Last year, only five bucks met the performance requirements of the test. An additional six bucks were identified as top performers. Last year's test conditions were incredibly difficult. Fecal egg counts were very high and a DrenchRite® test confirmed moderate to high levels of resistance to all anthelmintics. So, having a buck in the top-10 was quite an accomplishment.
 |
| Peters buck being auctioned off |
The three top-performing bucks that were offered for sale at the BPI sale included two of the top five. They were bucks consigned by David Peters (North Carolina) and Thomas Davis (Missouri). The Peters buck (661) was the most parasite resistant buck in the test. It had an average fecal egg count of 364 epg and a high egg county of 964 epg. It was the second year in a row that a Peters buck accomplished this feat.
Thomas Davis had the other top-5 buck (616). It was the 4th most resistant buck in the test. The Davis buck had an average fecal egg count of 784 epg and a high egg count of 1525. It was Davis's first year to consign bucks to the Maryland test.
The third buck to be offered for sale at the BPI sale was consigned by Angie Loos (Illinois). It (639) was one of the nicest-looking bucks to come out of the Maryland test in many years. It ranked second in average daily gain. It was the only buck to be graded USDA Selection 1. The Loos buck was also the third most resilient buck in the test (it tied with two other bucks), having an average FAMACHA© score of 1.17. Only one time did it have a FAMACHA© score of other than 1.
The top-performing bucks in the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance test, last year and in year's past, should be valued for their performance and genetic merit.
