1993 ADGA National Champion Alpine and Best Udder (Right)
We would like to thank
you for your interest in our herd. After having moved from the Pacific Northwest,
we have successfully shown our animals primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region for the past
twenty-two years. Although we have been breeding quality French Alpines for
over twenty-five years now, we have purposefully kept the herd small with an
average of twelve milkers.
Our herd name is derived from the lyrics of a favorite hymn:
"Hold to the rod, the Iron Rod; 'tis strong and bright and true; The Iron Rod is the Word of God; 'twill safely guide us through."
We are grateful for the stewardship we have been given over our small herd of God's graceful and productive creatures.
We own a small farm in the beautiful Piedmont Valley just north of Charlottesville, Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We have been able to make our farm a place where caring for our animals can be characterized as a more comfortable routine (except for breeding, kidding, and showing seasons, of course).
Our commercial
cheese product, Iron Rod Chevre, had been a successful
enterprise for fifteen years. Two years ago, we decided that
trying to do breeding, showing, Grade A dairy, & cheese
production was leaving us with too little sleep and affecting
our quality of life. It was just Larry and myself, and I was
wanting to be "perfect" in each endeavor. There is wisdom in
the mantra, "moderation in all things". My admiration for
those who are able to "do it all" is immeasurable!!! Like many
other dairy goat breeders, we are now selling our beautiful
Grade A milk to someone who loves being a cheese producer as
much as I love breeding and showing. This is the greatest of
complementary relationships!!!
We participate
in linear appraisal every other year. Our last linear appraisal
was in 2012. We were
very pleased with the results, and the individual scores appear on
the individual animal's page. We will be linear appraised again
sometime in mid summer of 2014. We are very excited to see the linear
appraisal results on the 2012 yearlings that will freshen this
spring. The scores will be posted following appraisal. As a group,
we feel this is the finest our herd has ever been. We are
eager for our estimations to be validated!
Leslie says, "I have been breeding and showing
dairy goats for over twenty-five years now, and have noted over these
years the benefits and disadvantages of this passion. Enthusiastic
pursuit of any goal has its sacrifices. As most of you reading
this know, raising dairy animals is the most time consuming of all
livestock enterprises. There is no time that they do not require
our concern and effort. We are each given one lifetime, with
finite time, strength, resources and relationships. "Our success in preserving these
elements is a reflection of our choices. As a rule, (1) I do not
breed does their first year, (2) I choose some heavy milkers to
take through a second lactation, and (3) some finished champions
are given a season's rest and renewal in hope of extending their
lives. "I am a patient herdsman, respecting
the lives for which I am responsible. My barn is not burgeoning
with does, my kids play in a half acre of forest, and each buck
has a quarter acre in which to exercise. "I want to breed these wonderful
animals for many more years and so I am conservative, attending
only those shows that do not deplete my savings or over strain my
marriage."
We have
attended 10 National Shows in the last 21 years. Placings of
does owned by or bred by Iron Rod are as follows:
Alpine National Champion 2X Best Udder
Reserve Best Udder Best 3 Juniors Reserve Junior Champion 1st Place Junior Get of Sire 1st Place Best Three Juniors
1st place Produce of Dam 1st Place Aged Doe 1st Place 4-year-old
1st Place 3-year-old 1st Place Yearling Milker 1st Place Junior Doeling 2nd Place 4-year-old 2nd Place Senior Yearling 2X 2nd Place Junior Get of Sire 2nd Place Best Three Juniors
2nd Place Produce of Dam 3rd place Senior Get
of Sire 3rd Place Aged Doe 3rd Place 5-6-year-old 3rd Place 3-year-old 2X 3rd Place 2-year-old 3rd Place Senior Yearling 2X 3rd Place Junior Doeling 4X
4th place Dam & Daughter 4th Place Best 3 Senior Does
4th place Dairy Herd 4th Place 4-year-old 4th Place Senior Yearling 4th Place Intermediate Junior Doeling
5th Place Best 3 Senior Does
5th Place Best Three Juniors 5th
Place Senior Yearling 5th Place Jr Doeling
6th Place 5-6-year-old 6th Place 4-year-old 6th Place Junior Doeling 6th Place Intermediate Kid 7th Place 5-year-old 7th Place 3-year-old 8th Place Dam & Daughter 8th Place 5-6-year-old 8th Place Junior Doeling 9th Place Junior Doeling 9th Place Senior Yearling 10th Place Senior Kid 11th Place
4-year-old
11th Place 3-year-old 12th Place 4-year-old
12th place 3-year-old 12th Place 5-6-year-old 13th Place 3-year-old
2X 13th Place Junior Doeling
14th Place 5-6 year old 14th Place 4-year-old 14th Place Intermediate Kid 15th Place 2-year-old 15th Place Senior Yearling 16th Place Intermediate Kid 17th Place 2-year-old 18th Place 3-year-old 19th Place Senior Yearling 20th Place 5-6-year-old
2X
Please use the links
at left and below to navigate around our site and learn more about our
Iron Rod Alpine Dairy Goats. Please contact us if you have any questions
about our herd. We would love to hear from you.