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We currently have two types of Production programs for helping build your herd.  Those are:

Milk testing for both Sheep and Goats

We at IGSCR (formerly IDGR) view milk production as very important, for those animals who are dairy animals and whose owners/breeders wish to promote dairy.  In our program, we would like to keep records on breeds and animals who have varying levels of milk production awards.

Our milk program was thoroughly and extensively researched by one of our former registry owners and also by our current owner.  We’ve developed our program to hopefully show excellence in production, “rather than just every doe or ewe receiving an award”.  Some of our members would also like to have a lesser amount requirement as well.  We will be creating a lesser level as well.  Our intent is to give owners/breeders several options of receiving awards for their does and ewes  and bucks.  Not only do we want to show normal milk production awards for milk and butterfat, but also for excellent extended lactation and lifetime production.  Our program also gives 3 levels  (soon to have 4) of achievement for specific age categories.

We also believe that titles do not tell all the story. They are simply a vehicle to suggest the level of achievement, then lead us to the actual records so you can make your own mind upon the excellence of the specific animal and lineage’s milk production.

So you may ask, why would we want to worry about extended lactations?……

Well, if we think about how many people live in towns and cities who cannot have a buck on their premises or have access to a buck.  They still need milk and milk products for their family. Many goats of today cannot milk for extended periods of time, as we as breeders/owners breed out those traits and train our animals to only milk for show season.

We have four levels, according to the length of days being milked.  Standard breed does must milk at least 3 pounds a day and miniature breeds at least 1.5 pounds.

Or you ask why do we need different levels of requirement for various age groups?….

Well, after careful research and thought, we at IGSCR (formerly IDGR) believe that blanket single levels of required amounts leave out various necessary levels.  Some does excel and others are good medium level production and others achieve lower levels but are still excellent milk, butterfat and protein milk producers.  Thus, we believe this type of system more fully shows the measurement of our does and bucks.  We feel the level system shows more fully where does, ewes, bucks and does are at in their production year after year, generation after generation.

So what about our amounts of milk. Why they are higher requirements

After careful research, we believe that many milk production programs don’t adequately show excellence, but merely giving an award to most animals.  Some quotes from breeders:

If the doe is a 6*D, you know that they are superior milkers (not our registry)

Yet, others have said such things as…

I’ve realized that just because an animal carries a milk award, that doesn’t mean they are great milkers

Just because an animal has a SG title doesn’t mean they are excellent milkers

So that being said, we have set out to hopefully solve that problem.  With our various levels and higher production requirements in both milk volume and butterfat, we hope to show if an animal is of excellence in production for you and your family.

Types of Testing

  • 305 DHI and Barn Records (AR) … for both does and bucks, ewes and rams
  • 30-day (DHI and Barn Records (*D) … for both does and bucks, ewes and rams
  • One-day (*)
  • Butterfat
  • Protein
  • Lactation Length (extended lactation)
  • Lifetime

We have various production and conformation titles.

Advanced Registry for does and bucks

AR: When does or ewes achieve the required amount of milk using DHI milk testing program, they will receive the appropriate AR* title
ARB: When does or ewes achieve the required amount of milk using the 305 days or longer Barn Records program, they will receive the appropriate ARB* title

Specific bucks will receive bucks, based upon daughters, dams and/or sons who AR title recipients.

Top Ten List and Award Program

We will be implementing a Top Ten list.  This will be a yearly list.  Animals not meeting breed standards such as over height will not be eligible to be on this list.  We feel that putting records on this list will not accurately show what the various breeds can do on production.

Registry of Merit

This program was created by one of our registry’s former owners who is a veterinarian.  We believe this is a very special program because so many animals have their mothering instinct and ability to raise their young to at least 60 days bred out of them.  So many times we believe bottle raising is the way to obtain friendly babies.  I know from my own herd (Peggy’s) that this is not necessarily the only way to obtain friendly babies, nor are said horses usually bottle-fed.  The way to produce friendly babies is what we call Imprint training in colts and socializing/working with our babies.  Too often we have such busy lives working full-time jobs that we are not always present at kidding or lambing.  I myself have had this situation for many years.  I can’t tell you how many times I panic at kidding time, because of my employment situation. Most of the time I come home and find babies born and having already nursed.

The Registry of Merit program addresses these characteristics.

Breed Leader Program

At IGSCR we have newly implemented a program called the Breed Leader.  Each year we will select the does/ewes within each breed who have excelled in their breed for production (milk weight, butterfat, protein and extended lactation) and Registry of Merit. As soon as our confirmation evaluation is created, we will also add that to our Breed Leader program.

IGSCR Production Supreme

This is another new program started to show Excellence in our dairy stock. Its purpose is to help us in our herd management with our dairy animals, to show where we can improve our breeding and how we excel. It includes:

  • 305 days or longer milk testing (don’t worry if you milk a few days less. we will prorate the required amounts)
  • Registry of Merit and/or Linear Appraisal Conformation Evaluation
  • DNA Markers and Alpha Casein testing

Price for Production Supreme is shown at: https://www.igscr-idgr.com/fees/