First Spring Rain

We're having an early Spring this year. Of course, it's not technically "Spring" yet and  won't be until March 20th. But it is raining, so I'm calling it Spring. There is something so fresh and earthy about a Spring rain, that makes one want to dance and sing, cuddle baby animals and laugh. However, woe is me, we might not be having any baby goats on the farm this season.

Although we left Roxy with a wonderful little buck for nearly two weeks in early December and she did indeed go into heat while she was there, she never seemed to get pregnant. We brought her back last weekend, but I'm afraid that she didn't get bred while there. All hope is for that she's tricking me and will suddenly drop some unexpected babies in either April or July. Since I don't think she will, I'm not drying her off. I'm going to keep milking her and try to breed her next September for late January or early February kids. Maybe she'll keep her milk production at no less than half a gallon a day for the next few months if I'm really nice to her... she can be hard-headed, like me.

'Till then, I'm planing to to find myself either a pregnant or recently freshened dairy doe. I think I'll be looking for a miniature or Nigerian one. They are so cute and easily handled. It's obvious to me that it could be hard to find a goat of that size that produces much milk, but that isn't to daunting to an optimist! (I'm not sure if am an optimist, though... hmm...) Anyway, wish me some luck!

Aw, shucks. The rain turned to snow. Don't count your chickens before they hatch! Or, in this case, don't count on Spring until it's sprung! (Yes, I know that was lame. :-P)

A long overdue post

Yes, I know that I haven't posted in a long time. And yes, I know that you have been waiting. I have been very busy… But I’m back and writing another post, so let’s get to the point!

First, I have several updates:

1.  I sold Aphrodite. Hay prices were up and we had 8 goats on the farm (this includes Carina’s goats) – it was time to downsize a bit. She found a very good home and will be a pet for the rest of her days… Happy Aphrodite.
2.  Roxy had her babies! Good news: on June 1^st, she delivered all girls! Nice Rah…  Bad news: one of the three doelings was a stillborn, approximately 2 weeks dead. This made the birth complicated and a former goat-leader from my 4-H group had to come over and help her out. More good news: Roxy made it out alive and recovered quickly!
3. Carina moved! Her family and their goats moved to a nice property with a big barn. We miss them but are happy for their good luck in buying such an awesome place!
4. I’m breeding Roxy again, this time to a Nigerian Dwarf buck. LaMancha ones are scarce when you don’t want to drive over an hour, and I think that the tiny babies that she’ll have with the Nigerian will be easier for her to deliver… I don’t want to risk losing her again.
5. And last, and probably least, I have changed the look of my blog. Take a look around! Tell me how you like it.

I hope that I can make several posts during this last month of the year and that they will somehow make up for the lack of posts in the last six months. So long... for now!

Breeding Time!

Today I brought Roxy to stay five days with Rah, a Saanen buck, belonging to one of my friends, Cassie.
Rah is three years old - Roxy is four - and has several offspring in Cassie’s herd. I would have originally preferred to breed Roxy to a LaMancha buck, but it was just too hard to find one a short driving distance from where I live.

Cassie has several bucks: 2 Saanans, 1 Alpine, and 4 Nubians. It was hard to decide which to breed Roxy to, they were all very wonderful bucks, but in the end Rah, one of the Saanens, won out. Rah is very friendly, loves attention, has a great pedigree, a wonderful conformation, is registered with ADGA and has champion daughters (4H county fair: Grand Champions, Reserve Champions, 1st places...) Did I mention that he is quiet, good-natured, and comes from high-producing lines?

A Saanen would have been my second choice anyway; they have many benefits. Their white coloring helps them keep cool in the summer but at the same time they are also well suited to cold climates - they originated in the Swiss Alps. They are also the largest of the dairy breeds, which should balance Roxy’s smallness. Saanens also have very calm, quiet, lade-back temperaments which helps them deal with changes better. They also have very high production – and Cassie’s are certainly no exception. Crossbreeds are also said to be sturdier and more disease-resistant then purebreds, which is yet another benefit of breeding Roxy to a Saanen.

Quoting Rancho Snowfall Dairy Goats (http://ranchosnowfall.com):

“We are often asked what is the best breed of dairy goat, and the answer has always been a Saanen LaMancha cross for us. These animals are truly hard workers in the milk parlor with an exceptional balance of vigor, high production, and good components. Throughout the Rancho-Snowfall history, you will find that experimentals have played an active role in milk line.”

Bucks have microscopic scent glands in the skin located right behind their horns. During breeding season, these scent glands produce a strong odor that most people find offensive. It's meant to attract the does, but if I were one I sure wouldn't be attracted. Rah is very friendly, though, and was kindly rubbing his face, neck and mouth all over me. He was trying to be nice, but believe me when I say that I was very fragrant by the time we left. Outside of the breeding season, bucks are perfectly normal - for a goat, that is.

We seemed to have had perfect timing, as Roxy is just going into heat but hasn't reached a standing heat yet. We just put Roxy and Rah together, and as soon as she's ready she'll let him do the job. When that happens, Cassie will give me a call so that I will know Roxy's due date.
Merry Christmas!