The Boer Goat - May/June 2012

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Region 13 Troy Veal, President (EC) tvanveal@yahoo.com Region 8 Ervin Chavana, Vice President /Treasurer (EC) mengercreek@hotmail.com Region 10 Tracy Diefenbach, Secretary (EC) tldief@fairpoint.net Region 5 John Edwards (EC) eggstx@aol.com Region 7 Dennie Clark (EC) hcgoat@hotmail.com Region 12 Paul Kinslow (EC) paul@muellerauctions.net Past PResident Brian Faris (EC) brfaris@ksu.edu Region 1 Terry Brown capriole@pocketinet.com Region 2 Boyd E. Willoughby wbccboers@allwest.net

Region 3 Jeff Gibbs gibbsfarms@aol.com Region 4 Kay Garrett kewlkay@hotmail.com Region 5 Doug Widener dcbwidener@valornet.com Region 6 Kallie York kjkohls13@aol.com Region 9 Vicki Stich Ladyhogger59@hotmail.com Region 11 Scott Hawthorn scott@ cedargrovefarms.com Region 14 John Morrow morrowfarm@aol.com Region 15 Sara Davis csdavis@oakhollowlivestock.com Region 16 Brad Mackey bradmackey@bmackfarms.com *EC denotes Executive Committee member

May/June 2012 Dear ABGA and JABGA Members, Our most anticipated event of the year has finally arrived.

Our members work hard year round to prepare to showcase their animals during the ABGA National Show.

This year the ABGA National Show will be June 11-16 in Duncan, Oklahoma. We are excited to announce the 2012 ABGA National Show Judges: • ABGA National Show: Julie Brown, Coni Ross and Lance Ward • JABGA National Show: Mark Berry • JABGA Wether Show: Cade Halfmann We are also geared up for our May Judge Certification school in Stephenville, Texas, as well as the ABGA and JABGA Board of Directors elections. Stay tuned for the next issue to see who will serve as ABGA Regional and JABGA Area Directors.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all ABGA and JABGA retiring board member for their dedicated service to our association. Serving in this capacity means that each board member is willing to volunteer a relentless number of hours of their time to the association and the members in their respective regions/areas.

For additional information on the ABGA, JABGA, Sanctioned Shows and National Show we invite you to visit our website www.abga.org.

Sincerely,

1207 S. Bryant Blvd., Suite C | San Angelo, TX 76903 Sandy Smith, Operations Manager, sandy@abga.org Mary Ellen Villarreal, Office Operations Supervisor, mary@abga.org Laurie Evans, Administrative Assistant, laurie@abga.org Belinda Constancio, Registration Support Staff, belinda@abga.org Sonia Cervantez, Accounting, sonia@abga.org Dee Ann Torres, Registration Support Staff, deeann@abga.org Aaron Gillespie, Show Coordinator/Youth Coordinator, aaron@abga.org Miranda Carrillo, Member Services, miranda@abga.org

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Troy Veal, President American Boer Goat Association

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Banding bucklings should be done when they are very young, as the smaller they are, the quicker they recover. There are a variety of methods (banding, cutting, emasculators)along with diverse opinion on the subject, but the basics are similar: 1. Hold the kid down and check the testicular formation. Occasionally a kid will only have one testicle, and even more occasionally a buckling will have three. Sometimes one testicle will be up inside the body cavity and will come down with a little coaxing.

2. Open the pliers and pull the scrotum through the center. Keep the “teeth” of the pliers toward the kid’s body to make the band easy to remove.

3. Make sure both testicles are pressed through the band before releasing the pliers. You won’t get a second chance and pressing a testicle up into the kid’s body is likely to create problems later.

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4. Release the pliers and roll the band off by pressing it up against the kid’s body.

The kid will most likely show discomfort for a day or two while the nerves are cut off, however soon he will be fine. The scrotum will fall off in about a month. During hot weather, or fly season, it is recommended to check regularly to make sure there are no complications like maggots or infection.

Many breeders philosophize that does are the building blocks of the industry, but without healthy bucks, our industry would not be sustainable.

The health care of our animals varies among breeders because we, as the caregivers, must accommodate for variation of weather conditions and the individual personalities of our goats.

