Kidding season at sweet horizon minis

[Sweet horizon Nigerians]

Thank you! Unfortunately I was unable to get them on test last year, I had been planning on doing LA and shows this year but the linear appraisals have all been cancelled and so far most of the shows semi local to me have been cancelled as well.
I was going to do milk test this year but I’m not really sure with the covid shut downs everywhere how that would work out

 

[D and L Meadows]

Oh ok. Yeah, it would be a bit hard to start up now. The hardest part is finding someone to be a supervisor. Especially for the verification test.
Its a lot of work, but it sure has its benefits!

 

[Sweet horizon Nigerians]

@D and L Meadows could I have a friend take the test and be a verifier even though they don’t have goats? I am for some reason unable to get on adga’s website to look into it a bit more.

I definitely want to get on milk test though. I did get a scale (just one from Walmart’s fishing section so it’s not calibrated and certified) to try to keep records that way until I can get on test.

Any tips are greatly appreciated lol
The lgds had a spa day today

 

[D and L Meadows]

Yes. The person can not "have an interest in the farm" so can not be an owner, can not have bought goats from you and so on. So someone who doesn’t have goats is perfect.
For a doe to be in the top 10, you have to do three verification tests. One (I think it’s one not two) of the tests have to be done by someone who has not tested in the past year. That’s a bit of a hurdle. Lol
Do you bottle or dam raise the kids?
Having a scale on hand to weigh the milk is very nice. I have one special doe that I keep track how much she gives each milking just for my own personal records, that way I can tell when she’s going to peak. If we have a doe that peaks high enough, we do a one day test, just for AGS, since they have a top ten for one day as well as 305. Our all time high on the farm was 7.1#. Where we get goats from had one do 8.1#! We have a calculator on our website to see if your doe will get a Star with the one day milk test:

Star Calculations

Any other questions...just ask!

 

[rachels.haven]

I needed this. Thank you for discussing this. Maybe someday.

 

[Sweet horizon Nigerians]

@D and L Meadows Thank you! So anyone that has no take in the farm and that is not related to me or has not purchased goats from me can do the verification tests?
You said that you need to have 1 verification test from someone that has not tested in the past year, so could the same person do the verification for top 10?
I have been dam raising but I will be bottle feeding Bella’s kid(s) this time around.

Thanks again for the info!
@rachels.haven feel free to add any questions lol

Onto Bella... she still has firm ligs, I moved her into the barn today (with a non dominant buddy) her due date (day145) is tomorrow! please think pink

 

[Sweet horizon Nigerians]

Mishka

 

[D and L Meadows]

Correct. Same goes for your regular supervisor. They would need to be certified just like your regular supervisor.
Yes, you only do a verification test to be in the top 10, otherwise it’s not needed. So basically, it’s just to make sure people don’t cheat. If the person has a interest in your farm, then if they cheat, then it makes it look better. It really all depends on how picky the DHI supervisor is. Ours is soooo easy. He came out to train the first time, but now if we need a new tester, we just ask him for a new number He doesn’t even need to come out. But we have friends of Kansas, and their tester has to take a test and all this other stuff before getting certified.
And if the person has, say, bought wethers from you, that wouldnt matter because it means nothing to them of your goats give a lot of milk or not. Lol

Bottle feeding the kids is a lot easier when test day comes. We do let the does lick their kids. We have a panel that they can stick their heads thought and get to their kids, but the kids can not get through. After a week or so, they don’t know how to nurse, and they go with their moms full time. It works really well. That way you dont have the doe crying for her kids. Because even if she didn’t see them right from birth, she stil, knows somethings missing. I can get you a picture of our set up tomorrow.

Yes, really, any questions..just ask! I encourage DHI testing, as you never know what potential some herds have. It would be nice to have a new high producing line! And don’t get discouraged if your does don’t give a lot...we started out with 400#ers, now we have a 1450#! Took us 8 or so years to get there, but hey, everything takes time.

 

[Sweet horizon Nigerians]

Lillie and her kids

 

[Sweet horizon Nigerians]

Still no kids, ligs are definitely starting to get harder to find. Hopefully kids tomorrow.

@D and L Meadows that’s interesting about the difference in testers. That makes a ton of sense as far as letting the moms get to know the kids through the fence, the does don’t try to get the kids to nurse when they are all put together if she has dam raised before?
Please do show your set up
That’s awsome with your numbers!