Ragdollcatlady's Just a Little Patch of Weeds Farm journal

[NH homesteader]

I love them! They're beautiful! I love boers, especially ones with those colors. They're waaaaay too big for me to have some so I'll live vicariously through yours!

 

[Mini Horses]

OK you are like, 3K miles and that's not a weekend drive. But I do love your stock!! Waaaay back, they only had the redheads. My stock was great, large but tame. Also, I honestly feel they were NOT so bad about the climbing & jumping as the dairy breeds -- as adults. Probably due to their size. Resale for butcher kids is better price for a meat mix.

At this point I have several full sized does, Saanen X Nubian. My huge Nubian buck -- he's a Green Gables mini registered who has clearly (!!!) outgrown the papers -- gives me nice kids but, I've kept 3 daughters. Now have 5 adult does. Need to get another buck & don't want two. This year I used different buck. Will keep one doe, for sure, #2 questionable/possible. Two of my adult does are mother/daughter, mini-nubs. I am considering a buck that is either Boer or Nigie or Kiko.

The kids are generally sold, thinking market prices. My does are fine with the larger bucks, have lot of milk, etc. With the Nigerian, can still keep the diary lines positive. Like I will get a lot of doelintgs??? NOT -- we are at 9/3 in favor of bucks this year with one more doe to go......last year it was 11/2. Different bucks, sooooo just thinking sale prices. Does I sell individually. My 6 mo bucks brought me avg 150 each at auction, nice size & condition. Feel another 25 a head for stockier.

There are a couple farms with straight Saanen & Nubians & ND available for breeding... registered, disease tested, etc. I can take a doe if I want that. We all know -- its a judgement call for what to do with your kids. Most goaties here are commercial, only few dairy as we can't sell milk (esp raw) -- except animal use........or herd shares.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

@Mini Horses , I am going to have some boer bucks for sale here soon...

I LOVE the colors on Bellinis buck! He has 3 different colors of spots.... Oh if only I wasn't keeping his parents! Both these baby bucks are nice and square! My little girl actually took 6 oz from the bottle tonight. I have randomly been offering a bottle to both of Sisters girls whenever they seem hungry, but they have generally refused. I am glad I gave them the colostrum from the bottle the first day. They prefer drinking from mom, but when my baby started sucking on my chin, I offered the bottle and she chowed down. Nice and easy!

Waiting on Rigatoni and Bailey to kid... I think Rigs will be first. Guessing trips for Rigs and twins for Bailey.

Then Brie, my nubian and Reese, my nigerian are due Feb 25th.

Good thing popcorn emojis don't make me fat!

 

[babsbag]

Your kids are beautiful, you know I have always been addicted to the spots. Part of me misses those beautiful Boers. That is awesome that the bucks will be registered too, you should get a nice chunk of change for them that way. I had to look up who Bellini's and Cosmo's dam is, my memory is horrible. And then I tried to remember where their dam went and I gave up. I don't remember selling her but she isn't in my barn so I guess I did.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Sorry for the loss of your memory.....

I don't know if I ever saw a pic of Tequila... But I love these grand babies and Bellini is a quiet, snuggly type. Not in my face but she walks up quietly and likes to be petted once you notice her. Sister is still jumpy, even when I bring her grain.

Bellinis girl isn't sure about me, but her boy and all of sisters kids like me!

WE HAVE TWINS!!! From Rigatoni! They were wet, just dropped when I ran out at lunchtime. I called in to work that I'd be back late and helped dry them off. I needed a wardrobe change before heading back. They are each 10lbs! The buck is mostly white with some color on his head, ears and legs. Doe is solid light red. These kids are built solid and the bucks head is to die for! I am calling him Bobby..... short for Bobblehead! Auroarasaurus can't wait til they are ready to play with her...they are the same size as her already!

 

[babsbag]

Who is the sire of Rigatoni's kids? Congrats on more babies, looking forward to pictures.

Yes, I miss my memory too. My son's 6th grade teacher used to tell the kids "the thing that I lost that I miss the most is my mind"...well that would be me.

Tequilla was a solid red, I think she had a white foot. Her dam was Silver? If so, Silver she was nice big doe, long body, and well put together. When I got out of Boers I gave her back to my friend that gave her to me and one day she went out and she was dead. Most likely worms. I don't have a worm problem here most years, but at my friend's house she was living on irrigated pasture so an entirely different story. I will have to watch this year though with all this rain. Fortunately my goats don't graze much, they are more of a tree and brush lover.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Rocky is the sire to these kids. I can't believe how musclebound Bobbie is!!! This little girl is just solid and square as well. I got pics from the buyer of Casper, Rigs buckling last year. He turned out just gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing these awesome goats with me!

I already ran fecals on 5 goats. Cherry and Andy had some cocci and Sister had a few cocci and some worm eggs. Dewormed her, but I am still needing to brush up on pics to identify the goats worm eggs. I am really worried about the impact of all this rain... Already stressing out about cocci, worm and hoof issues cause I know they are coming.

 

[babsbag]

I am glad they are somewhere being appreciated and well cared for. Rocky was my special baby so I am glad he is giving you some nice kids. I am still regretting not getting my black doe to you before she got sent to auction. I would have loved to have seen some black dappled kids. She was a b****h but threw nice kids and would have been one to send packing after you get what you wanted from her. She needed a pen of her own too, at least around other kids she did.

I should have my first kids from Fragile in about a month. I could only use him on smaller does since he is so young (short) but I bred him to 4 of them so we'll see what he gives me. One doe is polled and I would love a polled buckling from that cross.

I only used Flash on 3 does this year, one Togg, (if she took) and one Lamancha, and one Alpine. A blue eyed mini Togg would be interesting.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I assume you gave Fragile a real name? He was looking like a beautiful little specimen so I hope he gives you some awesome kids!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Bobbies stifle is popping out in the wrong direction! Normally it is the hock that is a little loose in new kids. I am not sure if he was having issues before as he wasn't really strong enough to stand and was resting or shuffling and eating so half contorted anyway. He was standing and seems to get around OK. It pops the wrong way about half the time. That area is much harder to "splint" with my duct tape..... I'll see tomorrow. Hope he gets stronger fast!

We have had torrents of rain and lots of wind. One branch on my old avocado tree broke. It was one of the 3 main trunks. Ducks and geese are loving it though. I tidied up the living rooms and was ready for our 4H goat meeting but noone showed.... so I bought myself Papa Smurphys pizza for dinner as a reward! My absolute fave is deep dish, veggie deluxe with spicy fennel sausage!....