Beginning in early 2020, Falcon will be mated to several does from our basic linebred family. Look for quality offspring offered here beginning in mid-2020.
To support our overall breeding goals and both reinforce and add to critical traits, we turned to Abby Schofield at Valley’s-Edge of Maine in 2019. We wanted a junior herdsire distantly related to our linebred family. The Falcon family has super type verified by linear appraisal, a demonstrated will to milk, dairy strength, outstanding mammary systems, and more level rumps from hips to pins than you generally find in the breed, typically in a smaller package. As an individual, Falcon possesses the traits you can readily see in his outstanding close female relatives. He is correct in shoulders, sharp in the withers but without a high dorsal process. His “dairy” openness in ribs is supported with fine skin and coat. Front legs are correct with tight toes pointing forward. Rear legs have correct angulation viewed from the side, no hockiness viewed from the rear, with very good width in the escutcheon. Rump is wide with an angle that should easily score 30+ at maturity. All noted photos by or provided by Abby Schofield of Valley’s-Edge.
Falcon at 1 yr old
Falcon at 1 yr old
Falcon 3 months
At three months Falcon displays his strong topline and an obvious correct type. His very strong libido is another trait we look for in a linebred animal. DD Kowalski photo.
Falcon 3 months
We’re focused on depth of pedigree for milk production, sound mammary systems and correct type overall. Decades of breeding for quality livestock prove that exotic color and color factors have no connection to excellence for either type or production. However, Falcon just happens to be a blue-eyed chamoise animal with moonspots (all simple dominant genes in Nigerians). So one-half of Falcon’s offspring, on average, will inherit his blue eyes and/or brown coloration and/or moonspots. DD Kowalski photo.
Falcon 1 month
Born July 2019, Falcon was one of quads, the kind of genetics for high fertility we want in foundation animals. Photo coutesy of Valley's Edge Farm.
Falcon’s sire Valley’s-Edge RNB Supertramp, shows a very desirable topline and rear angulation when viewed from the side. His sire Tiny Angels OH Rhythm ‘N Blues was a Tavern Lilly grandson.
Photo courtesy of Valley’s Edge
As a pioneer author, ADGA judge and classifier, the late Harvey Considine taught us the mammary system of the dairy goat doe is its crowning glory. Depth of pedigree means we want bucks that have a multitude of such outstanding female close relatives with high, tight udders with strong fore and rear udder attachments and other very important mammary traits. Here are more of Falcon’s close female relatives in the Valley’s-Edge herd …
Humble Acres A Kore EX91 (EEEE) is Falcon’s aunt (and a virtual replica of Fiesta for all the important type traits). Her sire is Humble Acres A Atreus, the sire of Fiesta and her full sister Cha Cha. Shown at an August 2019 show, Kore would be awarded her impressive linear score one month later at age 7:04. Photo courtesy of Valley's Edge Farm
The best daughters of Atreus show amazingly similar mammary systems that have appraised Excellent. Photo courtesy of Valley's Edge Farm.
Shown here as a younger animal, Tiny Angels A Cha Cha VG88 (VEVV) was reportedly going stale when linear appraised at age 7:07. She is the full sister of Fiesta (Falcon’s dam). Here is another small doe making a big genetic impact for both the Tiny Angels and Valley’s-Edge herds. The following two does pictured are her daughters that both linear appraised EX90 on 9/30/19. Photo courtesy of Valley's Edge Farm
Falcon’s first cousin Tiny Angels VED Sugar Foot EX90 (VEEE) is a Cha Cha daughter. Her rear udder shown at a September 2019 show gives you an important visual of an udder that would appraise overall Excellent two weeks later. Azsa Greiner photo.
Our goal is to use a rational plan to produce linebred animals with depth of pedigree for the most desirable breed traits. And it would be hard to find a better linebred pedigree to support the traits Falcon possesses. Here’s a quick profile of the three most important does in his linebred pedigree. His dam Fiesta appraised EX92 (EEEE) at age 5:07. Her dam was Tavern Lilly, one of only two does we are aware of that appraised (at 9:04) EX93 (EEEE). Furthermore, Falcon’s paternal granddam Levita appraised EX91 (VEEE).
Falcon’s dam Humble Acres A Fiesta EX92 (EEEE). Look at ADGA’s drawing of the ideal Nigerian doe and compare to the deer-like, structurally correct Fiesta at an August 2019 show. She’s a beautiful, small, uphill package with a linear stature score of 26. Rump angle appraised at 35, rump width at 35. She scored Excellent in shoulders, front legs, back legs, back, rump.
Photo courtesy of Valley’s Edge Farm
Tiny Angels A Fiesta EEEE92
Fiesta’s rear udder in August 2019. She appraised 35 in rear udder arch, 34 in rear udder height, and 34 in fore udder
Photo courtesy of Valley’s Edge Farm
Fiesta’s dam and the royal queen of the Valley’s-Edge herd is Weedy Tavern Farm Lilly EX93 (EEEE). She appraised at age 9:04, already more than one year fresh!!! Even then she went EX93, one of only two Nigerian does scored at that level. Her rump angle was appraised at 38, rump width at 38. She rated Excellent in head, shoulders, front legs, back, rump. So now you’ve seen Falcon’s dam and maternal granddam.
Photo courtesy of Valley’s Edge Farm
Falcon’s paternal granddam is Mainesecondwind LB Levita EX91 (VEEE), with stature at 19 (scored at age 4:04). She appraised Excellent in head, shoulders and back. Levita was bred to a Tavern Lilly grandson to produce Falcon’s sire Supertramp. Photo courtesy of Valley's Edge Farm
Levita’s fore udder (34), rear height (36), rear udder arch (42), her desirable medial and very good teat size show why her mammary system scored Excellent. Quite frankly, when we look at any trait or group of traits, we don’t look much beyond the parents and grandparents. Any ancestor further away has very little influence, unless they’re typically the product of planned linebreeding with selection.
Photo courtesy of Valley's Edge Farm.
Born in late 2016, Tiny Angels RNB Sassaneq VG89 (VEEV) exudes dairyness and shows a very strong topline, particularly levelness in the rump. She is currently the last daughter born to Tavern Lilly, who was mated to her grandson Rhythm ‘N Blues (Falcon’s paternal grandsire) to produce Sassaneq (Falcon’s aunt). Photo courtesy of Valley's Edge Farm
Pictured at a September 2019 show, Sassaneq’s udder shows very desirable teat size so vital to easy hand-milking and a strong medial suspensory ligament dividing and lifting the udder floor. Azsa Greiner photo.
Another Falcon first cousin is Tiny Angels OH C’est La Vie EX90 (VEEE). She is a Cha Cha daughter appraised at age 6:03. Photo courtesy of Valley's Edge Farm
Pictured when she was younger, this high, tight rear udder of C’est La Vie shows the desirable consistency and quality found in the udders of the best female relatives of Falcon. Photo courtesy of Valley's Edge Farm