Caring for bucks is generally not much different than caring for does, but in our herd, we tend to do a few things to keep the boys in tiptop shape for both breeding season and the off season. Although most people breed year round, different times of the year can be busier than others. However, all times are important.

Maintaining your bucks

Along with internal care, physical care is also a necessity. Trimming feet helps promote soundness, especially in big, heavy bucks. Also check for swollen testicles, which can indicate problems.

breeding tiMe Good health is important year round. But during breeding time – the most important time of year for many – you should take a few extra precautionary measures.

Some bucks have a very high libido (sex drive), and they tend to lose their appetite and stop eating altogether. To entice their appetite and get them to eating again, providing “goodies” such as corn, sunflower seeds or calf manna could also be of benefit.

Even when bucks are not breeding every day, you must not forget them in the back pasture; they still need maintenance to stay in good health.

On the other hand, some bucks are fat and lazy, and they are more interested in food than the doe. This can be a bad situation, as well.

Preventing diseases and sickness is probably the most important thing in keeping your buck healthy, and his semen alive and strong.

Vaccinating for pneumonia and administering a booster shot every year –especially if you live in a dry, dusty region – is key.

Ultimately, keeping your buck healthy will be different for everyone, because there is really no one correct way to provide care. However, a good diet, heath precautions and a watchful eye can provide the best bet in keeping your buck in mint condition.

Also, simply treating for general sicknesses frequently can help prevent more serious problems. Parasites can also become a problem.

Treating for both internal and external parasites can help keep your buck healthy and ready to breed.

A good feed is also important to prevent urinary calculi. A feed with a 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus is suggested. An all-purpose loose mineral like KN Right Track, made by Nutrition Plus, can help prevent urinary calculi and other mineral deficiencies.

Finally, always provide good, dry grass hay and clean water.

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Selecting a herd sire is a little different than picking a show wether. A buck will have a disproportionately large genetic influence in the herd because of the number of kids he can sire during a season.

Many breeders promote line breeding where close relatives, even siblings and parent-offspring matings, are encouraged. But eventually, that practice can result in recessive genetic disorders wreaking havoc in a herd or even in a breed. Hereford cattle have been heavily impacted by long-term line-breeding that resulted in a hugely increased risk of cancer eye, dwarfism and other genetic flaws that breeders are still trying to overcome decades later. HERDA and HYPP in horses are other examples of flaws caused by individual stallions. Neither syndrome appears unless the double recessive is expressed by breeding the progeny of these stallions to their relatives.

Introducing new genetic material into a herd on occasion is a good idea, and choosing a good buck is the best way to do that.

When selecting a buck, choose one that will complement your does and the purpose of your program. If your herd has a tendency toward short legs, then consider selecting a buck that is a little taller. If you are breeding for show wethers and want to add a little stretch, consider a buck with a longer midsection and more length to his stride. If you are focusing more on pounds-of-kid, then a fast-gaining, muscular buck is more desirable.

But be careful of focusing on a single trait and ignoring others.

In the following example, these bucks are all 4 months old, ready and eager to go to work. But selecting where they can do their best work is the trick.

Buck A This young buck does not have the classic red head, but obviously carries enough of the tendency to sire red-headed kids. He is relatively narrow in front and stands very wide behind.

The angle of his head and neck dip him behind the shoulder, but he doesn’t appear to be naturally weak there. This buckling is standing on a lot of bone and is fairly trim in the chest, shoulders and neck.

Surprisingly, he is not the widest buck of the three on loin measurement, nor is he carrying the longest loin. He is, however, a fairly complete package, especially for someone looking for a fast-maturing buck to sire lots of pounds of fast-growing kids, out of a herd of middleof-the-road does that do not show extremes toward any one type.

Buck B Here is a lighter-framed, sleeker buckling. He stands on less bone and shows less masculinity. He has more length for his height and is very eye appealing.

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He is a slower-maturing buck that would be more apt to sire kids with the slower-maturing tendencies wanted by show stock breeders.

He stands wide in back, narrow in front and carries a surprisingly wide loin and thick leg.

