Larson, the usual show chair for this event.
2010 SILVER STATE CLASSIC First Show (Judge Michael O’Kelly)
Best Wether: Whirlwind Farms Gentry (Hoyt)
Res Best Wether: Whirlwind Farms Boondiggity
(Heflin)
Jr Champ Doe: IGonzo Shanti (Caldwell)
Res Jr Champ Doe: IGonzo Rumor (Gonzales)
Sr Champ Doe/Grand Champ Doe: IGonzo Mikaela (Gonzales)*
Res Sr Champ Doe/Res Grand Champ Doe:
Whirlwind Farms Definitely Awesome (Henwood)
Jr Champ Buck: Pygmy Goats by T.J. Ozzy
(Josephson)
Res Jr Champ Buck: Pygmy Goats by T.J. Stellar
(Josephson)
Sr Champ Buck/Grand Champ Buck: Whirlwind
Farms Absolute Advantage (Byers)*
Res Sr Champ Buck/Res Grand Champ Buck:
Whirlwind Farms Setting A Precedent (Henwood)
Premier Breeder: Whirlwind Farms (Henwood)
Premier Exhibitor: The Josephson Family
The usual facilities at the Lassen County Fairgrounds in Susanville, CA have been reserved for next year’s 14th Annual Silver State Classic on September 10‐
12, 2010. Our show has historically been held on the weekend after Labor Day. Labor Day 2010 will be Monday, September 6. A federal holiday, it is celebrated on the first Monday in September, and has been since 1884. Mark your calendars for September 10‐12, 2010. It should be another outstanding event!! Second Show (Judge Tim Norman)
Best Wether: Whirlwind Farms Montgomery
(Hoyt)
Res Best Wether: B/C Pygmys Larry (Griffiths)
Jr Champ Doe/Res Grand Champ Doe: ForgetMe-Not Lucky Lynndy (B. Williams)
Sr Champ Doe/Grand Champ Doe: Pygmies in
the Pines June Carter (Keisker)
Res Sr Champ Doe: R-Lil’ Goat Co. Renaissance
Rose (Handley)
Jr Champ Buck: Pygmies in the Pines Luke Skywalker (Smith)
Res Jr Champ Buck: Pygmy Goats by T.J. Ozzy
(Josephson)
Sr Champ Buck/Grand Champ Buck: Valkyries’
Synchronicity (Fonda/Everett)
Res Sr Champ Buck/Res Grand Champ Buck: JLynn Royal Caliber (Struthers)
NPGA WEBMASTER WANTED
The National Pygmy Goat Association (NPGA) is
actively soliciting interested and qualified people
to apply to be its Webmaster. Applicants should
check out the website at:
http://npgapygmy.com. The NPGA job description, bid specifications, and additional information from our outgoing Webmaster, Aaron Esterline, are all available upon request.
Premier Breeder: Whirlwind Farms (Henwood)
Premier Exhibitor: The Josephson Family
* Both IGonzo Mikaela owned by Inga Gonzales
and Whirlwind Farms Absolute Advantage owned
by Laura Byers finished at this show. Congrats!!
Serious applicants should contact NPGA President
Ray Hoyt to obtain the above listed material.
CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR NEWSLETTER; YOUR EDITOR THANKS YOU!!!
6
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SIGN UP A NEW MEMBER...
APPLICATION ON PAGE 9
GOAT DAYS
FALLON, NV
The news clipping to
the right describes an
event that has turned
out quite a few people in the two previous years. While few
are pygmy goat people, it has been a fun
time to mix with
other goat enthusiasts. Give it a visit if
you have a chance.
Ray
7
NOTE FROM A SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
Dear SSPGA:
Thank you for your support of my education.
You were there to witness me grow up with
pygmy goats and now you are supporting me in
my endeavors as an Animal Science major.
I recently applied to Chico State for the spring
semester and plan to be moving in December. I
will be a member of the Livestock Judging Team
and hopefully get my NPGA Judges License.
Thanks again.
Articles and other education information on meat goat health, nutrition
and management written by Suzanne Gasparotto (Onion Creek Ranch)
and Pat Cotten (Bending Tree Ranch).
Subscription site is free.
Monthly issues scheduled to be available on the 15th of each month,
beginning 2/15/09.
To subscribe, send an email to:
meatgoatmania-owner@yahoogroups.com
*
Samantha Aragon
*
*
*
*
GoatCamp™ 2009
Editor’s Note: I have received an email from our other
Scholarship winner, Chloe Smith, that she has also sent
SSPGA a thank you note; by press time it had not yet
been received.
Come join us on a working goat ranch in west Texas for a full week of
alternating classroom and hands-on work. Although designed for the
Commercial Meat Goat Producer, most of the curriculum pertains to all
goat owners/breeders. Just some of the training:
•
•
•
•
•
YOUR BUSINESS CARD COULD BE HERE ONLY $10/YEAR Breeding, Kidding, Kid care
Tubing, injections
Diseases affecting goats
FAMACHA training
Other goat management techniques
For tuition, complete curriculum, list of instructors, date/time/place, and
other particulars, contact:
Suzanne W. Gasparotto, ONION CREEK RANCH
(325) 344-5775
onioncreek@tennesseemeatgoats.com
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
REGARDING MEMBERSHIP, WE LOST 15 MEMBERS SINCE JULY 1 WHO DID NOT RENEW , BUT WE HAVE
ALREADY SIGNED UP 7 NEW MEMBERS! THIS BRINGS OUR CURRENT PAID-UP TOTAL TO 98. WE
SHOULD BE BACK OVER 100 MEMBERS REAL SOON. BE A RECRUITER, SIGN UP A NEW MEMBER!
8
WHO ARE WE?
The SSPGA is a non-profit Nevada corporation. We are
sales/use tax exempt per the NV Department of Taxation. The IRS has determined that we are federal income tax exempt under IRC section 501 (c) (5).
We are affiliated with the National Pygmy Goat
Association, the official breed association and registry
in the United States. We are the only pygmy goat
association in Nevada, and our purpose is to promote
the pygmy breed, to educate the public about the
pygmy goat, and to provide care and maintenance
information to pygmy goat owners.
EDITORIAL POLICY
The purpose of The Goat Gazette is to provide a variety
of information and ideas to its readers. Contributions
can be in the form of letters to the editor, original
articles, or other source material provided the source is
identified for credit purposes.
The SSPGA assumes no responsibility for unsolicited
material. The views expressed in any article published
are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect
the opinion of the SSPGA.
Articles appearing in this publication may be reprinted
provided proper credit is given to both the author and
SSPGA.
SILVER STATE
PYGMY GOAT ASSOCIATION
MEMBERSHIP
APPLICATION
Name(s) _________________________________
Herd Name _____________________________
Mailing Address _______________________
__________________________________________
Phone __________________________________
E-Mail __________________________________
Dues are $10/Year (July 1-June 30);
Dues are prorated for initial periods of
less than 6 months. Send application &
dues to the Treasurer, Ray Hoyt, 1355
Sanden Lane, Minden, NV 89423.
9
Submission Deadline: 20th of each Month
Please pay attention to this deadline
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