About Our Breeding Program....
We are proud to introduce you to the Nigerian Dwarf Goats at Twin Creeks Farm. We have been breeding Nigerian Dwarfs since 1994, when we bought our first three registered does.
Breeding
Goals
We believe that any goat can be a wonderful pet, so we strive for something more in our breeding program: true dairy goats in miniature with excellent conformation, dairy character, and well-supported productive mammary systems.
We breed for does who fill their udders well in 12 to at
the most 18 hours, and do not
need excessive hours of milk to be show ring ready. Although circumstances
may occasionally cause our does to be overuddered (say if the show runs really
long or there is a morning and an afternoon show) we will never purposely overudder
our does for the show ring. This is a sad and all too common trend in the show
ring but we won't put our animals through that.
Although family commitments prevent us from going on DHIA test, we participate in one-day milk tests whenever possible and many of our mature does have earned their milking stars.
We love flashy color and blue eyes just as much as anybody, but since these things don't count on the scorecard or in the milk pail, we don't emphasize them in our breeding program. With this breed we have found that color just comes with the territory!
Bloodlines
Our breeding animals are represented by some of the best bloodlines available in the country, influenced strongly by some of the old and very prepotent Goodwood bloodlines, and closer up by Piddlin Acres. The heart and soul of our breeding program is our own MCH/PGCH Raha Acres Twink's Pixie *D, 2 x AGS National Champion and Best of Breed, whose progeny feature heavily in our breeding program. She produced 4 MCH daughters and two MCH sons, and appears in the pedigrees of countless quality show and milking animals across the country. We have found her line to be extremely consistent in the areas of general appearance and superior mammary systems with excellent milk production.We are currently in the process of getting back to the roots of our original breeding program by focusing on line-breeding animals that trace back to Twink's Pixie. We will of course do outcrosses when necessary but feel that a program of line-breeding will yield the most consistency in good type and mammary systems.
Registry and Club Affiliations
All of our Nigerian Dwarfs are registered with the American Goat Society (AGS) and the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA), and are eligible for registration with the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association (NDGA).Our local and breed club memberships include the Central Texas Dairy Goat Association (CTDGA) and the American Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Association (ANDDA).
Herd HealthOur main doe herd grazes on several acres of good coastal bermuda and native grass pasture and are supplemented with generous amounts of top quality alfalfa and grass hay and a 16% protein, 5% fat dairy ration. Free choice loose minerals are always provided. They reward us for their good diet by staying in excellent condition while producing healthy kids and lots of milk! The bucks are housed separately in two very large, shaded pens and receive grass hay and a pelleted goat feed containing amonium chloride to maintain urinary tract health.
After many years of testing our whole herd through Washington State University (WADDL) for CAE with negative results, and one whole-herd test for CL that was negative, we added to our testing protocol in March 2007 with Johnnes testing. We are pleased to report that we tested 100% negative for CL and Johnnes, and negative for CAE except for one old doe who tested "suspect", which was explained to us as basically a high-range negative. We will retest her in 30 days but as she has tested negative multiple times throughout her lifetime, and came from a negative tested herd, so I'm not concerned. She's been out of the "baby business" for a couple of years in any case.
Our herd is enrolled in the Federal Scrapie Eradication Program, number TX10050. Scrapie is a disease that is almost exclusive to sheep, but as small ruminants goats are currently being included in this program.
In
May 2003 we took our first step toward becoming a Tuberculosis-Free
Accredited Herd by testing all animals over 12 months of age (plus younger
animals that were going to the National Show as required by the state of
Ohio). All were negative. Because of the cost and paperwork involved,
we elected not continue this program. |
Starting in late 2004 we began raising all our doe kids and pre-reserved
buck kids like the "big
dairy goat" folks do: on heat treated colostrum and pasteurized milk
and raised in separate pens from the adults. It is a lot of work but we
feel the benefits are well worth the trouble - the kids are super-friendly
and bursting with good health. We disbud (dehorn) all kids soon after
birth. Our Guarantee
All animals are
guaranteed healthy and free of disqualifying faults when they leave our farm. We also guarantee fertility and will
replace any infertile animal contingent upon receiving a veterinarian's
statement that the infertility was genetic in origin and the animal received
adequate care. Since we can not control any stress that may occur as a result of
shipping, or the animal's environment or management once they leave our farm, we
cannot offer further guarantees.
Since we believe that the value of a Nigerian Dwarf is measured by more
than just a mark on a ruler, we don't generally offer a height guarantee.
Animals less than 3 years of age are measured frequently in AGS show stance,
with their heads high, to give us the most accurate information to help us make our
breeding decisions. All of our mature does and bucks are within the AGS
height standard, and the majority are within the NDGA height standard as well.
If a particular size is very important to you let us know so we can guide you to
animals that we think will best meet your needs.
Let us know what you are looking for, and we will do our best to match with a
goat that will fit your needs. Our farm is always open to visitors - just give
us a call and we will roll out the welcome mat!
We accept your Visa or MasterCard through Paypal!
Click here to find out how!
Our new paypal account is txtwincreeksfarm@att.net
