Saanan buck with Sable bloodlines

FarmGoddess · #1 10/01/06, 09:49 PM

Two years ago I bought a registared Saanan buck. He was a sweet little kid who has grown up to be a very nice boy indeed. Only thing is, when his first crop of kiddes popped out, I was in for a shock. The first one was solid black. Then the next three, a set of triplets, were various shades of brown (the little doe is beautiful). And then there's our little buckling who is black with white markings. So much for my pretty white goats. Come to find out, the people who sold me the buck 'neglected' to mention his bloodline ran heavy to Sables.

I really wasn't interested in breeding Sables. I chose Saanan's because I think they've got the sweetest faces of all the breeds. I wasn't planning on showing goats, just raising a few for milk and cheesemaking and maybe sell a few of the kids we don't need, but I think it would have been nice if the breeder had mentioned the whole sable thing.

I'll give the buck credit where credit is due, he does make some pretty babies.

ozark_jewels · #2 10/01/06, 09:53 PM

Yeah, they should've told you.....But I would be LEAPING for joy!!!!!

Milk n' Honey · #3 10/01/06, 10:51 PM

Wow, you keeping him then? I would be thrilled!!!! I think the whole idea of Sables is soooo cool. I like Saanens but I'm not crazy for the whole "white goat" thing. I would really be excited if I were you. They should have mentioned it, for sure. What if you were wanting to show then or something. That wouldn't work. You can register those babies as Sables, you know. The way I understand it is.....two Saanens that have Sable kids = registerable Sable kids. However, if two Sables have a Saanen, no registration is allowed until you breed 3 generations of white back into the line. I talk with a woman by the last name of Klisse. I was at an auction where she was getting rid of a registered Sable buckling. Come to find out, if you do a search for "Klisse sable goats" you'll find out she's famous with her line of Sables. She lives here in Indiana. She's the most recognized Sable breeder there is, so far. I can't imagine the look on your face when that black baby came out!! LOL I'll bet that was priceless. Have fun with it!! Take care!!

Jillis · #4 10/01/06, 11:43 PM

If you are into cheesemaking, you might want to reconsider your breed choice. Saanens generally have the lowest butterfat content in their milk of all the breeds. Nubians run about the highest of the larger dairy goats.

Nigerian Dwarfs have an amazing butterfat content.

Here's a quote from this site: http://kushhara.com/NDgoats.html

Quote:

We think their potential for farmstead cheese, yogurt and milk is largely untapped. Why? Because people generally think that the Nigerian's small size and the amount of milk they produce isn't worth the effort. But, let's take a look at it:

The butterfat in Nigerian Dwarf milk is extremely high-from 6 %-11%! If you take one gallon of Saanen goat milk (about 3.4% butterfat) you can make three 8 oz containers of fromage cheese (a soft cream cheese). If you use one gallon of Nigerian Dwarf milk, you will get seven 8 oz containers of fromage. That's what butterfat is all about!
A Nigerian Dwarf doe typically produces between 2 and 4 pounds of milk ("a pint is a pound the world around") per day over a normal 305-day lactation. This means that you'll get about 900 lbs or 112 gallons of wonderful, rich milk per doe!

I have a friend who has a few ND does that milk out up to 6 - 8 lbs. a day at peak. I have purchased some goats from her. I also intend to breed my ND buck to some of my Nubians and Nubian crosses. This way I will have a larger goat with hopefully a good butterfat percentage and a bigger milk yield than the NDs.

Patty0315 · #5 10/02/06, 06:32 AM

Were are you located ? Do you want to sell him or any of his bucklings ?

Thanks ,Patty

SherrieC · #6 10/03/06, 07:29 AM

Hmm,, the sables around here I've seen are poor examples of dairy goats, though I've never seen Klisse's..in person, I wouldn't be displeased if one of my girls threw a sable as long as it was correct type. I won't be buying any sables on purpose. I love my ladies in white.
on the cheese ? I thought high protein made more cheese, and the high fat was for butter??

shereen · #7 10/03/06, 09:50 AM

on the cheese
it all depends on what kind of cheese you are making.
when i make a raw camembert that is aged for 60 days i use milk from my saanens, if i use milk from my la manchas i have a hard time aging it for the 60 days. also the saanens make wonderful yogurt.
the saanens are such sweeties, i wouldn't trade them for anything!
shereen

Jillis · #8 10/03/06, 10:07 AM

There happens to be an excellent article on Sables in the recent Dairy Goats Journal.

FarmGoddess · #9 10/03/06, 06:32 PM

I am keeping the buck as well as his first little buckling, who already has girlfriends lined up! I should have more babies come late December or early January, but with Sables you don't know what you're going to get until they pop out.

The one little doe I got from him this year is beautiful and as sweet as she can be. I'm hoping to turn her into a milk doe.

As for the butterfat content, I crossed my unregistared Saanan buck with my Boer does and they have the richest milk ever. I'm thinking about breeding one of my Boer/Saanan croses with the Sable buck just to see what I'll get. The doe has boer markings and ears but has her dad's size. I'd say she's at around 150 pounds and has yet to be bred. I think she's going to make a very good milker.

Patty0315 · #10 10/03/06, 08:06 PM

Location please?

Patty

FarmGoddess · #11 10/03/06, 08:23 PM

"I can't imagine the look on your face when that black baby came out!! LOL I'll bet that was priceless. "

More like total shock, especially when you take into consideration I didn't even know the silly doe who threw the kid was pregnant! I heard a commotion in the girls pen and went out to check what the ruckus was about and there was this little black thing running around the pen. I thought it was a black lab puppy until I got a good look at it. Then I had to figure out who the mama was. Needless to say I was late for work that morning.

goatkid · #12 10/04/06, 12:24 AM

It's my understanding that your does also have to carry the gene for Sable in order for the kids to come out Sable. They are beautiful goats. My friend used to have a buck who carried the gene for sables. When his daughters were bred back to him, they had Sable kids. The well known Sable breeder's name is Klisse Foster. She is a nice woman. I met her at Convention a couple years ago.