AR vs. ST Milk Stars

(This page was created in the hopes that it will start showing up in Google searches for people who are trying to figure out just what the heck the ADGA site means about how to qualify for a milk star. I sure wish that the terminology was clearer and more intuitive!)

There is a common misconception that an AR star means it’s a milk star that passes to a doe’s bucklings and an ST star doesn’t. This is NOT CORRECT.

An AR star is an Advanced Registry star. It simply means that the doe was on an Advanced Registry DHIR milk test, and her records will show on pedigrees and be used for genetic evaluations. A doe can earn her AR *M by meeting the minimum for her age/breed in any ONE (or more) of the three categories: milk volume, butterfat, or protein. In order to pass to her buckling, though, the doe must meet the minimum in milk volume and either butterfat (BF) or protein. A star earned in JUST BF or protein will show up on her pedigree (i.e. she will officially be listed as, for example, LittleHill Farm Matilda 7*M) BUT the star doesn’t pass to buck kids.

In order for a doe’s milk star to pass to her buck kids, and make them * B bucks, she must earn her AR star in milk volume and butterfat (BF). Additionally, the sire of the buckling also must be a *B or +B (or the sire’s dam has her qualifying star).

An ST star is not a lesser star, as many believe. It is simply a star that is earned by a different method. It can be earned on a one-day milk test, from the doe’s relatives, or from OS ST (a type of Owner Sampler) milk test. On a one-day milk test, a complex formula is used that takes into account volume of milk produced and % of butterfat. ST stars earned on OS ST milk test can be in a single component (e.g. volume, butterfat, protein) or multiple components. But either way an ST *M WILL convey to the doe’s buckling by an appropriate sire (for which the requirements are slightly different than with AR star).

If you want to check which type of milk star a doe has, you can look her up on the ADGA NG site. To date, only does who earned their stars before NG was implemented have their awards listed, but hopefully someday they all will! Look up the doe and open her page. On the left menu choose “Awards”. At the bottom of the page a box will show you what milk stars she earned, the date, and what type of star it is. Remember, if she has AR stars, she will need one star in milk volume and one in another component if she is to be able to pass it to her bucklings.