Credit to Dr. Spondeburg.  This man as spent several years researching the Spanish Goats and bloodlines.  Thank you Sir for your years of hard work. Here is what he found this is all his work   

 

Texas Hill Country Foundation Bloodlines
The Texas Hill Country has provided many bloodlines of Spanish goats. These included some
very large herds of over 1000 head, which is an important population size for good genetic
selection for various goals. Due to the number of bloodlines and the size of the herds, this
influence is the majority of the present breed.
In the early days (1980s and 1990s) of evaluating Spanish Goats, many of the goats put forward
had a very strong and consistent breed type. In recent days some of the goats that are being
advertised raise the fear that the strength of the breed type has diminished somewhat. This is
especially in the direction of shorter and plainer horns, larger more floppy ears, and larger size.
These point to a potential influence from African breeds, which is a threat to the purebred
Spanish goat when these goats are promoted as purebred.
The demand for several Texas Hill Country bloodlines is quite strong, and consequently these
have become more and more widespread throughout the country. To some extent, they have
become the mental image of a “Spanish Goat,” and this needs to be carefully guarded so that the
type and adaptation do not drift from the original type that has proven so useful.
 Allison Ranch
o Location: Rocksprings, Texas.
o History: This has been a closed herd since 1960. It is selected for uniformly black
color.
o strengths:
o weaknesses: The horns are somewhat less developed than some other strains. This
could be from selection and a closed herd. In some situations it could be from
African influence, although this is unlikely in a uniformly black goat population.
o opportunities. DNA analysis would be interesting to see how these relate to other
old lines. The history of a large and closed herd since 1960 makes it extremely
unlikely that there is any crossbreeding.
o threats
 Bode
o Mountain Home, Texas.
o History: Gene Bode got his first goats in the 1960s. These came from the Black
Bull Ranch in Mountain Home Texas. A few other goats have been added since
then, including some from Kensing in 1987. Goats are selected for both length
and height in various ranch locations, but all within the same general geographic
area. Gene supplemented his goats fairly heavily with feed. The nannies are
prolific, a few producing quintuplets, a few more with quadruplets, and several
with triplets. This herd size was up to 1000 head at one point. They were bred
once per year. Gene liked color variation and spots, and the goats varied quite a
bit in this detail.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities: If the Black Bull Ranch still has Spanish Goats, this would be a
good find.

o threats:
 Bradshaw
o location: Christoval, Texas.
o history: Eugene Bradshaw developed the line. Eugene switched from raising
Angora goats to raising Spanish goats. The foundation goats came from
neighboring ranches: Doug Jones, Robinson, Abernathy, and also select goats
from local auctions. In the mid 1990s he began selecting for black as the desired
color. The goats are bred to produce kids, both spring and fall with a 100% to
130% kid crop each time. This adds up to a 150% total kid production per nanny
per year because of nannies producing two crops. A few Kensing and Syfan goats
have been added more recently. At one point Eugene had some Boer goats but got
rid of them. Eugene died March 9, 2014.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities: Knowing the status of the Doug Jones, Robinson, and Abernathy
herds should be useful.
o threats
 Devil’s River
o location: Sonora, Texas.
o history: Marvin Shurley bought the last billy of a purebred Spanish herd that was
switching to Boer crosses. This billy was mated him to 49 nannies from
Bradshaw. He then added a Sawyer billy more recently. Marvin especially liked
large framed black goats. He did not deworm the goats, and provided minimal
nutritional supplement beyond what the range could provide. Marvin also had
crossbred goats, but always kept them separate from his Spanish herd. Marvin
Died April 2009. Preston Neely (October 2021) relates a story that Marvin found
a billy while out fishing one day and brought him back to the ranch. Shurley’s
ranch is right across the road from the Sawyer ranch (Hwy 270), and Marvin was
good friends with Edwin Sawyer. As a result, there may also be some Sawyer
influence in at least some of the herd.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Didway
o location: Eden, Texas.
o history: Trey Didway is the current owner. Trey’s father had a herd of blue-grey
goats that were from an old original line that had always been in the family. In
2021 there were about 12 of the blue ones. They also have a herd of black goats, a
bought years ago from Margie Mae Russell in Menard Texas. She is deceased
about 2010 or so, but her brother Walter is still alive and may yet have some. The
goats were gathered about every two or three years and were essentially wild. The
blue line now does have some influence from the black Russell line. The goats
have a strong Spanish type, and the origin is unique from other strains.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:

