Itty Bitty Hooves

Well… I did it.

Yes I bought another goat.

After the really hard delivery by Polly my Alpine last Sunday and talking to some people, I’d decided I really wanted to breed her to a dairy buck once more and see how it went delivery wise before taking a chance on breeding her to my big Boer. I know from his previous owner, and having seen one of the little does who had delivered a couple of his kids that it probably would be okay to breed him to her, but why take a chance? Maybe she is just gonig to give me those types of problems. I also have two really small dairy kids that I’d like to breed one time before breeding them to Mickey. So I talked to Bob and he agreed. I was going to just look for a little dairy buckling that I could breed this fall to the girls and then put in the freezer… Bob said why do that? I get such a kick out of him. He said why not find one you like and we’ll keep him. We have enough does to give him a couple each year. Maybe let him do all the first fresheners just in case.

So without any trouble at all, a beautiful little Nubian buckling just popped up. He’s in Ohio so I have to travel a bit to get him but he’s gorgeous. I can’t wait. They call him ‘Inky’ but I think I’ll call him Apollo.

Here are a couple of pics of him that the breeder sent me.

Good Girls Do

I have to tell you I just love my new dairy goats. I’ve only had them a few weeks but they are giving us a gallon and a half of the best tasting, sweetest, creamiest milk every single day.

Usually when you buy a doe (female goat) that is already producing milk and move her to a new location, she will drop production. Sometimes only a little. Sometimes completely. Neither of the two I bought did anything of the sort. They are both producing exactly what the seller said they were at her farm.

Not only that but they are the sweetest girls. I have a third I brought home from the same seller, but she hasn’t kidded yet. That means she hasn’t had her babies yet, so he’s not producing milk. She’s due around the 28th of this month and I’m so excited to see the first goat babies born on this farm in many years, and anxious to begin milking her as well.

A goat has to have babies to produce milk, just like any other mammal. So every year they must be bred and have babies. That’s no problem because Mickey is waiting in the bullpen. LOL He has the two girls I just brought home last weekend with him now, and in July when I’m ready to breed him to the younger girls I got with him I’ll rotate him out into their pen, then in October I’ll take him out of there and put him in with my dairy girls. Then by January I’m hoping my youngest kids will be ready to meet Mickey. So I should have some nicely spaced babies next year, and Mickey should have female companionship for most of the year round–win, win.

Of all the goats, only two more, the youngest of the bunch here are dairy and will be taken over to the dairy side after being bred. All the rest are Boer, or Boer percentage and will stay on that side, just raising their kids, not being milked. A total of five goats to milk a day is plenty for me, and should provide plenty of milk both to drink, and to make cheeses and soaps.

I’m hoping to have soaps to sell at next years farm markets along with the kids.

He’s HERE.

Well we’re home. Actually we got home late on Wednesday around 8 pm. It was a 5 hour drive each way to pick up Mick and the girls but it was pleasant, sunny, and a nice outting for hubby and me. We had a GREAT time at Sherry and Brant’s house. They are fantastic people and have a wonderful sense of humor. Plus Sherry made a wonderful lunch spread where we actually got our first taste of ‘Dexter burger’. Hambugers made from their own Dexter cattle meat. It was tasty, as well as a delicious apple cheese and celery salad that Sherry made. What a feast!

Too soon we had to leave to make our trip back where at first we were really worried about getting the four weanling girls off the trailer and to the paddock in the dark especially because they aren’t lead broke, or people friendly yet. They’re by no means mean, just scared. Mickey however is a real ham and very loving. He too though had never been lead ever anywhere at all, no where. LOL Soooooo we had to somehow finagle it so a 350 pound Boer buck would calmly walk across a 1/2 acre field to the paddocks, in a strange place, at night. Yeah… sure.

Halfway home I called my best friend Ellen and begged her to come help. She said I didn’t have to beg, but I did anyway, lol. We just needed someone to watch the refugees in the trailer while we unloaded and moved each one. Turned out to be a fairly simple manuveur. We used our really big great dane sized dog crate on our small flatbed cart and caught two of the girls and put them in it and pulled them over to the paddock, then came back and did the same with the other two.

Then it was time to unload the Mickster. Mighty Mick. All 350 pounds of muscle, and horns. Well let me tell you what…

A buck who’d never been led anywhere in his life walked as calm as could be on a lead to the paddock. He stopped a couple times to glance around and a gentle nudge got him moving again.

WHAT A MAN. I love that buck. He’s just the sweetest thing on four feet.

I meant to take new pictures today of the new gang, but unfortunately I can’t find my danged camera. We had it with us in Iowa, and I think I left it in the truck, which is now in Wisconsin with my husband. He had to go for the weekend to a seminar. He has to have so many hours a year of continuing education for his job’s license, and he won’t be back until late Sunday… sooo, maybe pictures on Monday if the weather holds up.

Up and Running

I officially have my ‘Boer’ page up on my website now. I’ve decided to stand Mickey to a select number of does for the 2007 season since I won’t have any open adults ready to put to him until round about August. I already have three people interested but haven’t agreed to their does yet. They will have to agree to meet with my health requirements for the incoming does. One of the three I know will and she has three does she wishes to breed to Mickey in the Spring/Summer. I’d like to get him two or three more. That would be plenty as I don’t want to overpower the market with his kids until I have a chance to have some of my own to sell. I have four of his daughters coming here but they’re for my own herd, not for sale.

Whomever we get to bring in their does is going to have a fantastic imput on their program with Mickey’s offspring.

The new page is at http://www.countryhavenranch.com/boer.html

I am very excited to have this awesome buck coming here and his daughters too. I couldn’t ask for a better start, or better people to have come in contact with to work with than the Anderson’s–Sherry and Brent. Thanks to them, I believe we have an awesome begining for our meat goat operation that will last for years to come.

They Got Here!

Finally, the pictures arrived today! I’m so excited to present our newest addition (will actually be arriving here in Illinois in April) - Mickey–

And three of his daughters will be coming along for the ride–

The kid in the front

And these two:

thanks so much Sherry and Brent for letting us add these magnificient animals to our herd.