Using Mismarked Breeding Does

by Kevin Hooper

We all strive for having well marked Dutch. However, we don't always reach that goal. I wrote an article on culling some time ago. I stated that I would use a doe that had a disqualifying marking, if all other markings/features were good to excellent. Now, I don't keep many mismarked does. I have used many over the years, but currently I only have three does that have a marking DQ, and one buck, out of about 70 animals.

One doe I kept this spring, a tort, recently had her first litter. Now in looking at her, you would expect to find some babies would have some color in their saddle, See, she had tort color that runs from near her saddle, down and around the front of her chest, it is a patch that is about the size of my hand. This coloration does not touch the saddle, nor the cheeks, nor the front leg! I did like the rest of this doe, so I decided to give her a try, based on the fact that neither of her parents had this fault. I bred her to a nicely marked buck, and none of the babies have a fault that resembles that of the doe!

The key here, in my opinion, is that when keeping one for breeding that has one major fault, is that a common trait in that line? And, did either of the parents have a fault like that? If the answer to either of these is yes, than that animal goes to the pet market.

I have used many of these over the years, and find they end up producing very well. If you do find they produce this trait, then I would cull them out of the herd. Remember though, all other traits on an animal like this should be ideal!