Acquiring breeding materials from top breeders in the US proved to be no easy task. First, the expenses involved are massive and second, many of these top breeders are highly suspicious of strangers, especially foreigners, inquiring about their goats.

But perseverance pays. With a lot of help from friends and a little luck, I was able to establish contact with top breeders of Ango Nubians and La Manchas, three of whom were honored as Premier Breeders by the American Dairy Goat Association during their annual ADGA National Shows.

On top of the list s Karen Senn, who along with daughters Krista and Erika, own the Kastdemur Dairy Goats based in Redding, Northern California.

Karen's name is synonymous to outstanding Anglo Nubians and La Manchas (she only breeds these type of goats) both in appearance and milk production capacity.

Karen was ADGA Nationals Premier Breeder for both Anglo Nubian and La Mancha in 1999 and 2001; Premier Breeder of La Mancha in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and Over-all Premier Breeder f Show for all dairy breeds in 2005 and 2006.

In the 2005 ADGA Nationals, her La Mncha doe, Kastdemur's Slice, and Anglo Nubian doe, Lassenwood Miller Kalila, were adjudged national champions in their breeds.

And these recognitions are just from the ADGA Nationals. The other awards Kastdemur's Goats won in other State Dairy Goat Shows have not been included in this listing because of space limitations.

From Karen Senn, I have acquired our Anglo Nubian buck kids, one of which is out of 2005 ADGA National Champion Kalila, the second from another champion doe, Kastdemur's Breeze, and the two others from another outstandng doe, Kastdemur's Mirassou.

I have also acquired one La Mancha buck kid out of an outstanding doe, Kastdemur's Survivor and three doe kids out of Citrilion and Aquafina.

Buying the goats from Karen Sen was not easy in view of the numerous orders and reservations she receives even before the kids are born. In fact, I had to place my rder and make the necessary deposis as early as last year. I actualy wanted to acquire Anglo Nubian doe kids from Karen but she was only able to produce a few this year, all of which were either retained by her or covered by earlier reservations.

I have also acquired Anglo Nubian breeding stocks from Megan Tredway whose family members - husband Aaron Carter, dad Larry and Mom Kristine - I now consider as personal friends.

Megan, who acquired most o her foundation stocks from Karen Senn, was ADGA's Anglo Nubian Breeder of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005 and was ADGA National Champion Breeder of the Year in 2007.

It was because of this friendship that I was able to acquire two outstanding Anglo Nubian bucks-- Lakeshore's Wild at Heart, the 206 Minnesota State Fair Champion Buck and whose mother, Ace of Hearts was an ADGA National champion, and Lakeshore's Jagged Edge, whose mother, Julie's Jaguar, was also an ADGA National Champion.

Along with the bucks, Megan also helped me acquire young does from two 4-H breeders who get their breeding stocks from her. And out of her 2008 production, I have already acquired 2 buck kids and 2 doe kids with at least 10 more doe kids being readied for weaning.

From her husband Aaron Carter, an outstanding La Mancha breeder as wel, I have acquired a white La Mancha buck kid which has already been adjudged grand champion in a California goat show even before he could be shipped to the Philippines. Six more La Mancha does have been included in the list of goats that wil be shipped to the Philippines this year.

The third ADGA National Champion Breeder from whose herd we acquired about 2 dozen breeders is Teresa Wade, who in 2002 was adjudged by the ADGA as the Anglo Nubian Breeder of the Year.

Although Teresa, who is now working full time with her husband Don in their company Bio-Genics, has sold her herd to the Green family of Oklahoma, the goats that we acquired are still listed as Hills Acres goats which carry great genetics.

Among the oustanding stocks we acquired from the Wade herd are the spotted Anglo Nubians whose apearance is so fascinating especially now that they are regaining weight and the body they lost in the past.

The other Anglo Nubian and La Mancha breeding stocks that we acquired came from Dr. Jeanne Koploy of Royal Oaks, California, a veterinarian who also acquired most of her breeding stocks from Karen Senn, and other small but outstanding dairy oat breeders in the California area.

With these outtanding breeding materials, I hope to be able to contribute to the upgrading of our dairy goats n the Philippines and enable our dairy goat farmers to earn more for their families.

by Manny F. Piñol - May 22, 2008

Build on strong foundations, that is what great builders in history have always told us and this applies to the building of human charcter, physical structures and any undertaking in life.

It was with this thought in mind that I started my venture into the dairy goats both for milk production and the breeding of goats with superior genetics.