Jodief100--- random stuff and BIG news

[jodief100]

Freddie is a Kiko/Savanna cross. The babies sire is a PB kiko so they are 75% kiko and 25% Savanna. They are doing well for summer babies. A little small but active and healthy. Freddie leaves them in the barn for an hour or so to browse, then comes in a checks on them and feed them and then heads back out. Summer babies are always small and fragile. I hate kidding after May. I am planning a few changes for next year.

 

[jodief100]

Babies are doing well. They are exploring the barn now. They haven't gone out into the field yet but they are doing fine with Freddie coming back in to nurse several times a day.

I sold a doe yesterday. The people who bought her called a few hours later saying she had escaped. I went over to help but she was no where to be found and wouldn't come to my call. They had goats in 3 strand electric and to top it off the charger had quit working and they didn't know it! They told me they already had goats so I assumed they had adequate fences. They had two other goats, both bottle babies. I feel so bad for them, but I am also mad for not taking care of my baby! I really hope someone finds her but she is wild and they live right on the fiver. The riverbank is full of lush brush, hard to walk in and even harder to search through. It is a goat smorgasbord so I just do not see her coming back voluntarily. They are close to us but the river is right between us so it is doubtful she will find her way back to our place either.

How much information can you volunteer without patronizing someone? I always struggle with this when selling goats. I try to lead the conversation around to figure out what they know and what they don't but I never know if I go to far or not far enough.

 

[autumnprairie]

I hope they find her but I understand what you are saying. I have two goats that would escape my fence to go eat the weeds and shrubs but they started eating my neighbors soybean fields so I had to strengthen my fences. My goats were not happy about it.

 

[jodief100]

We went to the county fair last night to watch the 4-H goat show. Wethers we sold took 1st and 2nde place. There were only 2 goats in the show.

 

[autumnprairie]

 

[elevan]

 

[jodief100]

Our hay guy passed away this last winter. We weren't sure who, if anyone was going to be haying his fields this year and didn't want to bother the family to find out. We got a visit from the gentleman who is working his fields. He said we was working the old man's field, found our name on his customer list and saw we had goats. He had a bunch of mixed grass/clover hay that had a lot of weeds in it and thought we might buy it. I got almost 200 bales at $1.50 a bale. The old man always took good acre of the fields, tested and limed regularly, planted alfalfa, timothy and orchard grass. I hope the new guy does as well. It was a busy weekend, putting up 200 bales in the barn, then moving the electronet in the woods and moving the does and kids out there.

The good thing is, the new guy said we can take all the "Cr^P Hay" (weedy) he gets for $1.50 a bale. The goats just LOVE the weeds. Mixed grass/alfalfa for $3.00. Obviously this guy is used to horses.

 

[elevan]

Good deal!

 

[jodief100]

Got 240 more bales of "weedy" hay from a guy at hubby's work. $1.50 a bale. We got a good price because he doesn't have storage so it is "come and get it NOW". He doesn't have too many customers anymore so we took the bulk of it. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we loaded out of the field, 240 bales and then unloaded them into the barn in 95 degree temps with humidity in the 80% range. It was miserable. Then this weekend I moved 8 electronets, through low hanging trees, lots of deadfall and blackberry brambles. I am beat!

I have 10 girls up in the breeding pens. 5 with Quantum and 5 with Bullet. The bulk of them will go up in late August. Bullet has been in a 1/2 acre field non-stop for 3 months. It is getting pretty low, down to mostly white clover. I haven't been able to shift them around so I was really worried about him. We caught him and checked him out. FAMACHA of 1, beautiful coat, good condition, hooves got trimmed and he was madder than a wet hen. We can only catch him every few months, he is a wild and crazy boy. His horn spread is too wide to go through the chutes. He got stuck last year.

 

[jodief100]

The does in the breeding pen with Bullet bashed a hole in the fence and broke out. All but Nissan, she is too big to fit through the hole. So I will have to round them all up again tonight.

I haven't had time to move the electronet so I have been letting them loose in the evenings. We have done this for years and around dusk, they all head back to the barn. The last two nights they decided to bed down in the neighbors woods, I had to chase them in. I will get the net moved on Saturday, at least the weather is better. We are finally getting some nice weather. 70's today and tomorrow with low humidity.

I have to get pictures and dossiers written for the 10 girls going to sales this weekend. We were invited to the Mid Atlantic Small Ruminant Extravaganza and the Appalachian Kiko Invitational Sale. The first is a production based sale, all animals have to be from proven production herds, breed and registration is irrelevant. The sale is for Goats and Sheep. The second is an NKR sale.


http://pmg-epd.com/ Mid Atlantic Small Ruminant Sale
http://www.appalachiankikos.org/ Appalachian Kiko Sale