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Written by Kathleen Rose O’Day-Gaskill (Conesville, Ohio) for the Dairy Goat Journal, (Vol. 64 No. 8) appearing in their August, 1986 publication.

DGJ Editors Note: We thank the author for her fine work in putting together all the photos and information for this special Frosty Marvin section. In addition, she also got together all of the Frosty Marvin section advertisements, wrote them and designed them. Thanks for a good job, Katy Rose!)

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There is no other name in all Nubiandom that evokes such a powerful, and often emotional response, as that of GCH ++*B Hallcienda Frosty Marvin. Undoubtedly, Marvin is the “cornerstone of the breed”, through sheer numbers if for no other reason. To date, Marvin has sired 400 offspring and 4,100 grandprogeny!

This writer met the handsome and charismatic Marvin in 1981. Why do so many people love him, often to the point of obsession? Why have they kept just as many sons as daughters (according to the American dairy Goat Assn. registration records)? He could hardly be considered a fad -- although he has been dead for several years, his devotees grow in number every year. His semen sells for a $100 per straw and more. Pedigrees abound in which Marvin is present 10, 15 or more times, as though people cannot get enough of him to satisfy them. Can a buck be addictive?

Did you know that Marvin even has a fan club? It is true, and a quarterly newsletter comes with the membership, from which one can order a bumper sticker which reads, “I love Frosty Marvin!” (Membership is $5.00 annually through Joan C. Coolidge, 632 Farasi Ln., Watsonville, CA 95076). Sentiment and emotion aside, though, just what are the facts? Few or no statistics were available when Marvin was alive but there are plenty now. That is the purpose of this article -- to examine the statistics and other facts that cannot be currently measured in statistics and see how solid is the foundation of GCH ++*B Hallcienda Frosty Marvin.

CREME DE LA CREME

The bucks for this special list are ones that qualify both as Classification Superior Sire (10 or more daughters with an average final score of at least VG80, or nine with at least VG81, eight with VG82, seven with VG83, six with VG84, or five with VG85; bucks with less than five daughters classified were not considered) and as USDA Top 10% Production Sires. There are 16 Nubian bucks who qualify for both lists, of which the bucks below represent half:

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THE USDA TOP 10 % DOE SUMMARY

Space does not permit the listing of Frosty Marvin granddaughters who appear on the Doe Summary, there being approximately 200 of them; therefore, only daughters are listed.

DAVIS ELITE DAUGHTERS: (1982)

CLASSIFICATION

Most highly classified Frosty Marvin daughters:

Most highly classified Frosty Marvin sons:

Frosty Marvin classified 8-07 EX9O (89 90 91) (Code 1: stature, head, front end, back; all else Code 2). As of the last classification summary (Cl. 31), Marvin has had 43 daughters classified with an average score of VG81 (79 83 84 79). However, four additional daughters were classified (as well as some other being reclassified) in 1985, and his average is now 47 daughters, VG81 (80 83 84 80).

In looking at a break down of classification codes of Marvin’s offspring, it can be seen that Marvin is strongest as a sire in front ends, stature and fore udders. Areas of caution would be front legs, rumps and feet.

For a more accurate assessment of Marvin’s potential it is necessary to look at his offspring by age group, when it readily becomes apparent what a slow maturing line his is. As one would expect, the Dairy Character score remains the same no matter what the age of the doe. However, there are some rather dramatic changes in other areas. The average final score increases by five points by the time daughters are three or older, as do the General Appearance and Mammary scores. Body Capacity increases by eight points. There are some tremendous changes in front ends, rumps, fore udders, rear udders and teats, and notable improvements in udder support and in backs. Areas in which one would expect no significant  changes possible are relatively stable, such as little or no change in stature, heads, front legs (except for a few originally Code 3 in front legs later being classified Code 2 or even Code 1), hind legs, feet and udder quality. (More detailed information, including a chart, appears in my article written re: Marvin progeny classification scores, which appeared in the first issue of the Frosty Marvin Newsletter.) A pattern of consistent improvement is indicated from youth to maturity, no matter who the classifier, what the year, or whether or not the animal had ever been classified before. As a basis of comparison: Yearling daughters — 18, G+79 (78 83 81 78); Age 2-00 to 2-11 — 16, VG82 (81 84 83 81); Age 3-00 and older — 20, VG84 (83 84 89 83).

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THE USDA SIRE SUMMARY MILK PRODUCTION

Frosty Marvin has 37 sons and 29 grandsons (this latter figure not including “double Sons,” where Marvin is both the grand sire and the sire) evaluated in the USDA Sire Summary. All but three of his sons appear in the Top 10%. Of those three, only one has a minus PD. Of his grandsons, 19 are in the Top 10%, and only two have a minus PD (those two are sons of the sole Marvin son to have a minus PD). One asterisk beside the name indicates a grandson, two asterisks indicate a “double son.” In the Top 3% of the summary only eight other bucks who are not Marvin, his Sons or his grandsons appear (out of a total of 40 bucks), with the first of the eight appearing in 10th place (the other seven appearing in 15th, 20th, 21st, 26th, 27th, 29th and 33rd positions), although some of these bucks are also from the Hallcienda bloodline.