o opportunities: These are not fully included in the associations but need to be.
These small populations from isolated herds are very important as components of
the breed. It would be useful to track down Walter Russell to see if goats are still
with him.
o threats:
 Kensing
o location: Menard, Texas.
o Robert Kensing developed the line beginning in 1972. He started with 15 nannies
and one billy from a pecan farmer named Hecht. He added billies from time to
time, including two big billies that came from a breeder in Sonora, Texas, who no
longer has a herd. Billies also came from Bill Brown (in Menard), and also from a
herd in San Angelo. Robert leased billies to others. Nanny weights are up to 150
lbs, billies to 175 (full grown). In a conversation with Sponenberg in the 1990s,
Robert indicated that nannies that weighed about 125 lbs were better adapted than
the heavier ones. Doris, Robert’s wife, always liked cashmere on the goats. Carl
Whitworth is a grandnephew of the Kensings and continues with the bloodline, as
do several other breeders.
o strengths: The breed type is strong in the strain. The wisdom of pulling back size
to allow for better adaptation is an important lesson for all breeders.
o weaknesses:
o opportunities: This line is one of the more popular and common in the breed.
o threats:
 Koy Ranch
o location: El Dorado, Texas.
o history: In 1991 Zona Koy purchased 20 nannies and then added billies from time
to time. In 2009 the herd numbered 400 nannies. She selected for black color.
Production was about 28% singles, 70% twins, 1.6% triplets. Nannies are up to
about 100 lbs, billies up to 200 lbs or more.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Middle Valley.
o location: Sonora, Texas.
o history: Michael Kissire is the owner, prefers “Middle Valley” as a bloodline
name instead of the family name. In 2009 Michael bought 100 Spanish nannies.
These were made up of two batches of 50 each that came from at least two
different local ranches, and possibly more. They were purchased from a local
dealer that dealt with local goats. The goal was to re-introduce meat goats on the
B.E. Stallworth Ranch, for which Kissire was ranch manager. 3 Syfan billies were
used for two years, then replaced with sons that were mated back to the original
nannies as well as younger nannies. Original selection for black goats was
abandoned early on in order to select more on fertility. The kidding rate is 130%
to 150%.
 Further details came from Preston Neely in October 2021: Cleveland
Thurman Jones Sr was called Pappy Jones. He was the original owner of

the ranch that Kissire is leasing. CTJ II was a friend of Neely’s, but is now
deceased. CTJ III has goats of this line that were never mixed with
anything else. When CTJ I died the ranch went to CTJ II, but ended up
with Cooper who then lost the ranch. Stallworth bought the ranch from
him, then to Kissire. This indicates that the goats may always have been
previously out there on the ranch rather than all of them having been
brought in.
o strenghts:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities: The leads on Cleveland Thurman Jones III should be followed up
to see if goats are still with him.
o threats:
 Morefield
o location: Ohio.
o Dian and Glen Morefield. In 2002 they started with wethers, specifically for
cashmere production. The nannies were from Chris McGuire and Kathryn
Cooper, to which were added a Wood line billy, some Syfan goats, and some
Smoke Ridge goats. The nannies are about 90-110 lbs. billies 175 to 200 lbs.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Pape
o location: Harper, Texas.
o history: Elgin and Shirley Pape began their herd in the 1960s with 8 nannies and
one billy from Midkiss in Kerrville. They then added stock from trusted friends.
The Papes also had Savanna goats and crosses, but on a separate ranch. The goats
are dewormed twice a year. Breeding is year-round. They have a wide variety of
colors in the herd. In some years the predator losses can be up to 60% of kids.
Shirley died September 26, 2010.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Sawyer-Neely
o location: Sonora, Texas.
o history. These are owned by Joe Neely. Edwin Sawyer had 8,000 acres and 1,200
goats. At his death the land and goats were each split 4 ways among nieces and
nephews. Sarah Sawyer Neely is Joe Preston Neely’s wife. Two others in the
family are Jane Sawyer Davis, and Eddie Davis, and a third unnamed. Jane and
Eddie sold goats and land to Tommy Hayre. This is a long-term family line from
goats that have been on the land for generations. The nannies are 130 to 150
pounds, billies to 200. They breed for February kids, with a 165% kid crop. They
have a wide variety of colors. The herd is 750 nannies, and they performance test
80 billies each year. the results are usually a gain of .5 to .7 lb/day.
o strengths:

