The Sire's Progeny Records
Maxine Kinne

Do you remember everything each of your bucks produced last spring? How about the year before? Five years ago? No, I didn't think so. Memory only stretches so far back for trivia like this. We tend to selectively remember the best and forget the rest. 

A good breeding plan includes production records, and lots of them, on both your does and bucks. So where do we start? With an empty sheet of paper and a ruler.

Each buck should have a reproduction chart for recording the information you want to collect. Record the name and color of each doe he breeds, her breeding and due dates, the number and genders of the offspring produced for each breeding, and any defects the offspring have. Later on, you may want to add some of the information to the offspring records, like production or show awards.

If you offer buck service, keep information about all outside breedings. What my bucks have produced with similar and different bloodlines has reaped information nearly as useful as for my own herd, in terms of knowing how they cross with a variety of bloodlines. Comparing your own and outside breedings can be quite surprising - sometimes good and sometimes not. But at least you'll know.. For outside breedings, you'll need the same information listed above in addition to the customer's name, phone number and the price of the service fee.

As you accumulate information on each buck, his records will speak for him. In time, he will show himself to be superior, average or just not worth using any more.

 


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