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 Benson’s Feed & Tack Pet Food & Pet Supplies Alfalfa Hay - Grass Hay - Straw Vaccines - Dog, Puppy, Horse, Livestock Corrals - Dog Kennels Used Saddles & Tack 2750 Highway 50 East Carson City, Nevada 89701 (775) 882-3999 (775) 882-7999 Owner Jim Benson Manager Geoff Rhodes 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 ADVERTISING RATES Business Cards $10/yr Copy-Ready Ads 1/8 page $10/yr 1/4 page $20/yr 1/2 page $40/yr -OR1/4 page $2.50/issue 1/2 page $5/issue Full page $10/issue The Goat Gazette S.S.P.G.A. 1355 Sanden Lane Minden, NV 89423 10
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