o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Sawyer (Eddie)
o location: Sonora, Texas.
o history These are distinct from Sawyer-Neely because at one point Eddie added in
some Savannah breeding. Clay Richardson and Tommy Hayre are now also both
involved. This line has been separate from Sawyer-Neely for 13 years.
o strengths:
o weaknesses: Savannah influence in the Hayre-Harter flock, the “Eddie Sawyer”
line. Unikely to qualify as included in purebred Spanish Goats, in contrast to the
Sawyer-Neely branch.
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Smoke Ridge
o location: Montana.
o history: Yvonne Zweede-Tucker started this herd in 1991 with nannies from
Texas auctions. Yvonne likes cashmere on the goats. One third of her herd is pure
Spanish, the others are crosses. They kid in May and June, and nannies wean 1.9
kids each.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o future opportunities:
o threats:
 Syfan
o location: Mountain Home, Texas.
o history: Tom and Meta Syfan. One of Tom’s daughters told Donna Askew that the
goats were brought to Texas from Charleston, SC, “way back.” The goats are
black with cashmere. Nannies weigh 80 lbs, Billies 120 lbs. The Syfans multiple
herds: 3 of nannies, 1 of billies, one young billies, and one young nannies. The
Syfans breed for springtime kidding, and in their environment they usually
produce singles. Nannies are assessed regularly and then placed into the three
herds by quality. Tom died August 10, 2013. Nathan Marker, in Kansas, indicates
that in his environment the Syfan goats are much more prolific, routinely
producing twins and often triplets.
o strengths:
o detractors say:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Weinheimer
o location: Stonewall TX.
o history: This is an older herd that was closed from 1980s to 2004. In 2004 some
Kensing influence was added. Billies are reputed to be up to 250 lbs. They
produce three kid crops in two years. Weinheimer also has a herd of Boer goats.
o strengths:

o weaknesses: Boer or Nubian influence is possible in some goats. Some reveal this
with shorter horns with a low twist, and broader ears.
o opportunities:
o threats
 Willingham
o location
o history: This is an older line of local goats with Nubian influence that shows up in
the horns and ears.
o strengths:
o weaknesses: Nubian or Boer influence, so not purebred Spanish
o threats:
 Wood
o location: Ohio.
o history: Ann Wood is a cashmere breeder and started with goats from two
different lines. Most were from one line from an undesignated source in
Southwest USA. the others were from Texas, and one goat was from New
England.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:

General observations are that most of the Hill Country bloodlines go back to before the
introduction of recent African breeds. Many of these are old family lines that go back several
generations, others are from a foundation of typical local goats that were carefully selected and
blended.
A useful endeavor would be to track down the origins of the lines blended from local sources to
see if any of those sources still exist. This includes the Didway line, for which some details are
known.

 

Texas Rio Grande Valley Foundation Bloodlines
 Concharty
o location: Leonard, Oklahoma.
o history: This herd began in the late 1990s. The foundation was 12 select goats
from a feral herd of about 200 that had been brought up from South Texas near
Mexico. Several of the goats have long twisty horns, and several have speckled
(flowery) color patterns. Both of these are consistent with a Spanish origin, at
least in the American situation. The goats are raised in a semi-feral condition for
survival and were basically feral in the Rio Grande Valley.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats
 others? No organized search has been undertaken for other potential herds of Spanish
Goats in South Texas. There is some assertion that nearly all herds are now crossbred
with Boer goats or other imported breeds. If the original Concharty goats were feral or
unmanaged, then other goats in similar situations are nearly sure to be out there but
difficult to locate and connect with. They are important as a distinct origin within the
breed.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:

 

Southwest Bloodlines of Spanish Goats
Due to the long history of Spanish influence in the Southwest of the USA it is to be expected that
there are still a few isolated populations of Spanish goats in the area. None have been identified
up to this point. The most likely candidate situations are remote areas with either feral or
subsistence populations of goats.

