Hello from Floresville, TX. :)

[LMK17]

LOL! Yes, I suppose calling any part of that ground "soil" is a bit of a stretch, isn't it? I do worry about getting anything to grow down there-- has been been a problem for you? Seems like the plants might have a heck of a time getting a good root system established, especially once you throw in foot traffic? What about your goats? Any issues with them ingesting the sand? I recall reading about some sort of colic in horses from eating sand... Can't remember the name now, but I'm wondering living and grazing on sand might affect livestock? I suppose maybe hooves would get overgrown easily since they wouldn't wear down well on the sand?

Took me 10 years to learn to work the heavy clay here; I'm afraid to do a complete 180 and start learning about growing on sand!

 

[DutchBunny03]

Welcome from NY!!! I love your goat's names.

 

[Newgoatmom]

Yeah, it's definitely not soil. Lol Well, things like stinging nettle and sand burs do great! I have pretty good grass in my front yard and buy garden soil for planting. The trees I planted are very firmly rooted. The main issue is that it dries out very quickly. I really hope the sand doesn't hurt the girls. So far they seem fine. My 17 y/o's girlfriend has had goats and sheep out here for a long time and I don't think they have had any issues. Their hooves don't seem to be growing especially fast. I do need to trim them but they needed trimmed when I got them I just had to tame them some first but they don't seem to be getting much worse. Right now I am just getting up my nerve!

 

[Newgoatmom]

Thank you, DutchBunny03. I figured if I was having girlie goats they had to have pretty, feminine names.

 

[Baymule]

I hear you on the SAND! We moved here 2 years ago and it's like the beach without the ocean. We are surrounded by red dirt, that iron ore red dirt/clayish stuff. But we are on a strip of sugar sand. I am starting on the 3rd year garden, it's mulched with 5 year old wood chips, I think this year, it won't dry out! LOL

 

[Newgoatmom]

It's funny because I actually have a strip of red clay that runs right through my driveway and that's it. Everything else is the sand. My 6 y/o has made sand castles in the yard so I totally get the beach reference! I hope it doesn't dry out so fast for you this year. That's just so frustrating! I have 'getting rain barrels' on my list of things to do so I can feel a bit better about the water needed to grow food here.

One thing I did was plant some prickly pear cactus for the fruit. They are everywhere so I just cut 3 pads off, dried them a bit and stuck them in the sand. They are getting really big. My kids LOVE when I put the fruit in smoothies. And I just think the cactus are beautiful, especially when they bloom. It was the first thing I planted because I knew it would grow!

 

[norseofcourse]

Welcome from Ohio, and congrats on your new goats!

 

[Newgoatmom]

Thank you very much! I truly had no clue how wonderful goats are!

 

[Baymule]

We have some prickly pear here, but they stay small and don't grow very well. That's fine with me. The blooms are pretty, but I think varmits got the fruit, it was small anyway.

 

[Pastor Dave]

Welcome @Newgoatmom, from Indiana!
I know you are doing dairy goats, but are you wanting to have your own meat too?
An acre isn't large enough for some livestock, but have you considered meat rabbits?

They can be in hutches, not relying on pasture so no overgrazing, etc. The "berries" do not need any time to age and are not too hot. They can go straight from animal to garden or plants for fertilizer.

You probably do not have to worry where you are abt the cold. There are ways to overcome the heat. Fans, shade, 2 liter bottles of water frozen to lie next to for comfort, 12" floor tiles taken out of fridge or freezer to lie on, etc etc.

Statistics show that 4 does in a years time could produce the meat you would get from raising a feeder calf!
They also combined, eat the amount one might feed a calf, so there's that.

As you can tell, my interests lie in meat rabbits. In time, I hope to have a little bigger place and do a couple calves and some chickens.

Where you are sounds interesting with the ability to grow desert plants. We normally have 4 seasons, but feels like two. Either too hot, or too cold. And, it seems like it rains way too much when don't want it, or too dry for too long.
We have dark CLAY. It is usually mud or too hard.
I am not complaining near as much as it sounds. I think the Hoosier State is best place to live. No hurricanes, hardly any earthquakes, lots of agriculture, great basketball, good football. Maybe not during championships or playoffs, but that's life.

I grew up on a farm and love country life. My wife and two boys live on church property where we use the parsonage and 2 bay shed. I grow hay on the back acre, and share work with one of the congregants that raises beef and sheep. Eventually I want to buy a small farm, but it may be once my boys are raised and right now they are 7 and going on 4.

I really admire your drive and perseverance to utilize your land to raise your kids. Keep yourself rested and healthy.

Blessings to your family, Dave