Too many daughters, not enough time (or, Keeping Numbers Down - Because I Must)

I bathed and weighed G&CC Lazarus last week. He's clean now - great. His weight is what got me. This guy weighs in at a whopping 56 ounces. For those of you who keep track in pounds - that's 3 pounds, 8 ounces. Three and a half pounds of big, huge Coronet boar. He outweighs about half of my Holland Lops!

I love this guy - he's calm and sweet, he's got an amazing coat and coronet, phenomenal type (his shoulders are almost 7 inches across), and he's been one heck of a breeder! So here's where the problem comes in.

Once in awhile you get one of those boars, like Laz, who is just amazing. So, if you're like me, you want to spread his genes - so you breed him. You start off with a sow or two. They deliver litters - that's where it gets thorny, because those litters are amazing! So you put him in with more sows.

And that's where you have the dilemma.

In not quite 4 months of Lazarus babies, I have kept 8 daughters and a son from him. Let me put that into perspective with my numbers - I only own 13 Coronet and 9 Silkie sows. So the question, for me, is when is it time to move this guy's amazing genes on and begin working with the next generation?

I've been torn about that question ever since I realized how amazing his first litter was. For me, the answer is "Whenever I have a son just as nice." But you can only breed him to so many of his daughters - and I must say that once in awhile I feel awfully sorry for Dream On, Nyles, Xander, Caleb, and Michael who are all sitting in boar cages hanging out because Laz is hogging all the girls. What can I say? They haven't proven themselves quite as much.

But I'd like someone else to get the opportunity to use this guy. He's only 11 months old. I haven't had one baby from him I didn't like. In fact, I had to sit down and make myself put one of his daughters up for sale the other day. My reasoning was that my numbers are getting high again and, really, how many daughters can you use from one boar?

For those of you who have the same dilemmas with equally awesome boars, let me tell you: I completely understand. I really don't know when I'm going to stop using this guy. But watch out for him if you need a really amazing Coronet boar - I can see myself selling him sometime towards the middle or end of this year. I can only keep so many daughters and sons.

Meanwhile, Ellie, Lydia, Lucy, Lena, Lauren, Surprise, and Michael are getting ready to produce his grandkids - wonder if those genes can keep up for another generation? Time will tell.