 

Southeast Spanish Goats. Foundation Bloodlines
General: These are old-line goats from the Southeast. They tend to be smaller than Texas goats,
altough they have a similar breed type. Their adaptation to the humid southeast suggests that they
should be considered as distinct from the Texas lines from more arid areas. Many breeders refer
to these as “Brush Goats” which might be a useful distinctive name. Other names are “scrub” or
“ballfield.” These lines are extremely important to conserve, and one challenge is that they
usually persist in much smaller herds than is typical of the Texas Hill Country lines so that long-
term strategies are needed.
 Alabama – potential lead
o location: Alabama.
o history: These are an old family line of goats from a large and isolated herd. In
2021 Shan Norman bought 40 nannies and 2 billies from a trader. The trader had
bought them from an old man who has had them “forever” as a family line. He
runs them wild in the woods and gathers them as needed for money. Photos show
reasonably typical goats. Most nannies are black, with or without spots/roaning.
One nanny is medium red, and white. One billy is medium red with white belt and
speckling.
o strengths:
o weaknesses: Some observers think there is Nigerian Dwarf influence. This does
not show in the general type of the goats, which is strongly Spanish.
o opportunities: Locate the original herd and take a census. Shan Norman is the
contact, need to connect to original trader.
o threats:
 Baylis
o location: South Mississippi.
o history: Rob Baylis raised these goats on the open range until the 1970s or so, and
they were descended from local goats. He sold goats to other breeders. The main
breeders in 2022 include Robert Stenger who has a large herd from Cheri Wolfe.
Gurney Davis also has a herd, begun in 2000 with 1 billy and 6 nannies from a
breeder in Brandon, MS. Gurney used the original billy for 3 years or so, then
replaced him with a son from best nanny. The son was used for 8 years, followed
by his son for 3 years. After that another billy was used. In 2014 all of these goats
were sold to Dr. Griffin in Southern Pines NC. Then 2.5 years later, Gurney got 8
nannies and 2 billies back from Griffin, who had 40 at that time. In 2020 Gurney
got a Cheri Wolfe billy. The Wolfe herd came from the Baylis herd in early 2000s
through an intermediary herd in Arkansas.
o strengths
o weaknesses: Some question an influence by either Swiss or Nubian. This does not
show in general type.
o opportunities
o threats
 Douglas
o location: South Georgia

o history: A Liza Taylor lead. The goats included blue billies with very twisty horns
and typical ear set.
o strenghts: good Spanigh type
o weaknesses:
o opportunities
o threats: no real contact with the owner
 Drummond
o location: Georgia
o history: Bryan Drummond got his original 15 goats from an older woman south of
his area. She is in her 80s or 90s (2021), and her family always had them on their
lands and never added anything else to them. She guards them, and only sells to
people she considers trustworthy. Drummond’s farm manager got a start earlier,
then when Drummond became interested he was able to get some from the same
source. Drummond’s herd grew from 15 to over 50 (2021). The horns, ears, and
heads are typical. Some are polled. Wide color variation (red, black, white,
spotted, moonspots, frosted, sundgau). Drummond’s farm manager knows the
nephew of the old lady but is reluctant to contact her. 
o strengths: Good Spanish type.
o weaknesses:
o opportunities: Connection to original owner would be ideal.
o threats:
 Florida Island
o location: Florida:
o history: Ken McClellan found these, close to the origin of the Partins but on an
island. The owner raises exotic livestock and only catches and sells goats when he
catches exotics. Goats are sold through a local ivestock auction. This is a long-
term isolated herd. The owner planned to sell goats to McClellan after the next
capture to see how it goes (2023). Does not want to be contacted by anyone else.
o strengths
o weaknesses
o opportunities
o threats
 Gates
o location: East Georgia or South Carolina
o history: These are notes from Shan Norman in 2025, and need further work.
Tiffany Gates got her goats from a lady named Ann about 5 years ago. They are
all 100% Spanish/Woods/Brush. There are 40 to 42 head.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Georgia lead
o history: This lead is from Liza Taylor in 2022. A “Mrs. Barbara” in South
Georgia first bought goats 30 years before 2022 from a man named Harper who
lived in West Green, near Folkston. Most have twins of the nannies have twins.

