Conservation and Gentic Diversity

Conservation of the Breeds

Since our registry beginnings of The IDGR in 1980, we have always placed a high priority on the Conservation of breeds as they were at the beginning of that breed.  let’s take the Nigerian Dwarf, for instance.  How were the characteristics of this specific version of the West African Dwarf safeguarded?

  • IDGR was the first registry to open a herd book for the Nigerian Dwarf. Basically, they are direct imports of the dairy version of the West African Dwarf that was imported to the United States
  • Original breeders asked us to open the herd book for the Nigerian Dwarf because the NPGA wouldn’t accept many of the dwarfs who were of different characteristics of the Pygmy version of the WAD
  • I’ve found Direct imported Nigerian Dwarf registrations in our herd books back as far as 1981.  I’m not sure  yet what year the herd book was opened
  • We went to conferences, talked to West Africa and also the original USA  breeders of the breed to learn more about them. We found that this version of the WAD was distinctly different than the Pygmy
  • Nigerian Dwarf were observed to see how they reacted and grew on the better feed-in American
  • 4 1/2 years of research was conducted
  • The breed standard was created using all these 4 1/2 years of research into the breed.    This breed description reflects what the true Nigerian Dwarf is.  We still have the same standard today.

We do not change our standards for our breeds on whims and pressure. We hold fast to what we know the breed really is supposed to be and actually is.

Today International Goat, Sheep, Camelid Registry (IGSCR still holds these same standards.  We will allow, for instance, overheight Nigerian Dwarf from some of the other registries, but we place an H behind their registration number, showing that they do not meet breed standards. We are considering adopting the program similar to our Miniature dairy goat program, as follows:

  1. Instead of just putting an H behind the registration number, putting an OH meaning Over Height
  2. It would take 3 generations of descendants who are within all breed standards to remove the OH status
  3. We are still developing this standard

We have the same conservation for all breeds we register

We also strive to take our registrations back to their roots, as far as we can

Further Conservation

Now at IGSCR, we offer DNA Marker and Parentage testing at a reduced rate.