Green Acres Farm - LA

Green Acres Farm said:

What do the letters and stars mean after a goat's name? I know they are a good thing, but that's just about it.

@OneFineAcre @Goat Whisperer @Southern by choice @Fullhousefarm @babsbag

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Production awards ( milking stars )
Depends on the letter ADGA has the legend in their website I think it is in the manual
A doe can earn a star herself and for her daughters
A buck can get a star for his dams production or his daughters

This is a great easy to follow link with a chart
http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/understanding-goat-pedigrees-2/

Goat Whisperer said:

This is a great easy to follow link with a chart
http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/understanding-goat-pedigrees-2/

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Found that just before you posted it.

In Florida the premise ID/scrapie ID is free. You do NOT need to eartag your dairy goats if they are registered and tattooed. (Some people who do other types of goats or at small county fairs aren't familiar with this and will tell you otherwise.) I tattoo my unregistered goats as well and have no problems at fairs- State fair, anything. They just want the tattoo to match the health certificate and you are good to go. They do touch and look over the goat and check the tattoos on all goats except babies under 6 months at all fairs I've been to.

Vets around here charge from $10-35 for a health certificate (Plus farm call if they come to you.) The one around here who charges $10 only does it at his office so you have to trailer them. Some vets look at every goat, check tattoos, and look for mites, abscesses, runny noses, etc. Some touch the animal and just sign the paper. It's good for 90 days for Florida shows- so we usually get two a year since we have shows from October-March/April.

Green Acres Farm said:

Speaking of tattoos... 2 of my registered goats don't have them... I guess I'll have to do it.
Do y'all use any kind of pain rellief? When they're older they have all that hard cartilage.

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You don't need any. It is similar to getting your ears pierced yet once they are done they jut go on like nothing ever happened. With Lamanchas you do tail webs... that is more sensitive and still they don't need anything.

Goat Whisperer said:

This is a great easy to follow link with a chart
http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/understanding-goat-pedigrees-2/

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I like that.
It actually explains it better than the ADGA manual.

Nice udder

Green Acres Farm said:

M&M Acres just posted a pic of her on their site. Her rear udder looks great (to me). I'd like to see her from the side...

View attachment 21182

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I'd ask her about when the appraisal was done. I believe last year's (2015) were in August in Florida which is a horrible time when we tend to kid in Dec-Feb and many does drop production in Aug due to horrible heat and rain. That's not going to change the goat's confirmation, but certainly will make a difference in their udder scores and perhaps even general appearance.

If I like the way a doe looked I'd buy a doe that appraised that as a FF. Not as likely I'd buy a buck out of that doe unless I could see huge improvement in the next freshening from her AND some of those faults corrected by the breeding. But, it would depend on lots of things. Sometimes you just have to see them and make a decision about what you want for your herd.

Supposed to pick up Armani and Kicks next Saturday!

Armani and Kicks are home!

Armani is extremely anemic. The vet can't run a fecal until Monday, so I am going to get him on Safe Guard and DiMethox now as his eyelids are WHITE!!! I have never seen anything so pale except in pictures! His owner said she dewormed him with Prohibit a few days ago, but I don't think it worked. She does not do fecals. Has anyone here used Prohibit? I hardly ever hear anything about it.

I am going to ask our vet to show me how to run my own fecals Monday and hopefully I will be able to do it myself after this.