FergusonK's journal - Goodbye Java Jewel.

[Ferguson K]

I can't find the picture of Onyx's udder from last year.

Waiting to get it from the former owner again. She has to find it, too! I thought I put it into Kintracks but I didn't. *sigh*

I just got done going through and prepping my breeding season. I feel like I've already got a late start.

I'm trying to plan kidding times before the larger shows ( i.e. Houston, San Antonio ) and that means I need to kid mid January - February.

I need to put bucks in pens THIS WEEK.

I need to figure out where I'm going to put my bred does and my kids. I don't have a second pasture to use at the moment that's large enough. I could put the juniors in the weaning pens... but that doesn't get much space. For a week or two it wouldn't hurt, I just worry about crowding issues. There would be (five?) juniors in a 30x40ish pen. Two LM, three ND. Maybe they'll be fine.

Then pregnant does: I have three(for?) does already bred that I need to put up. Currently the kidding stall space is empty. There again, I would have to worry about crowding. It is only 8x32, at the end it's 10x32. It's an odd size pen.



I am a little behind.

 

[Hens and Roos]

We wont start breeding until Nov 1st- for us here, the end of March is the earliest we want them to kid- weather is still not the greatest!

 

[Baymule]

I got news for you, you are always going to run behind. When you have children kids to go with the goat kids, then you'll be chasing your tail trying to catch up for a loooooooong time.

 

[Ferguson K]

So here's what I ends up doing. I took down the panels between the kidding stalls and the junior pens. All of the juniors, including the new doe, now have access to double the space.

The milkersare in the front pasture for easy access.

All does that are about to be bred will be "hand" bred in the pen we just threw up. Big enough for a few does and a buck to be comfortable during their special time.

Meat goats are going to the "other" pasture which is about 1/4-1/2 acre depending on how we cross the fence.

All goat pens lead to the main pasture where the horses are.

By this time next year it will be cross fenced again and the horses will hopefully be in leased pasture land. Cattle people tend to snatch it all up. But we're also trying to buy the 2.95 acres that attachesto us. Nice property. Would work great for the horses. Or the 18 acres up the road would be nice, too, but we can't afford that.

 

[Ferguson K]

I made a map!

Now I'm going to bed.

The girls (and horses) currently share everything from the red line to the end of the property. I plan on changing that by spring.

I also think I'm going to put the bucks where I was going to put the Boer goats.
And put the Boer goats and non-milkers in the second pasture.
Obviously that big GAP in the middle is a driveway, but we have to clear it first. LOL. It will also probably not be THAT wide.

 

[Baymule]

Looks like you have a plan. Plans can change, but just putting it down and making a plan sure helps. Hope you can get the 2.95 acres next to you!

 

[Ferguson K]

This picture is at least a year old. It still has trees in the properties around us and that got logged back in November.

But we've also cleared a LOT since this picture.

So I want to see it when they update the pictures and see how much CLEARER it looks. LOL.

 

[Ferguson K]

Hollar is turning into a nice little buck.

I really really like him.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Congrats on the new goats....there are never enough pens/stalls. We aim to breed for march kids but shall see how that goes because our buck still doesnt have his own pen and seems to be in rut but we havnt seen anyone other then the mini manchas in heat. Our one alpine at least is a non-seasonal breeder as she just had kids last week. Twin bucks of course.

 

[Ferguson K]

Hollar can't figure out what he's supposed to do.

He doesn't even seem interested yet.

He'll get there.