producer. These folks may or may not have livestock and/or goat ex- perience, they are not range/forage producers necessarily, but they are not hobby producers either. These folks really see the need to con- serve Spanish goats and want to do what is best for the breed. These buyers are willing to pay for the best genetics, want to
DNA register their herds and expect the support they need to be suc- cessful. This is the Spanish Goat Association’s fastest growing type of breeder. This group is typically working to be a seedstock producer rather than a meat producer; however, they do sell their males and culls for slaughter.
The growing population of Spanish goat producers ensures the longevity of the breed but at the same time maintaining the charac- teristics across the wide range of producers is challenging. Regardless of the type of breeder, it is essential that the buyers are educated about the needs of the breed and are purchasing goats from producers that have the time to help them get situated and are managing their herds similar to the way the buyer is comfortable managing them. Two of the hardest conversations with a buyer is one where the seller created expectations that the goats cannot meet and those ex-
pectations have been brought back into perspective to help the buyer continue with their goats before they give up. And two, when a buyer has unnecessary health issues and death loss due to a lack of experi- ence, knowledge or misinformation from a seller and must absorb the painful experience and expense. The Spanish Goat Association works hard to educate buyers and ensure the integrity and commitment of our sellers. However, sellers are busy and do not always have the time to ensure their buyers are equipped to take on the task. In addition, in the quest to sell and acquire goats, sometimes sellers tell buyers what they want to hear, and buyers hear what they want to hear. Well-bred Spanish goats are highly adaptable, efficient and pro- ductive but it takes time for them to adapt to the soils, feed, weather and management style of a buyer. Most importantly, what a goat is capable of under one set of conditions does not guarantee what they are capable of under another set of conditions. Adaptable, efficient and productive Spanish goat systems rely on two major factors: genetics and management. Driving up to a pad- dock and seeing large numbers of Spanish nannies is exciting and
VERIFIED & CERTIFIED SPANISH GOAT BREEDERS
18 Goat Rancher | September 2020
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