MiniNubian Sr. Doe Championship Lineup

This is the line up for Grand Champion Mini-Nubian. The five animals are the first place 2 year old, 3 year old, 4 year old, the aged doe (a six year old) and a dry doe. Each of the other does brings specific strengths to the class.

Although I appreciate the strength of the fore legs and rear legs when viewed from the front and rear and the width in the area of the escutcheon, the dry doe just cannot compete with proven milk producing does as we see with the other 4 members of this class. As a side note in a show officially sanctioned by the American Dairy Goat Association any doe over 2 years who has never freshened cannot be shown and would be disqualified.

The 2 year old is straight and strong along the back and stands on correct feet with correct angulations to the rear leg in side profile.

The 3 year old doe show us smoothness at the point of shoulder and width in the chest floor. She shows the increase in depth of body that is expected with additional freshenings. She is strong in dairy character with a refined flank and incurving thighs.

Although a more level rump from hips to pins is desirable, the 4 year old shows width across the rump from thurl to thurl. That width is carried down into the escutcheon and the rear udder which is very correct in shape. She also stands on strong rear legs.

The aged doe shows excellent dairy triangulation both from the side and from the upper view. She has a well supported mammary system with correct symmetry in side profile.

The Grand Champion is the doe that combines the strength and correctness of mammary system and general appearance and that is the aged doe. Compared to her nearest competition, the 4 year old, she shows more depth of udder from front to rear, and although not appearing quite as wide in the escutcheon she is showing more natural width both fore and rear. As we look at her from above she is smoother at the stifle and is showing less tendency to work out at the stifle. Additionally she has the advantage in body capacity with more depth at the point of elbow and more increasing depth into the rear barrel. The 2nd place aged doe does not have the strength of mammary to compete with the 4 year old who will be Reserve Grand Champion Mini-Nubian. For reasons already explained the aged doe will be best udder of the breed.