The first set of Boer Goats that settled in at Fern Hollow Farm consisted of a few traditional and one heavy paint doe.

     If we had been aware enough at that time about Boer Goat Breed Standards, we never would have purchased her, because back in that day, color could not extend onto the body past the withers and point on the chest. Otherwise, the goat was considered a cull.

     Unfortunately, that doe died before producing any offspring and we were fast learners regarding how to cull a herd to meet breed standards. Not long after, we had a beautiful doe born with a large spot of red on her back and smaller patches of red on her legs. Structurally, she was beautiful, but we were cutting down on our herd size, and were determined to only have a herd that met standards. So, off to the sale FHF Daisy went. Luckily for FHF Daisy, she was purchased by Sandy and Gary Duncan (Able Acres) and under their expert care and nurturing, Daisy went on to become quite the show gal.

     By this time, color had become quite the hot topic among breeders. Eventually the standards were revised, to state that color was not a discriminating factor. Pat wasn’t sure there was a purpose in breeding just for color yet, but when a non-traditional kid was produced, it was exciting. In my Percentage herd, I played with all types of breeding combinations to create solid reds, paints and roans.

     The summer of 2004 made a huge impact in the direction of our future breeding program. After observing how fast the colored goats flew off the farm, we were convinced the time was right to add color with a purpose. To create our works of art, we started with a blank canvas constructed of a large frame size supported by sturdy, square legs, sculpted with extensive muscling, sound reproductive confirmation, and graced with elegant strokes of balance that accentuated the gender of each goat. Then, God applied His artistic touch with splashes of eye catching color in shades from deep mahogany, rojo reds, and crème caramels.

     W.E. and Carolyn Whitehead’s genetics played a monumental role in the development of our breeding program. Having admired their colored goats ever since ABGA ran an article highlighting
< Angelina and her doe Pocka Dot, we received a sale catalog featuring the most beautiful colored goats we had ever seen. They graciously allowed us to visit their farm a few weeks prior to their October sale, and we immediately knew that T4 Dono, Paisely, Manana, and J Lo would be the beginning of our color foundation. As luck would have it, all our favorite picks came home to settle in at Fern Hollow Farm. That first year we used Dono to naturally breed most of our does and used the Ennobled Dyna-Mo in a flush with a Gauge daughter we had purchased at that year’s Showstopper sale. While the progeny were beautiful, the color was unpredictable. We decided to plan our next breeding season around a series of flushes between proven pair of color producers, T4 Dono and T4 Paisley.

     The Whitehead’s had decided to disperse their herd around this time. We retrieved the sale catalog from our mailbox and our breeding plans changed. Pat carefully studied the bloodlines of the each available Lot, looking for progeny of the gorgeous, one of a kind stud buck T4 Scorpio crossed with dams with a color gene as well. There were certainly many to choose from. And then, on page 11, Lot 72! No, it couldn’t be! They were going to sell Pocka Dot! AND her daughters! The excitement was building!

Due to other commitments, Pat attended the dispersal sale by himself and selected what he felt was the best Lots the sale had to offer. Stating that this sale was best and most fun he had ever attended, he participated in several heated bidding exchanges. At times he had friends bidding for him and it quickly became apparent what he was after. When all was said and done, Pat had won Miss Pocka Dot, two of her daughters Chantico and Kaluhua, two roan percentage does, 4 solid red percentage does, one correct doeling with a color gene on both sides, Natalie Nadine and Zsa Zsa. T4 Redneck, a solid red young buck and perhaps one of the best bucks

 < Scorpio produced, were all coming to Fern Hollow Farm to get to work producing colored kids.

     T4 Natalie Nadine made a pit stop by John and Jackie Edwards place to be flushed to Cannon. In late March, 2006 that flush produced six does and three bucks. Upon returning to the farm, she was naturally bred to T4 Redneck, who meanwhile had been busy breeding a number of does in addition to being used in a flush with T4 Zsa Zsa, whose progeny are eagerly expected in late April, 2006.

     Great expectations is a phrase used to describe the future of Fern Hollow Farm’s breeding plans. There are over 200 babies on the ground in a rich palette of colors! Many more kids are still expected and once again the process of selecting the best goats from this crop and decorating them with color will begin again!