Some Boer in some of them from a billy that just showed up at one point. in 2022,
8 nannies, ands he stops breeding them once they become old.
o strengths
o weaknesses
o opportunities
o threats
 Hollinger Low Country
o location: Island in South Carolina.
o history: Ken McClellan and Nathan Hollinger discovered an isolated herd on a
800 acre island. These were an old local line of goats. They tried to dart or capture
a few in 2022 but were unsuccessful due to the goats fleeing into the swamp.
Hollinger then bought the highest 100 acres of the island. Their plan was to fence,
feed, and trap goats.
o strengths
o weaknesses
o opportunities: Need to get an update.
o threats
 Jericho
o location: Stevenson, Alabama, Jackson County, foot of Appalachians.
o history: Shan Norman is the source of information. In 1970 Betty Jo Rudder
started selecting from within the old local family strain. The original goats came
from a Black man that worked for the family. Betty Jo maintained a closed herd
and selected for meat-producing qualities. This is a region with high humidity.
The nannies are up to 150 lbs, billies to 200. The colors are mostly black with
striped faces, brownish tan, and red. The largest herd is now with Shan and
Courtney Norman, Broken Diamond Livestock. This started about 2018. A few
goats are in a separate herd with Clint Leroy, whose herd started from Rudder
around 2005. Leroy was able to buy a red billy from Rudder because she did not
like red goats. Leroy still has a few. Rudder did not want her name as a label for
the line, so Jericho was chosen as a geographic marker.
o strengths:
o weaknesses: The striped faces suggest to some observers that there might be
Toggenburg influence, but this does not show at all in the physical type of the
goats. The color pattern is indeed the same as Toggenburg, but on a black
background. This is one of the more common color patterns on goats worldwide,
including Spain, so does not reveal much about breed of origin.
o opportunities: It is important to freeze semen on bucks. It is also important to
identify and conserve both the Norman herd and the Leroy herd because these
likely have some genetic differences due to the different times of establishment
from the source herd.
o threats:
 Low Country – The Livestock Conservancy
o location: an island off the coast of South Carolina.
o history: These goats were feral for at least 40 years prior to 2010. In the face of
hogs, wildcats, and alligators the numbers have declined and they are likely now
extinct on the island. In 2010 4 does and a buck captured by The Livestock

Conservancy, two does kidded to island bucks. The nannies are about 70 lbs,
billies 90 lbs. The colors are variable. The goats are now with Brookgreen Zoo
and Donna Askew. Some are likely bred pure in the strain but also blended with
others for “improvement.” The Brookgreen Zoo relies on Askew for billies, so
provenance has become complicated.
o strengths
o weaknesses
o opportunities
o threats
 Norman
o location: Montgomery, Alabama.
o history: The foundation goats came from Shan Norman’s grandfather. These were
an isolated herd for many years, but then various goats from Texas were added,
including Kensing. Some of the originals remain, and do not have any outside
influence.
o strengths: A few have the “repartida” color pattern, which is nearly limited to
goats with an Iberian origin.
o weaknesses: The ears are somewhat large on some, but carried horizontally and
forward. Horns are large, which argues against any Nubian or other African
influence.
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Partin
o location: Florida
o history: These goats come from the Partin ranch. They had several hundred goats
in a herd descended from local goats that had been raised as a closed herd for
many years. Ralph Wright was alerted that they were nearly all gone, and he
purchased the last seven nannies in 2016. They were in kid to the last billy that
had already been sold. They were all typical Spanish goats, and are now part of a
rescue conservation breeding plan. In the early stages of the plan, several does
were lost due to poor management. DNA analysis shows sufficient variation to
save the line intact, despite the low numbers. In 2022 most or all were sold to
Nathan Hollinger and Ken McClellan, who are doing DNA typing and planning
matings.
o strengths: Good Spanish type. The origin from a large herd with a recent crash in
numbers indicates that the genetic variation is still probably high in contrast to
small herds with long histories of small numbers.
o weaknesses: Low numbers are a problem. The original rescue was not handled
well by the first recipient.
o opportunities: Nathan Hollinger is eager to revive the line.
o threats: Low numbers.
 Pitts lead 1
o location: Mississippi
o history: old “Junkyard” goats from a specific location.
o strengths
o weaknesses

