Continuing my fascination with genetics, this post is about the coat patterns of goats.

In my previous post on coat color, I mentioned that the Agouti locus determines the color of a goat. Part of determining the color is also determining the pattern.

A goat receives two alleles on the Agouti locus – one comes from the dam, one comes from the sire. If the alleles are the same (homozygous), such as both being buckskin, then the kid would also be buckskin. However, if the alleles are different (heterozygous), different combinations of color patterns can be expressed. The Agouti alleles are co-dominant, meaning they both can be shown. In general, though, the pattern with most tan will be expressed.

Two other things to consider are pattern modifiers and white spotting. White spotting can change what we see on the goat’s coat, masking its genetic color pattern.

Agouti Allele’s

This is not a complete list, but the most common in Nigerian Dwarf Goats

SOLID

When only pheomelanin is present and no eumelanin this produces a solid pattern. This is the most dominant pattern.

Our goat, Bunny, is a solid light cream color with white spotting.

CHAMOISEE

Also known as Badgerface. Goats with this pattern are tan or brown, with a black (or dark brown) underbelly, dorsal stripe, facial stripe, and lower legs.

BUCKSKIN

Also known as San Clemente. The body on a buckskin can be cream, tan, or dark reddish brown. They are distinguished by their black (or dark brown) cape around the head, neck, and shoulders. Buckskins also express black (or dark brown) on top of their tail and chevron on the back legs. Their head is black (or dark brown) with lighter stripes.

Vern is a dark buckskin with random spotting.

COU CLAIR/COU BLANC

Also known as Peacock. These goats have a tan (cou clair) or white front (cou blanc), while their back half is black (or dark brown). They also have black (or dark brown) facial stripes.

SWISS MARKED

Also known as the Toggenburg pattern. Goats that are Swiss marked have a black (or dark brown) body. The pheomelanin (white, cream, or tan) areas include all 4 legs, facial stripes, ears, and under the tail.

WyldeStyle is Swiss marked.

SUNDGAU

The Sundgau pattern is similar to the Swiss marked pattern with a black (or dark brown) body and light legs, facial stripes, ears, and under the tail. However, the Sundgau pattern also has a light underbelly. It also has black (or dark brown) stripes on their light legs.

NO PATTERN

When there is only eumelanin and no pheomelanin present, this produces an all black goat. This is the most recessive pattern.

COMBINATION PATTERNS

Because goats can show both the pattern they inherited from their dam and the one they inherited from their sire, sometimes combination patterns occur.

Crash is a Buckskin/Swiss Marked combination.

White Spotting & Other Modifiers

Sometimes, in certain areas the eumelanin and/or pheomelanin pigments are not produced. This results in white spotting.

Genetically, the base color is still present, but it is masked by the spotting.

There are multiple genes associated with white spotting, so one goat could have multiple spotting patterns.

RANDOM

Random spots on the body

BELTED

White band around a goat’s midsection. The belt may go entirely around the goat, or not – and be referred to as a partial belt.

WyldeStyle has a partial belt with her Swiss markings.

SCHWARTZAL

The body is primarily white with dark markings on the head and sometimes the legs.

ROANING

Roaning is when white hairs are sprinkled among colored hairs. They are single hairs, not spots of white.

Georgia has roaning throughout her body.

FROSTING

When ticking occurs on the muzzle, ears, or tail it is known as frosting.

Georgia also has frosting.

WHITE POLL

A white poll refers to a white spot on top of the head.

Bunny has a white poll.

MOON SPOTS

Moon spots are random spots of color on top of a base color.

Moon has moon spots.

My goal is to take this information to learn more about and enhance our own herd.

Science is Fun & Genetics are Fascinating!

The post Goat Coat Pattern appeared first on .

As I’m learning about color and pattern genetics, I want to put it into my real world.

I want to learn more about which traits are dominant in my herd, which traits are seemingly missing, and the mysterious traits that are sure to be uncovered.

First up is examining the color patterns of the breeding pair Crash & Willow.

