Breeding Sibling Goats

[LanieG]

Hello all...Just curious if anybody out there has bred sibling goats. I have brother/sister Nubians and have info from the seller that they come from great dairy lines with mommy giving over a gallon a day and was hoping that by breeding the two that I would get some more great milking does. If anybody has any helpful info as to wether or not this would be a good idea I would appreciate feedback. Thanks

 

[20kidsonhill]

That is the closest possible in-breeding, You may get the best of the best, but you will also get the worst of the worst.

For example, we didn't have a new buck to breed 4 of our doelings to a couple years ago, so we decided to breed them back to the dad, since we have meat goats and just sell them for meat, unless we saw something amazing from one of them. Every single one of them was fish-teated from the breedings, even though none of the dams even have extra teats, the sire does have a small teat spurs on one side, but according the show rules it is allowed.

They didn't have two heads or anything, and overall looked really nice, we showed a couple as show whethers in 4H, they did quit well, but clearly dad is carrying the gene for fish-teat.

 

[Chirpy]

I will just pretty much repeat what 20kidsonhill said. With that close of in-breeding you have the potential for extremes in good and bad. Few breeders will breed siblings or even parent to kid unless they are very specifically trying to breed something 'out' of their line or 'into' their line; and most of them have several generations of experienced breedings to reference.

 

[LanieG]

Thank you for the input. So...if I do go ahead and breed them can anybody tell some of the bad characteristics I should watch for in my buck that would be an indicator to change my plan? I have never heard of fish-teats but I'm assuming that is just teeny tiny teats, am I correct?

 

[20kidsonhill]

Thank you for the input. So...if I do go ahead and breed them can anybody tell some of the bad characteristics I should watch for in my buck that would be an indicator to change my plan? I have never heard of fish-teats but I'm assuming that is just teeny tiny teats, am I correct?

Fish-teats is a genetic defect, where there are actually two teats closely fused together, They can be split partly down or all the way down to the belly giving the appearance of a fish tail. It is more common in meat goats due to the fact that meat producers haven't been as worried about good udders.

Here is a chart explaining it.

http://www.abga.org/teat-structure.php

One thing you can do is go to the nubian registration site and look up breed standards and what is considered acceptable and unacceptable to help you understand terminology and what is expected from Nubians.

 

[LanieG]

Thank you so much for the help. I am definitely going to do some more research. I appreciate all the info.

 

[Ariel301]

Basically, with that close an inbreeding, ANYTHING negative you see in either the doe, the buck, or the parents of the two could show up worse in the inbred offspring. The same is true of good characteristics, you can use line-breeding to enhance the good, you just have to be willing to risk the increased chance of the negative.

Personally, I wouldn't breed full siblings. Half siblings, I MIGHT do if both were from great lines and pretty much faultless.

 

[AlaskanShepherdess]

I have a sort of related question.... I have a doe that was just given to me that has a teat spur. Can I breed that out of her? Most everyone culls for that but I feel really bad culling her especially since she had been offered to others besides me. I really like her as well....

 

[Roll farms]

In dairy does, teat spurs / extra teats are cull factors.

Keep / breed her if you want, but IMHO, a responsible breeder wouldn't.

I would never breed full brother to full sister, ever.
I probably wouldn't breed half siblings. I have bred father / daughter and gotten some nice udders out of it w/ Nubians.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I have a sort of related question.... I have a doe that was just given to me that has a teat spur. Can I breed that out of her? Most everyone culls for that but I feel really bad culling her especially since she had been offered to others besides me. I really like her as well....

I would say like Roll said, a dairy doe should never ever have a teat spur. Meat goats/fiber goats on the other hand, yes by all means breed it out of her.