His worst fault is his front legs. His feet can be trimmed to make him appear to stand straight, but a percentage of his kids are going to have crooked front feet. According to the owner of this kid, four generations back, there was a sire that appeared straight as a yearling, but his front legs weakened and twisted with age. Phosphorous supplement helped, but even generations later, those crooked legs will occasionally show up, despite culling does for any symptoms of bad legs.

Here is a buck that could trim up a coarse herd, adding a little tighter skin, less bone and a smoother frame as compared to the other two presented here. But the front leg issue would have to be given a lot of thought.

Buck c This is a very masculine young buck that is pulling hard against his handler and bowing his back into an unnatural position. He already has the thicker neck and coarser head of an older buck.

He is standing on a lot of bone and has the most width and depth of any of these bucklings. He stands the widest, both front and back, and shows the most muscle development. Look at width on that chest.

He is not the longest buck in this bunch, but shows a powerful package. A more old-fashioned sort of buck, he has more loose skin on his neck and shoulders than is popular in the showring today. He does, however, have a lot of hair! Depending on the grooming style, that can be a plus.

This buck could add a lot to a herd that tends toward long and lanky with little muscle definition or width, but he would not be the best choice for a wether-sire.

When looking at potential sires, keep a realistic picture of your does in mind and look for a buck that will address the weaknesses of your herd and accent the strengths.

There is no perfect buck, but knowing things like pedigree, birth weight, multiple birth and milk production is wonderful. But those things alone should never make your decision.

Take the time to carefully consider each live animal before adding its genetics to your herd.

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Bucks are an important part of any Boer goat operation, and it is important to make sure they are in top condition before breeding.

Since a single buck will be passing on his genetics to a large number of does, he needs to be of high quality and in outstanding health.

Prebreeding

The success of a breeding season will largely depend on the care taken with the buck in the months leading up to the breeding season.

The first step that producers should take is to have the buck tested for disease. There is no point in spending money on a buck that will need to be shipped.

Common diseases to test for are caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAE), tuberculosis (TB), caseous lymphadenitis (CL) and brucellosis. CAE, CL and brucellosis are tested for using a blood test, and TB is tested using a skin test. Although TB and brucellosis are less common in goats, it is best to have a buck tested for these diseases at least once, before he enters the breeding herd to make sure he is free from the diseases.

Once the disease results are known, the next step is to perform a breeding soundness exam. In this exam, the buck’s penis and prepuce (sheath) should be evaluated. The penis should be clean and free from any cuts, scrapes or other sores. The prepuce should also be clean.

The tip of penis, called the pizzle, should also be checked for any lodged urinary stones.

If you notice a buck is having problems urinating, this could be the cause.

The testicles should also be checked. They should be cool to the touch, close to equal in size and firm. They should also be free of lumps and any sores or bruising.

A semen sample should then be taken,

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and looked at under a microscope. Motility, concentration and morphology of spermatozoa should be evaluated. The sperm cells should be healthy and moving. A large number of dead or malformed sperm cells indicate a problem.

breeding season to give bucks enough time to put on weight. Bucks should be given free access to high quality hay or pasture, and high protein grain. Grain should be limited, to prevent enterotoxemia.

It should be noted that spermatogenesis, or the process of producing sperm cells, takes about 60 days. If during the 60 days prior to breeding the buck experiences fever or trauma to the testicles, his ability to breed during the season could be compromised.

Bucks should be up-to-date on all vaccinations before breeding as well. It is best to give these vaccinations prior to the 60 days before breeding, just in case the animal has a reaction to the vaccine and has a fever. This will also ensure that the buck has enough time to receive the immunity from the vaccine.

Once the buck passes the breeding soundness exam, then producers should look at the overall health and body condition of the animal.

Body condition scoring is a great way to evaluate an animal’s fat. The scores range from 1-5, using .5 increments. A goat with a BCS of 1 is extremely thin with little to no fat, and a 5 is an extremely fat or obese goat.

Ideally, most goats should fall in the three range to be healthy. However, it may be necessary to move bucks up to a four before breeding, because they will lose a considerable amount of weight during breeding season.

“It is very important that bucks be in good physical condition prior to the breeding season, but not too fat. An active buck with a high libido (sex drive) can literally forget to eat during the breeding season. An adult buck can be left thin but a yearling buck can actually be stunted permanently. A young buck needs nutrients not only for semen production and mating but also for his own body growth,” according to Jackie Nix, a nutritionist with Sweetlix Livestock Supplement Systems.

