We decided to try a feed-change experiment this week. I'm not big on changing feed a lot. I think most condition issues are genetic, which means when I see rough bodies, I need to address my breeding program.
But, this time, we found rough bodies across the board in our barn. We tried very hard to find genetic patterns. Was every offspring of a particular buck or doe rough? Did it take generations to develop?
We evaluated our top 5 animals in terms of body roughness and looked at what they genetically had in common.
In our case, we were finding the spine rough and bumpy while the hindquarters were flat, pinbones prominent.
The best animals had much less of that. So we studied their pedigrees. And couldn't find a common genetic issue.
Because we've had hard, smooth bodies on our Hollands in the past, we decided to explore the feed option. I'll let you know how it goes.
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