Breeding Season and Fair Results
Happy fall everyone! The hot days are slowly fading away and being replaced with nice fall weather. I love this time of year....and so do my goats!
I went to my first goat show, it was the Tulsa State Fair. It was a huge learning experience for myself and my husband. We had no idea what we were doing and felt like chickens running around with our heads cut off but I think next time will be somewhat better. We also met some very nice people there that are very knowledgeable and didn't mind educating us. We took a total of 6 does, they were all 2016 babies except for one Senior yearling. I wish I could have had someone record what the judge said, everything went in one ear and out the other because of nerves and trying to get the goats setup correctly. Maybe it will be different next time.
In other news, I have made the hardest, most difficult decision in my life. I have decided to sell most of my non-registered goats. I really want to get serious about this and I have to make room for registered goats. I have decided to keep some but if I could I would just keep them all.
For more exciting news I have started to get my girls bred. About half of them have gotten bred by Beards & Tales Iceman. Hopefully they all took and won't come back into heat. *crosses fingers* If it all goes accordingly, I will be expecting babies early March.
My chickens and ducks run with the goats and it has always been a pain to feed. So after doing some looking on Pinterest, we found the perfect solution! A trashcan feeder. We had first done a feeder out of a storage box, but it didn't hold up as well under the goats jumping on it and being out in the weather. A trash can is a much better choice and tall enough that the goats can't jump on it.
My husband also made me some new feeders for the goats. They are 5 gallon buckets cut in half basically and it helps separate everyone out and not fight. I was feeding in a 2x4 stud brace but they would constantly fight and push each other. And the food wouldn't always make it in and I really don't like them eating off the ground. So this way is much better and I feel like I don't get trampled as bad. We also found a metal trough in the back yard from the people that used to own the property before us. It works out real nice as well.
I have also gotten myself into Mini Lamanchas. I love their personalities and looks, so I have gotten a few. I got Misty, the blue and white, and Ellie Mae, the buck skin colored one. I can't wait to see what these girls do as far as milk production.
Last but not least, I will be going up to Michigan soon to get a new Nigerian Dwarf buck and a couple does! I'm very excited about this and believe they will improve my herd greatly. More about them in the next blog post.
Catch you all later!