Crash’s sire is Swiss-marked. His dam is a dark red buckskin. Crash, himself, is a combination pattern of Swiss marked and medium to light buckskin.

Willow is a solid cream color with random spotting and roaning. She must be a carrier of the recessive black gene because she has birthed a number of black kids. Willow’s dam is dark gold with a belt and roaning. Her sire appears to be dark brown with random spotting.

Willow and Crash produced 4 kids, 1 doe and 3 bucks. The doe is Swiss marked like Crash. Two of the bucks look similar to Willow with solid cream coloring. The third buck is also a solid color, but is a bit more gold with quite a lot of roaning.

Willow is polled; Crash has horns. Two of the kids were born polled; two are horned.

EUMELANIN COLOR

Color	Crash	Willow	AW1	AW2	AW3	AW4
Dark Brown	-	-	-	-	-	-
Black		hidden		hidden	hidden	hidden
Unknown	-	-	-	-	-	-

PHEOMENANIN COLOR

Color	Crash	Willow	AW1	AW2	AW3	AW4
White	-	-		-	-	-
Cream	-		-	-
Tan	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gold		-	-		-	-
Red Brown	-	-	-	-	-	-

AGOUTI LOCUS PATTERN

Pattern	Crash	Willow	AW1	AW2	AW3	AW4
Solid	-		-
Chamoisee	-	-	-	-	-	-
Buckskin		-	-	-	-	-
Cou Clair/Blanc	-	-	-	-	-	-
Swiss Marked		-		-	-	-
Sundgau	-	-	-	-	-	-
No Pattern	-	-	-	-	-	-

WHITE SPOTTING & MODIFIERS

Characteristic	Crash	Willow	AW1	AW2	AW3	AW4
Random	-		-
Belted	-	-	partial	-	partial	-
Schwartzal	-	-	-	-	-	-
Roaning	-
Frosting	-		-
White Poll
Moon Spots	-	-	-	-	-	-

POLLED, OR NOT

Characteristic	Crash	Willow	AW1	AW2	AW3	AW4
Polled	-		-		-
Horned		-		-		-

Science is Fun & Genetics are Fascinating!

The post 2017 Willow & Crash Breeding appeared first on .

This year we had our first kidding! Thankfully everything went perfectly and Willow gave birth to quadruplets – 3 boys and a girl.

Maybe it’s because they’re my first goat babies, but I love them all. They have such fun personalities and the little girl is spunky and stubborn just like her mama. We hang out with them quite a bit, so they’re all friendly. I knew when I bred Willow I couldn’t keep all her kids. Even though it will be tough to part with them, I have decided to keep two of the kids, and sell two of them. Whoever goes home with these boys will be getting a great farm friend.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

AW3
Buckling

KW Farms PB Wedding Crasher  X  KK Snowd’N Edith

DOB: 6/20/2017
Horn Status: Disbudded
Availability: SOLD

He is dam raised, but feeds off a bottle every day, too.
He can be weaned from mama, and available for purchase, after August 15th.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

AW4
Buckling

KW Farms PB Wedding Crasher  X  KK Snowd’N Edith

DOB: 6/20/2017
Horn Status: Polled
Availability: SOLD

He is dam raised, but feeds off a bottle every day, too.
He can be weaned from mama, and available for purchase, after August 15th.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click here to see our SALES POLICY

Save

Save

Save

Save

The post 2017 Goats for Sale appeared first on .

I brought home Crash with the hopes to breed him to Willow, and later Georgia.

He’s a very easy going fella.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PEDIGREE

KW FARMS PB WEDDING CRASHER
D1730091

DOB: 5/18/13
disbudded
light buckskin/swiss marked combination

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The post Our Goat Herd: Crash appeared first on .

• I am loving all the birds that have decided to spend their winter here. Among them are a few Gray Jays & Stellar Jays.

• Introducing Crash, our new buck. He stinks, but I love him.

• Rainbows at our house are magical.

The post 2016 Update – Week 48 appeared first on .