It is best to evaluate the body condition score one to two months in advance of the

Two weeks before breeding bucks should be deloused and given an internal wormer.

Parasites are shed through fecal matter and skin shedding, and parasites can cause sickness and weight loss.

The goat’s feet also need to be checked and trimmed. Foot care is vitally important because if a buck has sore feet or legs, walking and mounting a doe can be painful. This will likely cause the buck to stop mounting or if he does mount, he may not ejaculate.

The eyes of the buck should also be checked to make sure there are no obstructions or disease. Teeth should be checked regularly, because problems in the mouth may make it hard for a buck to eat and put on or maintain weight.

In addition to checking your buck, you also need to make sure that your does are in good condition. Does should be wormed, vaccinated and in ample body condition before breeding.

This will help increase conception rates and ensure that your herd stays healthy.

breeding season When breeding season finally arrives, your buck should be in tiptop condition and ready to do his job. Even though bucks will be fed

with the rest of the doe herd, they may spend the majority of their time checking females and may not eat very much. This is normal.

“When they start rutting and breeding, they are active all day. Sometimes they don’t even take some time to eat,” said Ken Baty, a Boer goat producer and owner of SAK Boer Goats in Loveland, Colo.

It is best to allow one buck to service no more than 20-30 does. If a buck has too many does, he may not be able to service them all. If you are registering your offspring, one buck should be penned with his does, and other does and bucks should be penned in individual groups. This will allow a producer to know which buck serviced which doe.

Keeping a small herd of does to a single buck will also help decrease fighting. Older, more mature bucks will generally breed more does than younger bucks. Also, when fighting, bucks can become injured and break or chip their horns. Although unlikely, horns can chip deep enough that parasites or other bacteria can get into the horn and cause infection.

During the breeding season, bucks should be checked regularly to make sure they are still in good health and can physically breed the does. If something happens and you don’t know, you could end up with a higher percentage of open does.

If a buck it taken to another facility, he will need to be quarantined when he gets back to make sure he is free from disease.

This can last from 7-30 days, depending on what the producer wants. If the goat is being leased to a herd that is proven free of disease, the quarantine can be shorter. If the herd is unknown, a full 30 days should be used.

Post breeding After you pull out your bucks, they should be evaluated once again for health and body condition. Bucks that have lost a considerable amount of weight should be put on a high plain of nutrition and weight should be added.

Bucks that are thin and in poor condition are more susceptible to disease and cold stress.

They should also be checked for any signs of injury or lameness, and treated as necessary.

Once the bucks are pulled from the does, they should be put in sturdy pens so that they do not get out and breed any other does later than what is wanted.

Proper management of the Boer buck is crucial to the profitability of any operation. If bucks are taken care of nutritionally, disease free and are healthy, rates should be high. It is important to keep meticulous records, and pay attention to details in your operation.

Using a harness on a buck will allow you to see which does have been bred, and which does have yet to come into heat. Using a washable paint on the harness will make it easier to clean the does after breeding.

However, if it rains, the paint may wash off.

It is best to check does and bucks daily to see which does have been bred, so that a due date can be calculated. The harness should also be checked so that it does not run out of paint and is still attached properly.

It is advisable to leave bucks in with does for at least 2 heat cycles, which will range from 34 to 48 days. A producer needs to decide how long he or she wants the kidding season to be to decide when it is time to pull out the bucks and ship the open does. If you note that a doe has been bred, watch for signs of heat in 17-24 days and if heat is not observed, your doe may be bred.

Leasing or servicing other does Many producers lease out their bucks or allow others to use them for breeding. If bucks are used in a live cover situation, buck owners should make sure the does that will be serviced are also healthy and free of disease. www.abga.org | 17

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When you live in a small country town, agriculture is your way of life. I am Tanner Beard, of Blossom, Texas, a small country town with a population of 1500. My family has always raised cattle, and has raised Boer goats the past six years. Agriculture has been my life with an emphasis on raising and showing goats for the past five years. My interest in showing Boer goats began when I joined Junior FFA in 8th grade. I have been showing Boer goats in my community throughout high school the past four years. As a FFA member, I was also a member of the wildlife judging team, livestock judging team and skills team where I competed at district, area and state levels. I was also a member of my local and district 4-H club. While a member of 4-H, I was pursuing the assistant veterinarian program. I was also involved in varsity football, baseball and track and Beta club throughout high school. I have held many leadership roles during high school, such as FFA secretary and sential and 4-H president and vice-president.

