Guajira's Farm

Foundation Lines

I don't talk much about our foundations and the animals that we are line breeding to and want to reproduce in our herd. While all of that is important to me, I try to focus more so on the animal itself, the things I like and don't like so that I can better plan my breedings. When on my search for the type of dairy goats I wanted, there was a long list of traits that I wanted to see and expectations on production. I wanted animals from proven herds, and have since learned the importance of choosing from DHI and Linear Appraised stock. It gives you a more solid start if you are in this for production or seeking a certain type. I am still learning to read Production Type Index and Estimated Transfer Ability under ADGA Genetics. I encourage you to learn to read as it is incredibly helpful when planning to breed.

Since we like to use the milk for our home, the dairy products we make and plan to offer vary from cheeses to ice cream. It was imperative that the milk quality be the highest quality for greater yields. I did so much research on the dairy farms that I liked, and who I believed were comparable to my own dairy goals and management. I had access to the descendants of their animals. I've learned since, the flaws and quirks of those lines, which no one seemed to ever want to point out or share, but at the end of the day, what really matters is the milk production. I have the opportunity to breed what I want and like. So I am being carefully selective about what I use and who I linebreed to because of this.

Here are some of the Nubians that left their mark on those dairies, and in my opinion are worth line breeding back to for the specific traits that they offered. These animals I am linebreeding and outcrossing to in hopes I get the type and milk production they were proven for. I am fascinated by this and truly love the journey of learning about genetics, production numbers and conformation traits!

++*B SG SIX M GALAXY NOEL'S COMET

AS1C A/B

Comet was an incredible buck with the ability to transfer production to his offspring. He produced three Breed Leaders with different dams:

1. SG Crow's Dairy Blue Sparkles 5*M
2. SG Crow's Dairy Shelly's Tia 5*M
3. Windsong Farms Comet's Noel 14*M

Some of those does went on to produce many Elite Bucks and Does, Breed Leaders!

- 11 Elite daughters
- 21 who carry Superior Genetics titles
- 1 Elite son

The list may be longer I'm sure! He resided at Crow's Dairy in Buckeye, Arizona and from what I've been told by breeders who have worked closely with them, Comet changed the production of their Dairy positively. If there is a buck to achieve in my herd, it is Comet! There is probably a Comet out there living in a herd hidden from the limelight of us dairy goat fanatics, but Comet is proven, he is on record and with many descendants out there producing exceptionally. We have a son, two daughters, granddaughters and great grand daughters and great great great grand daughters to him. Almost all of our animals go back to him in some way except a select few.

Not only was he great for production, he was also a very correct buck conformation wise. I absolutely love the way he looked in the very little photos I've seen of him, but most importantly, his progeny! The offspring he has produced have scored very well in Linear Appraisal. Milk production and correct conformation? Yes please! So I've purposely seeked out animals with him in their lineage. It is amazing to see how much influence he made on his descendants, and continues to do so.

SG REUEL RHESA'S JJ RIO GRANDE ++*B

AS1C A/B

Rio was a phenomenal buck famously used by Black Mesa Ranch in Snowflake Arizona. He produced three elite bucks. Black Mesa Cinnamon's Sancho who went to Lorberau Farms in Corpus Christi, Texas. Black Mesa Crow Magnum who went to Crow's Dairy in Buckeye, Arizona. Black Mesa Tyler's Boeshane who stayed and worked at Black Mesa Ranch for a while but then went to White Fields Farm in Hugo, Colorado. We are proud to have a daughter to Tyler Boeshane from White Fields Farm, a grand daughter from Black Mesa Ranch and many great grand daughters and grand sons. Our herd has many Descendants to Rio!

I cannot forget to mention the Breed Leader that he sired. SG Black Mesa Tally's Reese 12*M who ranked #1 in Butterfat in 2017. Reese was a powerful doe with so much strength in both conformation and milk production. We are so excited to have lots of descendants to Reese on our farm as well. As we continue breeding, you will see Rio as a top contributor in many of our animals. I would like to continue with correct conformation in both structure and mammary on our does and hope to one day produce a buck like Rio!

As we get into Artificial Insemination, my hope is to get some of his straws, and produce a daughter or two out of it.

++*B SG SIX M GALAXY MAKE A BIG SPLASH

AS1C A/B

Another Six M Galaxy buck that left his mark on many herds, beginning with Black Mesa Ranch. This beautiful buck brought so much milk to the Black Mesa herd that they actually downsized after he produced many productive daughters for them. One of my farm goals is to have a group of does so productive that I can have a smaller herd, but equally as productive to the numbers we have now. When trying to plan the farm and profits, this was a no brainer. More milk, lower feed costs, higher profit margin.

Splash produced two elite sons, +*B SG Black Mesa Roscoe Arbuckle who worked at Black Mesa and then went on to sire for other herds, and his littermate brother +*B Black Mesa Marlyn's Dimaggio who went to Running River Dairy Goats in Albany, Oregon. The dam to those bucks is also heavily present in our herd as well!

The does that Splash produced, many were Elite. One was dam to Breed Leader SG Black Mesa Brill's Tally Ho 11*M. We have so many descendants to Splash. You can bet that any of the spotted Nubians in our herd have Splash in their pedigree somewhere down the line!

Splash went on to work at Fruitful-Acres in Merit, Texas where he continued to sire many more Nubians. One of Splash's sons Fruitful-Acres SplashofSolomon is the grandsire to one of our favorite Elite does, JSW Farms SL Baby Belle 2*M!