Tan Solid in the Black/Pattern Pool - Agouti

Tan Solid:

There are agouti genes that will produce tan solids, solids are also called "no pattern." Colors range from cream to tan to light reds. This is considered a more dominant color in the black/pattern pool genetically in articles by Phil Sponenberg.

These goats usually fade to a white or "not quite white." This provides an additional means for producing a white goat. Because it is genetically more dominant than the patterns, it is one of the reasons many cross pool kids are white.

It is important to know specifics of the pedigree on these animals before making breeding decisions to make sure they are in the black/pattern pool. The majority of brown and red angora goats, especially those that retain their color, get their color from the Red/Black/Brown pool Extension locus.

I bred a my badger doe to my gray and white pinto buck and got this tan and white pinto buckling pictured below. His twin is a badger doeling. 

Peacock Pattern in Colored Angora Goats

Peacock:

This pattern is referred to as peacock because of the light front end and dark backend of the goats. It is a pretty pattern, and produces a fleece with colors similar to the badger pattern, but with a higher percent of gray/black color than a badger.

Peacock differs from Badger in that from the loin back, there is a large amount of gray/black present. The neck, chest, and front half of the barrel are white, cream or tan.  There are black or gray stripes on the face and the lower legs are black. The black/gray from the rear abdomen extends up the barrel and the gray from the topline extends downward in varying degrees on individuals. Some are almost solid black/gray on the rear end while others have a tan area  in the middle. The back leg from hock to stifle is usually cream/tan.

These goats are in the black/pattern pool genetically, with the genes that produce color located on the Agouti locus. They should produce color and pattern when bred to a goat in this pool.

This pattern is called Cou Clair (tan or cream) or Cou Blanc (white) in alpines.

Solid Black in the Black/Pattern Pool

Solid Black:

Solid goats are also referred to as "no pattern." Solid black goats can range from true black, to gray to light silver. Usually they are born with a black birth coat and then often fade to a lighter color as their mohair grows in. 

Solid black/gray goats are present in both the black/pattern pool and the red/black/brown pool, but each pool gets it's color differently. In the black/pattern pool, the color is from genes on the Agouti locus. It is impossible to tell what pool they belong to simply by looking at a solid black/gray goat. Looking through the pedigree to see what colors and patterns are present is the easiest way to make an educated guess as to which pool they get their color from. Another way is to breed the animal to a goat from either pool and see what color is produced in the kids. 

In the black/pattern pool, the solid black/gray (no pattern) is considered to be genetically more recessive to the other patterns on the Agouti locus. However, they are relatively common in the current colored angora black/pattern pool population. 

Reverse Badger Angora Goat - Black/Pattern Pool

Reverse Badger:

Also known as Light Belly. These goats fall in the black/pattern pool genetically and have color genes on the Agouti locus that are expressed as this pattern.

This is my daughters favorite pattern. Their fleeces are a nice way to get 2 colors in one fleece. Typically a shade of gray with a smaller amount of white or cream. I have seen pictures of a few goats that have red in place of the black/gray color.

The main body, including the neck is black or gray. There are white or tan stripes on the face, usually a single bar on each side extending from the poll to the lip, running forward of the eyes. They have a white or tan belly which often extends up toward the tail, and white or tan stripes on legs. Sometimes there is white or tan hair at the jawline.

This Reverse Badger doe also has the white spotting pattern of frosting on her ears and on the top of her nose.

This pattern is called Sundgau in alpine goats.

Badger Pattern

Badger:

Also called Badger face and Dark belly

This is my favorite of the patterns. I love the combination of light tan and gray. I got my first badger last fall. She had a badger doe kid this year, so now I have two! I like to use the fleece in it's natural color to make a cream and white lock spun yarn.

The main body is a tan or cream color. There is a gray or black dorsal stripe on the top line. The belly is gray or black and this may extend up on part of the chest and up toward the tail. Sometimes there is a gray or black martingale around the lower neck. The lower legs are tan/cream with black stripes. The ears are usually tan with gray edges. Their faces are tan with dark nose and mouth and dark stripes extending from the nose to the poll, usually passing above the eye.

Badgers seem to be most likely to have the solid tan or light red color pattern in their kids. I bred my badger doe to a grey and white pinto buck last fall. This spring she had twins, her badger doeling and a tan and white pinto buckling.

In dairy goats, especially French Alpines, this pattern is called chamoisee. The caramel pattern in pygmies is similar, though in pygmies the dark belly is variable.