This is the first time I've heard that term - triangles. As I'm a breeder myself and looking to improve my herd this is of great interest to me. Thanks!

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), March 13, 2002

Answers

Hi Lynn, go get a does paperwork in your herd, now put a buck from your herd or a buck from the internet, paperwork next to it on the table. If you have lines that go straight across the paperwork from dam to buck than it would be considered a good line breeding, if you also have lines that go across the page between the animals and also lines that conect, up and down, in the paperwork, the base of the triangle, than it is a good tight line breeding. Alot of the best animals are related many times back and forth, especially if you have extended pedigrees of your girls. I think using extended pedigrees on purchased stock is one of the most overlooked items. That really nice animal you purchased was bred from these old pedigrees, but instead of continuing with the "flavor" the breeder used, you think you are going to improve it by tweaking it. Might work, but likely if you have no lines at all on the paperwork, it is an outcross, which breeds you back to norm, and norm doesn't win.

Next month when I go to Lousianna a friend of mine has pedigree software, which after you put in the paperwork of the buck and doe it tells you the percentage of relationship. There are then numbers to shoot for in this percentage. I will give a full report on it after I look at it. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 13, 2002.

What if you have linebred animals and you need to outcross to fix a fault that is pretty consistent in the line you have? Outcross, then breed back into the line again? Pick a line that is distantly related but doesn't have the fault, and outcross to that?

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 14, 2002.

I will use me as an example. I have bred Price of the Field stock for years. Using some tweaks to it through Easy Stream and Pruitville, but the same buck is several times in each pedigree, POTF Bartholomew. Now years back Goldwaithe started with some Desert Capers animals, and Goldwaithe and Saada animals have wonderful udders and also have wonderful paperwork, Desert Capers started with POTF stock, so moving to a SAADA x POTF Royal Marcus buckling moves me away from the line through all of SAADA's generations away from POTF, but still gives me that quality I like. Another sure fire thing is to see what others with your bloodlines are doing. I know several folks who used Smooth Operator or other heavy Frosty Marvin influenced stock on their POTF stuff, ICK! So why would I want to repeat this ICK? I don't. Several folks are using some Faith Farm with good results so with an AI breeding to the very best Faith Farm buck, Genesis, a buckling will be used this year to see if he will help. But you don't bet the farm on just the one buck with a little outcross, you only breed him sparingly. I also have a killer Saada doe in my barn, who is bred to my buck who works well for me Easy Stream Essential, with E being older, I will be keeping a buckling out of this, not to use this year, but to keep in the wings, I do lots of that. Someone on this forum owns a buck I gave them for a song, that I probably will use in a few years, a bloodline I wanted to keep but not a buck I wanted to feed, I have lots of that, animals here, animals there, makes for good friends also. Full Circle is another bloodline that I like, Tim Pruitt has had wonderful luck with breeding this in to POTF influenced stock, so I know it won't be much of an outcross to bring this in. Years back Swan Creek was POTF, Full Circle, and Crown Point, the buck Heath I own in halves and used this year, is Crown Point. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.