Predictions…

Those of you who know me will remember that one month prior to kidding I make a prediction of what the does will have.  Last year I was 100% accurate with the exception of a third kid I wasn’t expecting.  Before the kid was born I knew what it was.  This isn’t magic or premonition.  I have a very sensitive nose and can smell the bucks on the does in utero and especially strongly as they are born.

Mae Mae and Vey are kidding first, at the end of March.   I predict twin girls for vey and triplets for Mae Mae with twin girls and one buck.   If it turns out that Mae Mae has quads I think it will be half boys and half girls.  I’ll keep everyone posted with pics as soon as they are born.

This is something that I enjoy doing for fun.  Nothing to gamble on.

Goatie blessings to you all.

Kelly

 

Making progress…

We now have three of the four stalls cleaned out.  The maternity pen, nursery pen and horse stall are all cleaned out and waiting for new bedding.   The worst to come is the large doe pen.  It hasn’t been changed since the beginning of winter.  Some say that doing a deep bedding keeps the barn warmer.  I think it does, providing your barn is draft free in the first place.  Mine isn’t.   But is definitely better than last year.  I have dreams of a new goat barn with cheese room and milk room.

Well, it doesn’t hurt to dream.

Goatie blessings.

One down and three to go!

We got one of the stalls cleaned of it’s deep bedding.  All the “little” girls were put in there along with our nubian whether.  Hooves trimmed and checked for health, everyone is doing great.

Our young nubian doeling is being offered for sale.  Check the for sale page for pics and info.

Stall number two is being done tommorrow.  Yeah!  Ugh…  My back is all ready aching.  Early to bed tonight.

Goatie Blessings.

Clean up begins

Today we start cleaning up the barn in preparation for kidding.  Lots of cleaning and revamping to do.  We have alot more goats freshening this year than we have before.  Organizing the kidding box and the stalls for the little ones.   Fixing all of the little things that got put off.  Everyone is looking good.  We are hoping all goes well with the girls kidding and of course hoping for alot of does.  The girls have been sent out to the large pasture with the shelter until clean up and organinzing is finished.

Had a wonderful visit this weekend with the family.  It was not enough time…but I will take every minute I can.  Life is such a blessing when you have a close family like mine.  I love you all, each and every one of you.  Keep smiling and kiss a goat if you can.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday to our son Dustin who is now 20 years old.  Twenty years ago at 2:00 am you were born at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital.  The best Valentines Day gift I have ever received.

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Oddly enough Dustin now shares this birthday with two of our goats.

The first is affectionately known as Hugs and Kisses.  Her registered name is Montana’s Mtn. View X’s and O’s.   Her twin Montana’s Mtn. View Valentine was sold.   The really odd part is that Hugs and Kisses delivered a single doeling we named after Dustin, our son.  We didn’t expect this little one until March 26th.  It was quite a surprise to find her dam kidding that morning a healthy 7lb doe.  Her name is Montana’s Mtn. View Dusty Rose.

New pics and info added today.

I have been updating the blog with new pics and info.

NOTICE TO ALL BLESSING NANNY NOMINEES:  Due to the high cost of maintaining the goats we had to reconsider the leasing contract to word as such “all kids but one are to be returned to our farm.  A doeling will be chosen for you if available or unless you request a buckling.  All bucklings are to be castrated prior to leaving the farm.”  Those who are currently recipients of a blessing nanny will not be held to this “contract”.  Please see the goat contest page for full details.   This wording also allows us to consider our best goats to be a part of this contest.   Those who raise goats for show and high milk production such as we can tell you they put a lot of financial backing into their goats.  We have to protect our financial investment in order to allow us to continue this contest.

If you wish to remove your name from the nomination list please let us know as soon as possible.

We hope you can all understand our decision.  Kelly

Is there anything cuter than a goat baby?

I have noticed that a lot of our fellow goat breeders have new kids all ready.   I am very impatiently awaiting the arrival of ours.  For those of you who need reminding, we expect our first kids the end of March.  I was going through the archives of this blog and was able to locate pics of the kids from last year.  If you look under Feb, March and April of 2010 you can see the “kid” pics.  They are adorable!  Most of them were sold.  A couple we retained.  Montana’s Mtn. View xs and os is still here.  Her doe kid out of Emmit is here (Montana’s Mtn. View Dusty Rose) and is expecting her first kid.  The 2010 blessing nanny (Kharma) has returned and is due to kid in June.   Raisinette’s daughter Cookie is due mid april.  

We can’t wait to see those kids!

Got Beef?

We picked up the beef from the butchers today.

Got some lovely cuts this year.

If anyone is interested in home pasture raised beef with no chemicals the price starts at 3.50 a pound depending on cut.  It is all USDA inspected and vacuum packed for freshness.

 

2/09/12

I can’t believe it’s the middle of February all ready.

Nettie continues to improve in health.  I haven’t seen her this good since last June.  She now weighs a whopping 150 which is the most she has weighed since she was last with “kid”.  She is a very long bodied doe and doesn’t look nearly as heavy as some of the others that weigh less.

I wormed the herd today.  Normal procedure for this time of year.  Next is hoof trimmings and cleaning out the deep bedding.  We have been avoiding this for a long time.  Not our favorite chore.  The horse stall was cleaned and filled with a deep layer of shavings.  The goats went in to inspect and did the happy dance all over Nebs clean bed!

Goals for the month…

All the goats are healthy and happy, even Nettie is doing amazingly well.  Treatment?  Three doses of b complex, a shot of BoSe and a round of anitbiotics.  Finally a dose of wormer.  What a difference in her.  She is back to being the herd queen and is eating great.  Wouldn’t it be a hoot if all she needed was a dose of wormer?  I was hesitant to give it to her because of all of the wormer she had last year and it not working.  One day I will be able to figure this goatie stuff out…but for now it is trial and error.

Goals for the month?  Get the barn cleaned out and ready for kidding.  Yeah!  Deep bedding the animals is great until clean up time.

Complete CAE testing and confirming pregnancy in the few goats we had open at ultrasound time.  Administering vaccines, BoSe shots and hoof trimming.

Getting the bucks into condition for show season which starts in May this year.

Purchasing our hives in preperation for the bees.

We are considering leasing bucks for this next breeding season.  We are also possibly retaining a buck from what the girls give us this year for breeding.  We currently have one sable and one nubian buck.   Two sable bucks have been sold.   We are offering our nubian whether up for sale.  He was originally purchased to use as a pack goat.  Monty just doesn’t have the time to work with him.

Lots to do!