SBC/GW's Journal- Spring shows DONE! & Update

[Goat Whisperer]

I don't know. A few years ago we took her offsite for a class. She was very stressed and tried to jump out of the pens. I would only feel comfortable with taking her to shows that have horse stalls. At the last show, someone had a goat try to jump out of it's pen, and the doe broke her leg very badly. That is the same reason why I don't take Ruth to shows. I'd be devastated if that happened!

Some does don't need to prove themselves in the show ring, I think Ruthie has proven herself in her offspring. Right now I'm focusing on the goats with the Wings & Caprines herdnane

 

[Southern by choice]

Well, we only have a few does left to breed.
This year I am focusing on my minis.
I really want to be able to retain a few. Of course that is contingent on the lamancha kiddings.

We will have quite a few first fresheners. Right now the goal is to see how those udders turn out.
Honestly, I expect great udders on all of them. I don't mean that arrogantly but the genetics and breedings have been good ones.
Regardless we will still need to reduce the herd. This will be very hard because two years of bonding with these girls - well it will be hard.
Our plan is to sell the kids out of the lamanchas (FF) as bottle babies- a bit discounted. The goal is 1-2 weeks old. The does will be sold with registration papers. All the bucks will be sold as BB's too but at a very discounted price and no papers.
The mature does- not FF we will select one or two to keep and the rest will need to move on.
This will be a tough year after retaining so many for two years and now it will be time to reduce. It was the plan all along and in the long run it will be good for us.
We have far too many goats- we don't need this many.
It will be good because we plan on doing LA this coming year- I did think about waiting til after the LA but not sure yet.

Not sure what @Goat Whisperer planning on doing.

My goal is 10 does. Meaning my Lamanchas and my minis. (For me not GW)

I may be selling my mini nubians. Long story- but I will be pregnancy checking the two does. My f-6 PB may be sterile.
I cannot afford to keep the does around and miss a whole breeding season AGAIN! Even if I could find another buck I like by the time I quarantine for minimum 30 days plus the transport and time to find one it will put the does way too late in the year for me to want to breed them. I do not want May or summer kids ever again!
I missed last year, had vet out but we couldn't get a jump on him. Now this year the does got bred and Saffy I know has recycled- I went to the State Fair so I don't know If Emmy did too. That is why I will do the test first. If both does are open then I will need my vet out to verify. Another expense at this point. 2 breeding seasons lost, vet visits and feeding, testing, and caring for 3 goats with nothing to show for it is just not worth it. At this point eliminating the mini nubians may be the wisest thing to do. Having so many breeds is hard enough.

The does are all on once a day milking, except a few. We want to dry them off and have a nice break before next kidding.
Some of our does are not very cooperative though. Millie, Trouble, Zephyr, Leah. Millie we have been working on for awhile so she may actually dry off! Trouble will never dry off so we will be stuck milking her year round anyway- we have not bred her and so far we are not planning to. She will just stay in milk. Zephyr, she may end up a year round girl too. Hoping to get her where she can just get to once a day.
Ruby and Jane- we will see if they dry off- I think they will but may take some time. They kidded late, they both almost died this summer, then boom they joined the living and started making milk.

Not a smooth year.

We will limit how many shows we do this year and how many does we take. It was a good experience this past year but we will change up some things for this coming year. I do want to try and get some of our minis to a live mini show, not the V-shows.

It will be much more enjoyable with numbers down- less work- less feed- less hooves- less kids... we knew retaining for so long would be somewhat of a sacrifice but DH has been great about reminding me of the goal. There were times I had those moments when I just want to "sell half the herd right now"... he'd calm me down and remind me to hang in there and don't set myself back...
That chapter will be able to come to a close.

We did a lot of goat stuff this year but there is a lot more to life than goats so that will be the family focus next year... life outside of goats!

 

[babsbag]

There is no life outside of goats. But there is no life because of goats...it is an endless circle.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Foxy is driving me crazy! It is hard to tell when she is in heat. We will not run our buck with the does and will only pen breed. She was finally in raging heat today. Flagging, standing as close to the buck pens as possible, talking trash, the whole bit. Put her in with Isaac (after he tried to strangle himself in excitement of while bring him over LOL) and what does she do? Run, tuck her tail, and gives Isaac the "I hate you" look. Sigh. Maybe she's not ready?
Nope.

She wants Seth or Shayne.

Not who I want for her.

If she is still in heat in the morning I will grant her wish and use Seth (Lucy/Isaac).

Snot. The empty threats of selling her didn't even work

I just need her bred so I can see her udder. I really wanted to use Isaac of her but can't keep dragging the season out!

Fingers crossed
(pictured is Foxy- from last year)

 

[Bruce]

SBC, you KNOW you can't pick your "children's" mates. Don't even try

 

[CntryBoy777]

The best laid plans of mice and men....
Sounds like a teenager....

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Not SBC but I am playing matchmaker and they're gonna like it

I just need to see her udder. I will sell all FF kids.

Probably.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

The best laid plans of mice and men....
Sounds like a teenager....

I keep telling her "mama knows best!"

Right now she IS acting like a bratty teenager

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Probably.

I can NOT tell you how many times I've said that...or something similar!

 

[Goat Whisperer]

So far I am doing pretty good with keeping up with the "rules" I've set for myself.
I wasn't going to keep any FF ND kids or any of the Leah quads from this year (Boots & Foxy are full siblings from 2016). So far I've done pretty good, except I DID keep the 3 kids that Carolina & Clover produced.
But their udders are awesome and they are nice does.

Next season we will only keep a select few kids back. Now that we know how to really critique the lamancha kids it will be easier to decide who's staying and who's going.

That's what I like to think anyway