International Arapawa Goat Association

Arapawa News 2011

Bucks at SVF

The Arapawa breeders in the United States have recently joined together in forming an official organization – Arapawa Goat Breeders USA. I was honored to be nominated as President and am working alongside my fellow Board of Directors to create a framework for the breeders in the US to communicate and network. With a wide geographic spread of goats and a small genetic pool to work with we are facing challenges which need to be overcome in order to successfully maintain a healthy population.

Over the last two years SVF has worked with a relatively large percentage of Arapawa goats in the US. This fact, in addition to having an accomplished small ruminant Theriogenologist (veterinarian that specializes in reproductive medicine) on-site three days per week means that we have the ability to use some of these specialized resources toward benefiting the breed. In December 2010 we used frozen semen, which collected here at SVF, to AI three does. This small trial resulted in two confirmed conceptions: one set of live twins and a single buckling which was lost during kidding. Pleased with the resulting conception rate of our small trial, it was suggested to the AGB-US that SVF try using some of the frozen semen being maintained by Plimoth Plantation to get some additional genetics out of the tank and on the ground.

Arapawa goats at SVF Foundation

The semen at Plimoth (again, as many of you already know) was imported to the US through a collaboration of Marilyn Burbank and David Hughes in 2006. As suggested by Marilyn and Dr Sponenberg (a rare breed veterinary geneticist who works with several endangered livestock populations in the US) this semen could be used to form distinct bloodlines within our population, allowing the formation of a stable genetic population and reducing the risk of inbreeding problems.

Although the US Arapawa population is facing some unique challenges there is true enthusiasm and hope within the small breeder community. The AGB-US is excited to be moving forward with imminent plans to increase communication for its members and provide some much-needed additional genetic resources for the population.

— Sarah Bowley

See also the Arapawa News for 2008, 2009 and 2010.