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kgstable · May 5, 2020 6:00 PM

So far this season hasn't been great as far as a quality stock which I am a bit bummed about because I've been working hard on keeping the quality of my lines up.
I have been thinking about the generations I have in my pastures now:
Yellow Foundations (To Match my Splash M stud, have had great results (one Blue papered filly this far in a 3rd Gen))
Red Foundations (Usually go with my Wrong Warp Stud)
2nd Generation Red Papered (I have one Hom DP kit M stud that has done me very well)
2nd Generation Blue Papered (Goes with a few different studs, I rotate each season)

I have gotten to the point of where I get a substantial amout of 2G Blue/A papered foals, mostly through the pasture (that's what it's for!) and by hand breeding later in the season.
My goal is to breed my first Star/Gold papered foal by gen 5, I'm just now getting A/Blue (superior tested) foals in my 4th generation.
Anyway, my question is since I only have four pastures and can't afford another one, should I:
1. Switch my 2nd Generation Blue papered horses in my pasture, and replace them with my 3G Blue papered horses for a chance at getting higher quality 4th gen and maybe some star/gold?
2. Should I replace either of my 2nd gen pasture horses with my Splash M line, which had been going good but I'd love the extra boost?
3. Leave it how it is and hope for some star/gold 4th/5th gen eventually?

If I could afford another few pastures I totally would get a few more to help ease my problems haha but I just can't decide what would be best.
Any suggestions?
Thanks everyone!

DarkFrost · May 5, 2020 6:04 PM

I don't have much insight into your breeding queries but if you have the HB someone may be willing to buy you another pasture. :)

Otherwise, I read some people keep AGA foals or Superior only from any breedings.

kgstable · May 5, 2020 6:06 PM

@DarkFrost I've bought through hb's before, but unfortunately right now I'm pretty low on hb's. I'm having to postpone breeding this season.
I usually test my 3G foals through comparison testing and keep only superior foals

Humboldt · May 6, 2020 5:44 AM

Maybe kick the foundations out of pasture. You have a bunch of good 2nd gen foals already.

Use the open pasture for 3rd gens.

kgstable · May 6, 2020 11:27 AM

@Humboldt I was thinking about that, might try it next season and see what happens :)

spotpixe · May 6, 2020 11:57 AM

You could do the annoying and time-intensive option, pick one (or more) of your pastures that are going to be shared between groups, breed group A for that pasture when pastures open, immediately switch all the mares out with group B, breed them the day before pastures close (they won't get a full boost, but it's not bad!). Then you leave group B in the pasture, breed them when pastures open the next month, and rotate group A back in.
Every other month, a group gets a full bonus & the other group should get 20ish days (depending on when your pastures open & how quickly you can get the mares switched out, along with how paranoid you are that you'll forget if you wait til the last day). It's a compromise! lol

kgstable · May 6, 2020 5:40 PM

@spotpixe That seems so labor-intensive :)) Might come down to doing that though

spotpixe · May 6, 2020 5:49 PM

Oh, it 100% is. I only have my one big pasture & the one small one from the newbie deal, and I rotate both... on all my accounts on HJ1 & HJ2. I look forward to it, though! And I definitely leave the foals in the pasture until the next weekend or whenever I get bored, which takes a little of the pressure off. A solid naming system would make it even better, but I'm still working on that, soooo... :)

kgstable · May 6, 2020 6:06 PM

@spotpixie Glad you found a system! My barn is completely full because I sort through them so fast :)) a blessing and a curse

SaraB · May 6, 2020 6:42 PM

I started testing mine and keeping only superior because I was keeping too many. Within the next couple of seasons I might get rid of my 2nd gen b/red horses as well (even though they are superior)

I've definitely noticed a fast increase in quality of the line by doing this.

kgstable · May 7, 2020 7:37 PM

@SaraB I think I might start doing that now

LEAcres · May 7, 2020 11:14 PM

Something you can do to boost your quality is cutting out 2nd gen B/Red papered horses and making it to where your 2nd gen needs to be A/Blue.. that would not only open up a pasture but boost your quality. I've been able to get 4th gen Star/Golds by doing this.. and then going into 3rd gen, they need to be superior to sire/dam and then in your 4th gen you should get a few Star/Gold papered babies.

LEAcres · May 7, 2020 11:21 PM

Here's an example if that didn't make any sense...

NRH My First Star

This filly's sire is half a brother to My First Star's sire but he compared slightly better than My First Star's sire when tested with the same stallion who was a 3rd gen A but with A/Red 2nd gen parents

10786010 4G

WhiteValley · May 8, 2020 1:40 AM

I would take the yellow foundations out of pasture. It is fairly easy to get B/red foals through hand breeding.

HayesStable · May 8, 2020 8:02 AM

I wish i could gift you a few of my empty 10 acre pastures!

kgstable · May 8, 2020 8:04 AM

@White Valley Even superior ones? I use my yellow horses to help boost my Splash M line and already it's slow progress because I'm so strict with the offsprings

kgstable · May 8, 2020 8:05 AM

@Bambi207 I've definitely thought about that, this season was pretty dull as far as superior and papering higher with foals. But I might start weeding out the AGA Sire/Dam 2G's that paper red and go from there

Forestshadow · May 15, 2020 3:17 PM

I have a mix of C/B stallions and a mix of Yellow/Red mares in my foundation herd. It's possible to get a Blue from a B/Yellow cross like this girl I just got.

FS Quxalacula 2 S

For 2nd gen, I keep only B/A boys that test superior to their foundation sires, and I keep only Blue/Red girls that test superior to their foundation dams.

For 3rd gen, I keep only A boys that test superior to their sires, and I keep only Blue girls that test superior to their dams.

For 4th gen, I keep only Star/A boys that test superior to their sires, and I keep only Gold/Blue girls that test superior to their dams.

For 5th gen, I keep only Star boys that test superior to their sires, and I keep only Gold girls that test superior to their dams.

So it's entirely possible to get Stars/Golds at 4th gen without using boosted stock, although you won't get that many of them. I'm just saying that it's not impossible.

The key is to keep each generation progressing in quality. However, pastures do help with that process. You'll probably need to rotate the generations out and in, and just don't keep AGAs.

kgstable · May 15, 2020 7:29 PM

I've sorted through most if not all of my AGA stock, including stallions and hopefully next season I get better stick :) Running a bit low on my 2G b papered superior studs haha

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