# Salt & Pepper moonspot and colour question.



## Rysktal (Jan 11, 2020)

New Goat Mama here 

My doeling in the middle, is the spot across her shoulders considered a moonspot? It's a big patch of salt & pepper! I also noticed this doe is a different colour black than her half sister and she has a defined black line down her spine, a darker mask around her face and darker "boots". Is there a name for this kind of black pattern?

I have copper bolus arriving next week as well.


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## KY Goat Girl (12 mo ago)

@CountyLineAcres


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## K.B. (Mar 15, 2021)

@Dandy Hill Farm @MellonFriend 

I believe since it's technically white it doesn't count as a moonspot but would be roaning 

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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

That looks like it might be light roaning to me too, but I'm sure the master @CountyLineAcres should be able to sort it out for sure.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

No it isn't


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## Rysktal (Jan 11, 2020)

Thank you! So it's a patch of roaning then?


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## K.B. (Mar 15, 2021)

Onyx has that roaning! The black ones onyx and that's her mom Sapphire from last year! She's technically called black with heavy white roaning!
















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## K.B. (Mar 15, 2021)

Rysktal said:


> Thank you! So it's a patch of roaning then?


I believe so!

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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

Yeah that's roaning. Shes purdy!


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

Can you get a better pic or two of her sides?


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## Rysktal (Jan 11, 2020)

Lil Boogie said:


> Can you get a better pic or two of her sides?


 I will try to soon!


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

Hello! Thank you everyone for the tags lol.

If she were older, and the patch randomly appeared at age 4+, I would say it’s natural greying from getting old. Since you said she’s a doeling, I’d say it’s most likely a patch of roaning like others have said. Moonspots and spots can present as individual hairs, but they likely wouldn’t be concentrated in such a dense location.

As for her pattern, she is likely black but copper deficient. If her markings are truly black, then she cannot be chocolate. Pheomelanin also doesn’t get that dark. Since her sister is black, both parents at least carry black, so no patterns can hide. Out of curiosity, what do her parents look like?


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## Rysktal (Jan 11, 2020)

CountyLineAcres said:


> Hello! Thank you everyone for the tags lol.
> 
> If she were older, and the patch randomly appeared at age 4+, I would say it’s natural greying from getting old. Since you said she’s a doeling, I’d say it’s most likely a patch of roaning like others have said. Moonspots and spots can present as individual hairs, but they likely wouldn’t be concentrated in such a dense location.
> 
> As for her pattern, she is likely black but copper deficient. If her markings are truly black, then she cannot be chocolate. Pheomelanin also doesn’t get that dark. Since her sister is black, both parents at least carry black, so no patterns can hide. Out of curiosity, what do her parents look like?


I do believe all three are a bit copper deficient, which I knew about before purchasing. Their previous owner and I have ordered copper bolus and it's taking ages to arrive. It's not something we can buy locally, unfortunately. 

The doeling in question, her mom is solid black with a white pole and her dad is black with a bit of white.


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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

Rysktal said:


> I do believe all three are a bit copper deficient, which I knew about before purchasing. Their previous owner and I have ordered copper bolus and it's taking ages to arrive. It's not something we can buy locally, unfortunately.
> 
> The doeling in question, her mom is solid black with a white pole and her dad is black with a bit of white.


Black is the most recessive pattern, so you can only get black when breeding two black goats. White markings are dominant and on a separate locus.

The only exception is dominant black, but that does not occur in that breed.


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## Rysktal (Jan 11, 2020)

CountyLineAcres said:


> Black is the most recessive pattern, so you can only get black when breeding two black goats. White markings are dominant and on a separate locus.
> 
> The only exception is dominant black, but that does not occur in that breed.


Very cool. So my other black doeling has the same dad, but her mom is mostly White with black boots and spots. 

And my bucksin (I think that's what the brown one is called) also has the same dad but she is an exact clone of her mom!

Are there any good books to read about ND genetics/colours? I'd like to have a deeper understanding.


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## Rysktal (Jan 11, 2020)




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## CountyLineAcres (Jan 22, 2014)

I highly recommend this website. There’s also a Facebook ND color group by this creator as well.









Nigerian Dwarf Goat Coat Color Genetics


Information on Nigerian Dwarf goat color patterns, eye, polled, and wattle genetics, moon spots, and more!



www.nigeriandwarfcolors.com


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