o opportunities
o threats
 Pitts lead 2. Ladner goats
o location: Mississippi
o history: only a few remain, and the owners are not interested in conservation.
o strengths
o weaknesses
o opportunities
o threats
 Pitts lead 3.
o location: Dedeaux area.
o history: small herd. Pitts had nannies in 2021.
o strengths
o weaknesses
o opportunities
o threats
 Prestenbach
o location: Mississippi. Columbia, Marion County.
o history: Around 1995 he bought his start at Tylertown stock yard, from goats from
a specific individual source that is now lost or un-named. The goats are always
black or grey. He did introduce a billy from a neighbor with an old flock of
traditional goats. Prestenbach’s are run in the woods with no care, about 40 head.
Sells billies, not nannies.
o strengths
o weaknesses
o opportunities
o threats
 Shaw
o location: Perkinston, Mississippi.
o history: Clint Shaw bought his original black goats from Levi Odom, well before
2000. He also got some tan goats from the Dedeaux area. Current herd is all either
tan or black, with or without minor white spots. Horns are typically Spanish, the
ears are slightly large on a few of the goats. The color range, and dates involved,
make any African breeding unlikely.
o strengths
o weaknesses
o opportunities
o threats
 Valera (Feltner)
o location: currently in Virginia
o history: Peter Schechter and Rosa Puech. This line began in 1995 with a herd
from Feltner in Stanardsville, VA. He bought a billy in Texas in 1991, from a man
named Valera with a herd of typical goats. These were mated to herd of nannies
that had come from a doctor in SW VA.
o strengths
o weaknesses

o opportunities
o threats
 Winter
o location: South Carolina - Low Country
o history: A neighboring island to the Livestock Conservancy Low Country Goats
at one point had a few related goats under private ownership with very typical
physical type for Spanish goats. These are owned by Kenneth R and Peggy M
Winter. 5389 Bonnie Doone Road, Walterboro, SC 29488. 13 goats, original in
1985 from Yonges Island, then two added from Walterboro. Brother in law is in
Ravenel, and also had or has a herd.
o strenghts
o weaknesses
o opportunities
o threats

The general situation with the Southeast bloolines is one of small herds in isolated pockets with
long histories of genetic isolation from other sources. The goats are parasite resistant in this hot
humid region, which makes them important targets for conservation without introduction of
other influences. While this is true, it is also true that the small herd sizes and long isolation
suggest that blending various sources together will boost size and function. The goats are on the
small side, but have not experienced any targeted selection for larger size. In populations like
this the first few generations of selection can provide for dramatic and rapid change. As a result,
selection from within is a better long-term strategy than resorting to crosses with larger strains in
order to not lose the valuable and positive attributes of these goats.
There are no doubt other candidate populations besides these, and a search for others should be
undertaken. Each of the bloodlines should have semen frozen on billies, and also should have
skin cells saved for possible future cloning of older animals.

 

Pacific Island Spanish Goats. Foundation Bloodlines
Several islands in the Pacific have populations of feral goats. In most instances these appear to
have been started by voyagers putting small numbers of goats onto islands in order that any
future castaways might have a source of sustenance. The combination of small founder
populations, long isolation, and undocumented origins makes classification of these difficult,
although many of them do have a typical Spanish appearance and are likely from that origin.
Some populations are very uniform within the population (expected from long isolation) but vary
a bit from the usual “mainland” Spanish goat type. These factors all complicate the inclusion of
these goats into mainstream Spanish Goat conservation efforts, and it may well be that they are
each best conserved independently or as a ‘Pacific Island blend.’ Either approach has challenges,
as outlined in some of the narrative below.
One consistent feature across many of these is the presence of the “San Clemente” color pattern
which is a black front and tan rear to the goat, with face leg stripes. This is at least some
evidence that these do have an ancestral relationship to one another. DNA evaluation has also
pointed in this direction, although that technique has challenges when used with small
populations that have long periods of isolation from other populations.
 Arapawa
o location: Arapawa Island between the North and South Islands of New Zealand
o history: Probably originated from goats liberated by Cook in the late 1700s. An
early theory is that these were Old English goats, but DNA evidence does not
support that conclusion.
o strengths: The goats tend to have a moderate Spanish breed type. Color variation
is minimal, with tan, “San Clemente,” black-and-tan, and black being the main
colors.
o weaknesses: Low genetic variation makes accurate assignment of origin nearly
impossible.
o opportunities: Conservation efforts are ongoing in New Zealand, with only
moderate success, and also in the USA. Small size makes commercial utility
marginal.
o threats: The original population in New Zealand is always under threat of
elimination as an invasive species in an island environment.

