Bird's Eye Farm Lizabeth Darcy
ADGA Pedigree
We planned to only keep one Ina daughter in 2023, but Lizzo and Elena both looked so great as kids that we couldn't decide! Lizzo was born small, but she was so spunky and determined to nurse that she quickly caught up with her triplet brother and sister. We were charmed by her tenacity and friendly disposition. She's also got a great front end and is very level.
We generally only kid every other year. Lizzo was born in an off year, so we assumed we wouldn't get to breed her or her sister Elena until they were over two years old. As it turned out, we got a chance to have a visiting buck in spring 2024. Elena happened to be in heat that week, so she got bred, but Lizzo did not. This gives us a cool opportunity to see how two genetically identical does do when they're first bred at different ages.
In our experience so far, does bred younger are less likely to get overconditioned, but their first freshening milk production is a bit lower, and they often have fewer kids. Does bred a bit older can build more strength and stay in great condition on extended lactation, even on their first freshening. (They're also likelier to have multiples: Lizzo's granddam Chimi had quads when she first freshened as a two year-old.) Breeding at about 18 months seems like the sweet spot for our farm, but it will be interesting to see what the Elena/Lizzo experiment teaches us.
Lizzo's sister Elena, dam Ina and granddam Chimi have all been great milkers for us, and we're excited to have Liz join the tradition. She has been a very nice auntie to her niece Gilia, so I look forward to finally seeing Liz with her own kids!
