Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[Latestarter]

I've always liked lamb/mutton. Of course I love venison and elk. I pretty much figured goat would be in that mix somewhere. It was I've actually recently been giving some serious thought to replacing RJ with a kiko buck (much better parasite resistance) for meatier animals & to have more dual purpose. I think one more set of kids to have the number of breeding does I want, then may take that route. @Devonviolet got herself a myatonic buck to breed to her does to add meat. He's about the size of a nigie... But I figure if the goal is meat, I don't want to breed to a smaller animal. I'd want the same size or larger. If the goal was smaller dairy, then I'd use a nigie and make minis. My girls are REALLY dairy... not a whole lot of meat on dem bones.

So goat chores this morning were NOT done wearing only shorts. Woke to the patter of light rain on the roof outside the window above my head. My two dogs decided they needed to bark their heads off around 4:30 and didn't stop till almost 5. Didn't get much decent sleep after that, but did close the window to help dampen their barking. Right at 59° right now. I did turn the heat on and set to 72. Was damp and chilled after chores, even though the inside temp was registering at 69. Will turn it back off once the chill is gone. Goats must have been hungry as they came out in sprinkles to eat and some even remained out eating the hay I brought them after it picked up to actual light rain. Now they are all back under the to be goat shack floor again. I looked under there and it's actually quite dry.

Today is gray, cool, windy, damp, and just one of those sleep in the recliner type days. Considered going back to bed, but doing so wouldn't bring sleep, so no point.

 

[Latestarter]

Well, just checked the radar... got some good stuff headed my way for later in the day. Couple hours away at this point I'd say. Edge should be just about at @Baymule or getting very close. @Devonviolet will get it next, then me.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Couple quick thoughts on switching to a meat breed buck...be careful using one on FF as the shoulder width can cause issues. Also keep in mind that meat breeds typically have their horns left on so you are looking at an easily 200# buck with a large set of horns. Otherwise, completely understand your reasons.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Also keep in mind that meat breeds typically have their horns left on so you are looking at an easily 200# buck with a large set of horns.

Exactly why I bought a baby and bottle raised him - so I could disbud. But also so he'd be fairly people-friendly.

 

[Baymule]

Yup, drizzly right now and thunder rumbling. Trip is in the floor, his safe place on thunder monster days. LOL It's cool and damp.

 

[Devonviolet]

@Devonviolet got herself a myatonic buck to breed to her does to add meat. He's about the size of a nigie... But I figure if the goal is meat, I don't want to breed to a smaller animal. I'd want the same size or larger. If the goal was smaller dairy, then I'd use a nigie and make minis. My girls are REALLY dairy... not a whole lot of meat on dem bones

Yes, Danny Boy is about the size of a Nigie right now. But, you have to remember that he is still young. He is only 7 months old. We saw his uncle when we picked him up from the breeder. He was huge, compared to what Danny Boy looks like now. Of course I’m going from a cloudy memory, but I would guess that his uncle was at least as tall as Angelica (17 months old and 107 pounds), only MUCH heavier. I would guess he was at least 180-200 pounds, due to all that muscle. @Wehner Homestead made a good point about most bucks. Danny Boy is naturally polled. So, no problem with horns to hurt the does.

Well, just checked the radar... got some good stuff headed my way for later in the day. Couple hours away at this point I'd say. Edge should be just about at @Baymule or getting very close. @Devonviolet will get it next, then me.
View attachment 53243

We got rained out at farmer’s market. According to the weather report, we weren’t supposed to have much for rain (other than sprinkles) until after noon.

On our way to the market, it was a torrential downpour. Then, about half waythere, it slowed down, and I said whew, hopefully it won’t be pouring for us to unload the truck. Well, by the time we got there, it was pouring again, so the canopy came out first, and got seeet up right away. Then, it proceeded to pour for the next hour and a half. Everything got drenched. Finally at about 9:45, the market manager cancelled the market.

Just about the time we finished loading the truck, the rain stopped. We helped another vendor pack up and load his truck,, and still no rain. No customers either. When I started packing up, I was $8.00 behind. I had bought a beautiful looking musk melon, and hadn’t sold a thing. As I was packing boxes, one of the market helpers came to my booth and bought some Violet’s (anti-inflammatory) lotion, so I was $1.00 ahead. Then, the market manager came over and bought some tomatoes ($2.50). So, we ended up making a whopping $3.50.

That was better than the honey guy, next to me, made. He didn’t sell one thing! I asked him if he gave out samples (meaning he might sell more if people oculd taste his honey. He said “yes, here.” And he handed me his 1 pound bottle ($6.00). I said, “Oh, I meant for your customers to taste it.” But he insisted that I take the bottle.
So, I went and got him some baked goods.

So, we have had rain - torrential at times, for most of the day. As I type this, it continues to thunder and rain really hard out there.

ETA: I just checked the rain gauge and we have 2” since last night, when the gauge was on 0”. We had a 1/2” when we got home from farmer’s market around noon.

 

[Latestarter]

Yup... exactly what FEM said... I won't be using him for show, so horns gotta go! I'll either get a polled buckling or have the kid I'm going to buy disbudded, or buy him as a bottle baby and disbud him myself. He'll only be used over adult does, no yearlings, mine are large breed goats and should present minimal birthing issues. RJ is at or over 200# now at a year and 1/2. He got two yearling FF's last fall and they both delivered without a hitch.

Sorry you got rained out DV... All the effort you put into preparing, it really has to hurt when you're stuck with perishable product... Course trading some for some honey is a win win.

 

[Latestarter]

Looks to be clearing as the front is now east of me. Last lingering bits about to pass. Emptied the gauge and surprised to find only an inch. The way it was coming down, had figured twice that. Having streams running across the property also proved a bit misleading. Did make for a great opportunity to wash the feed buckets out though without hauling water

 

[Baymule]

It drizzled all day and we had bursts of downpour. We got 2 inches of rain. @Devonviolet that sucks about the market. But overall, you have had good weather and have done well, so one bummer weekend might not be so bad.

 

[greybeard]

I'm hoping the rain stays away from here a few more days..or weeks even. Wife's car is without windshield wipers.