05/23/2026
It was a bit of a rainy, dreary week leading up to our appraisal day although, thankfully, the drizzle did let up long enough for us to stay dry during the actual appraisal session.
For those who aren't familiar with the process, Linear Appraisal is an objective, data-driven program used to evaluate the physical structure (conformation) of dairy goats. Conducted by a trained, independent expert, it is a system we highly value here at Camelot Cattle Company. Because it evaluates each individual goat against a biological ideal rather than comparing them to other animals on a given day, it provides a much truer picture of quality than subjective show wins. The ultimate goal of linear appraisal isn't bragging rights; it's herd improvement and longevity.
First and foremost, this data helps predict an animal's functional life. A dairy goat's job is to produce milk. If her udder hangs too low, it easily gets injured. If her legs are weak, she can't comfortably carry the weight of a pregnancy or walk out to pasture. Proper structure ensures the animal stays healthy and productive for many years.
It also plays a massive role in making smart breeding decisions. By looking at appraisal data, we can easily see exactly which areas in our herd are progressing well and which traits still need work. This allows us to plan pairings that improve the next generation.
Finally, it provides unbiased, standardized data. Because appraisers are strictly trained to score uniformly, it allows buyers and breeders to accurately evaluate the structural quality of an animal's genetics from across the country without ever seeing the goat in person. This is incredibly valuable for herds like ours that ship animals nationwide and export internationally.
All that said, when our animals score well, we DO like to brag on them because it is hard proof from an unbiased source of our dedication to the improvement of our herd and breed. We sold quite a few of our mature milkers last year so half of our milkers this year are first fresheners. We are very proud to see the direction our herd is moving with these young does.
First Freshener Camelot Cattle Co Legacy
Pedigree: daughter to multiple time ELITE and multiple time Top Ten BREED LEADER doe SG Camelot Cattle Co Mischief 4*M Ex90. Legacy is sired by +B Camelot Cattle Co Chrome, sire to multiple Top Ten BREED LEADER and ELITE does.
Score: Legacy scored VG87 (VVGV) with one notable linear trait being a rear udder height of 40. One of my goals for my herd has been to see those udder traits in the 40s.
First Freshener Camelot Cattle Co Calypso
Pedigree: granddaughter of +*B Camelot Cattle Co Oliver Wood Ex92 who is a full brother to multiple time ELITE and multiple time Top Ten BREED LEADER doe SG Camelot Cattle Co Mischief 4*M Ex90. Calypso is sired by +B Camelot Cattle Co Chrome, sire to multiple Top Ten BREED LEADER and ELITE does.
Score: Calypso scored VG86 (VVVV) with one of her notable linear traits being a rear udder height of 42!
Second freshener Camelot Cattle Co Tenzi (3*M)
Pedigree: daughter of +*B Camelot Cattle Co Oliver Wood Ex92 who is a full brother to multiple time ELITE and multiple time Top Ten BREED LEADER doe SG Camelot Cattle Co Mischief 4*M Ex90. Tenzi is out of the lovely Camelot Cattle Co Charlie 2*M Ex91 (VEEE), sister to multiple time Top Ten BREED LEADER doe, Camelot Cattle Co Fawkes.
Score: Tenzi scored VG89 (VEVE), really showing up in her excellent dairy strength and mammary system.
We also scored 7-year-old Camelot Cattle Co Amara 4*M in her everyday clothes, no clip or hoof trim (I had actually planned to skip scoring her since she has earned her place here regardless), but she caught the appraiser's eye so I pulled her out of the pasture for appraisal. Amara already had a permanent score of Ex92 (EEEE) from our last appraisal two years ago and she is a Top Ten BREED LEADER doe so again, she has earned her place here. However, as I said above, part of what we breed for is PRODUCTIVE LONGEVITY and using linear appraisal to show that we have that in our herd is important, so Amara was appraised in all her hairy glory while needing a hoof trim.
Amara scored Ex92 (EEEE) again as a seven-year-old unprepped for appraisal. Am I bragging? Yes. I am proud to see my home-bred animals have that kind of productive longevity. As of our most recent milk test on May 8, Amara was milking 18 pounds per day with no special treatment. Amara breeds first time, carries multiple kids easily, has uncomplicated deliveries, and goes right to filling the milk pail without a fuss. These are the kind of aged does we are striving for.
Pictured are first fresheners Legacy and Calypso, and second freshener Tenzi.