My experiences in FFA and 4-H have led me to a career choice in agriculture education. I feel we need to educate ourselves and other on the role livestock plays in agriculture by participating in educational programs. For example, I have been participating in the Meat Goat Producer Certification program offered through Langston University. I have also volunteered as a veterinarian assistant in order to learn health and maintenance aspects of all livestock species, with an emphasis on meat goats. Educating the public on the role livestock has in agriculture is also important. I hosted a goat clinic to help educate fellow FFA and 4-H members on the importance of caring for, raising and showing Boer goats as show wethers.

Serving on the JABGA board of directors has been very educational for me. I will always strive to promote the ABGA with integrity, and I will continue to educate myself and others of the important role livestock has in agriculture.

My name is Kara Truax, I am 17 years old and I have been raising goats for 8 years. My youngest sister is medically fragile and cannot drink cow’s milk, so we first started our goat journey with three dairy goats. I joined 4-H when I was 11 years old, buying two meat wethers. We had been raising dairy goats for two years and were still learning the ropes when I began raising meat goats- my two market wethers did not even make the minimum weight requirements for our auction. In the years that followed, I learned much from my experiences and in 2008 I got serious about showing Boer goats. Since then I have been active in 4-H and our local Boer goat club, the Cascade Boer Goat Association. In addition, I have enjoyed attending and showing at ABGA and JABGA events.

Along with showing Boer goats, I enjoy writing and science. My goal is eventually to have a career as a large livestock veterinarian. I believe serving as an ABGA junior board member has aided to my interest in the pursuit of my career as well as helped me appreciate the importance of the Boer got industry.

The day Louise Poe arrived at the house with this lemon and white colored doe kid was one to remember. He explained the mother had been caught in the fence and died and asked my dad if I would like to have the kid. Me being about 6 years old at the time, I jumped at the chance. From that point on, I was hooked. I fed and nursed “Starlite” back to health and soon entered her in the county fair. I washed and brushed her and was ready to go show, trimmed her hair and lead her in. Third place, out of three was not discouraging for me, as I still believed she was still the prettiest one there.

The next year I started to try my hand at wethers. There was a jackpot show in Tulsa that my parents and I attended, with the intention to merely watch and. This breeding stock sale wasn’t exactly a place to buy a wether, but as luck would have it, it was there that I met Kallie York, who happened to have a wether with her that she used as a companion to haul a buck with to Tulsa, from Texas. My parents bought him from Kallie and I had my first show wether. The judges kept saying he was over conditioned, but I thought he looked lovely. I had no clue what they meant by over conditioned and I didn’t exactly care.

As the years went on I had the opportunity to meet more people in the industry. My first official breeding show doe came from a wonderful woman named Mary Danial, of Blue Ribbon Boers. I acted upon her advice and sold several commercial does I had to buy a show doe. This doe, Polly, was the overall Grand Champion doe as numerous shows. I am forever grateful for everything Mary taught me about grooming and showing goats.

There are many more adults that have influenced me in the show industry. I am afraid to start listing names because I do not want to leave anyone out. Each of them have played a huge part in my life and have contributed to my success.

I had become increasingly interested in the JABGA. As my fourth year on the board has come to a close I have decided to retire, as I feel that it is time for new youth in the industry to have an opportunity to keep our association going and progressive. During the time on the board I have enjoyed meeting other junior members from all across the United States. I am also proud to say that we have increased membership, activity participation and have encouraged more youth to take part in the activities offered by the JABGA. I attribute everything I have learned to all of the kind people in the industry that I have met over the years. One of the most important things I have learned in my time on the board is that just because we do not all agree on the same ideas does not mean one idea is wrong or right ideas- if everyone thought the same then that would not be as interesting and there would be nothing new to learn. I encourage the future leaders to take the time to listen to one another and use the ideas that come forth. www.abga.org | 19

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