 Hawaii
o location: Multiple of the Hawaiian islands.
o history: First released by Cook in late 1700s, other introductions later.
o strengths: Several examples have a strongly Spanish breed type.
o weaknesses: These are an invasive species, so there are always efforts to eliminate
or reduce the feral populations. No DNA work has been done. Captures are
occasionally accomplished, but no organization has emerged to monitor the
domestic populations.
o opportunities: DNA work would be helpful, as would be any captures targeting
the most typical populations. Field work would be necessary to determine which
populations are most likely candidates.

o threats: Reduction or elimination of feral populations is always planned but only
occasionally accomplished.

 Jedediah Island
o location: Jedediah Island off the coast of British Columbia
o history: The probably date from the late 1800s and not earlier.
o strengths: The overall breed type is Spanish. Color variation includes tan/red,
black and tan, and perhaps the wild type color.
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Santa Catalina Island
o location: Santa Catalina, a Channel Island off the coast of California.
o Goats have been on the island from 1827. A herd in Santa Ynez CA was founded
in 1990s from Island. This family bought Santa Catalina in 1919, and took goats
off later. In 2023 the domestic herd included one old billy, several nannies.
Fertility was minimal or nonexistant, but some tissue was saved and some were
mated to San Clemente goats. This herd descends from original goats on island.
o strengths: Spanish breed type. DNA results show some variants that San Clemente
goats lack.
o weaknesses: Many goats called “Catalina” are not from the island. These are
usually impressive goats with large horns and are used for trophy hunts. The use
of Catalina for these goats can result in confusion with the goats that are truly
from Santa Catalina Island.
o opportunities: A search is needed for other herds with an origin in Island goats.
o threats: Low fertility of older goats is a problem.
 San Clemente Island
o location: feral population on San Clemente Island a Channel Island off the coast
of of California.
o history: The goats were introduced from Santa Catalina in 1875 by Salvador
Ramirez. Goats were removed from the Island, and only a few were ever bred so
numbers crashed.
o strengths:
o weaknesses: Relatively small size makes the bloodline an awkward fit for
commercial utility.
o opportunities:
o threats:

DNA studies have shown similarity between Santa Catalina, San Clemente, Jedediah, and
Arapawa. This suggests a common or related origin which was then followed by over a century
of isolation. The color variation also overlaps, which is additional evidence of relationship. How
to best conserve these is a thorny question. Genetic variation is low, so that inbreeding must be
carefully evaluated and monitored. Blending the various Island sources together would boost the
vigor, but would also diminish the long connection to a specific Island of origin.

 

Caribbean Foundation Bloodlines
Goats are relatively common in the Caribbean. The ones that are accessible to American breeders
come from the Territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
 Mona Island
o location: Mona Island, off of the west coast of Puerto Rico
o history: This is a long-term (centuries) isolated feral population of goats on an
uninhabited island. There are rumors that some breeders on Puerto Rico have
captured goats from Mona Island and have kept them going in domestication.
o strengths: The long isolation and early formation of the population makes it ia
high priority for conservation at some level.
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats: The goats, at some point, are slated for extermination on the island.
 Puerto Rico
o location: Puerto Rico
o history: Puerto Rico was an early focus of livestock development by the Spaniards
in the Caribbean. Remnants of the goats still persist.
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threats:
 Virgin Islands
o location: St Croix and perhaps other islands
o history: Goats with typical Spanish conformation are present on St Croix
o strengths:
o weaknesses:
o opportunities:
o threates: