The Kinder Breed
Kinders are a young breed. They originated in 1985, when Pat Showalter's Nubian buck died on Zederkamm Farm, leaving Pat's two Nubian does without a match for breeding season. The only remaining candidate on the farm was the Pygmy buck, who was willing enough to fill in in the absence of his taller counterpart and resourceful, too. He figured out how to stand uphill from his leggy dates or make use of a log. The kids born the next spring were wonderful mid-sized goats with airplane ears and a chunkier build than their mothers had. Pat realized that these first generation kids had wonderful potential as a new breed, especially when she tasted their delicious milk. She worked with dairy goat expert Harvey Considine (author of Dairy Goats for Pleasure and Profit) over years to develop a Kinder breed standard and to improve her Kinders from generation to generation. Since the 1990s, there have been almost 4000 Kinders registered with the Kinder Goat Breeders Association.
Here's what's wonderful about them. (No doubt this is not a complete list.)
There are two ways to start a Kinder herd. One way is to breed a registered Pygmy buck to a registered Nubian doe. (It has been done the other way around, but that's hard on a Pygmy doe, given the size of the kids.) You wouldn't be looking for just any Pygmy buck and any Nubian doe, however. You'd want a taller, older-style Pygmy buck, possibly even from a line that has been bred for milking (there are a few). And you'd want a reasonably stocky Nubian doe with a very good udder and milking history. For more information, see information from the Kinder Goat Breeders Association on starting your herd.
The second way to start your Kinder herd is to buy registered or registerable Kinders from a breeder, preferably a breeder who focuses on raising animals true to the breed's dual purpose. This was the route we chose because it seemed the quickest path to founding a quality herd. We aren't aiming to put a lot of meat in the freezer, so we want kids born to our does to be registered stock that can go on to good new homes to found other Kinder herds and to feed families.
The third way to procure a Kinder-type herd is to breed or buy unregistered animals. There's nothing inherently wrong with this approach, but kids won't be worth as much when it's time to sell them, and they technically can't be called Kinders, since the breed name Kinder is a registered trademark of the Kinder Goat Breeders Association. The KGBA is a terrific, supportive resource for new owners and breeders of Kinder goats. They do everything they can to help ensure that this young breed continues to grow and improve along the way. They are keenly aware that every Kinder goat people encounter is an ambassador for the breed. Here in the East, where Kinder herds are harder to find, it's especially important to put best cloven hoof forward, so the association is concerned about how the name "Kinder" is used.
Here's what's wonderful about them. (No doubt this is not a complete list.)
- Here is a goat not too big and not too small — 20–26 inches at the shoulder for does. Bucks can be a couple of inches taller. Their size makes them easy to handle, even for an older child. We aim to breed Kinders does that mature to 23–26 and bucks that mature to 25–28 inches.
- Four-foot high sheep and goat fence is tall enough to to contain Kinders; shelters can be simpler and much cheaper to build than full-sized barns; and the feed bill is easier on the wallet.
- Quality does are bred for easy milking, with hand-sized teats. Kinder milk is rich and sweet, higher in butterfat than that of the full-sized dairy breeds. (More butterfat equals more cheese.) Kinder does convert feed to milk more efficiently than full-sized dairy goats do.
- Does often have multiple kids—three or four are not uncommon. Like Pygmy goats (but not like full-sized dairy goats), many Kinder does come into heat throughout the year, so that the arrival of kids can be timed any month of the year. If one doe kids in spring and the other in fall, a family has milk throughout the year.
- Meatier than dairy goats, Kinders can be an excellent source of meat for the freezer. Kids reach 70% of their adult body weight in their first year and often dress out at 50–60% of their body weight. Adult does weigh 90–130 pounds and bucks 135-150 pounds.
- Kinders are intelligent, very friendly if socialized as kids, and full of personality. To know them is to love them, and there is no better entertainment than watching Kinder kids play.
There are two ways to start a Kinder herd. One way is to breed a registered Pygmy buck to a registered Nubian doe. (It has been done the other way around, but that's hard on a Pygmy doe, given the size of the kids.) You wouldn't be looking for just any Pygmy buck and any Nubian doe, however. You'd want a taller, older-style Pygmy buck, possibly even from a line that has been bred for milking (there are a few). And you'd want a reasonably stocky Nubian doe with a very good udder and milking history. For more information, see information from the Kinder Goat Breeders Association on starting your herd.
The second way to start your Kinder herd is to buy registered or registerable Kinders from a breeder, preferably a breeder who focuses on raising animals true to the breed's dual purpose. This was the route we chose because it seemed the quickest path to founding a quality herd. We aren't aiming to put a lot of meat in the freezer, so we want kids born to our does to be registered stock that can go on to good new homes to found other Kinder herds and to feed families.
The third way to procure a Kinder-type herd is to breed or buy unregistered animals. There's nothing inherently wrong with this approach, but kids won't be worth as much when it's time to sell them, and they technically can't be called Kinders, since the breed name Kinder is a registered trademark of the Kinder Goat Breeders Association. The KGBA is a terrific, supportive resource for new owners and breeders of Kinder goats. They do everything they can to help ensure that this young breed continues to grow and improve along the way. They are keenly aware that every Kinder goat people encounter is an ambassador for the breed. Here in the East, where Kinder herds are harder to find, it's especially important to put best cloven hoof forward, so the association is concerned about how the name "Kinder" is used.