North Carolina

[Banriona]

You are in Randolph County, that's Asheboro right?

Southern is in Pittsboro, so she is closer to you. And I think she knows several.

Asheboro is about half an hour drive away, but it's the closest "real" city.

Thanks for all the info!

Also, anyone feeding their goats sprouted fodder? I just started this for my chickens, wondering if it's worth expanding the operation for the goats too. I've had the best luck thus far sprouting BOSS, but working out the kinks with the barley and wheat.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Several threads on here about fodder. Some people think it's great. My opinion is that it is good for chickens. I don't think that it is cost effective for goats. There is some information on here as well about why people don't think it is effective. Short story, goats needs so much "dry matter" and fodder is a very high percentage of water. They can't eat enough of it to get the dry matter they need. As long as I can buy round bales of hay for $35 I don't see me going to that effort.

 

[Banriona]

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?

 

[OneFineAcre]

Very good thank you. Hope yours was as well.

 

[Banriona]

Pretty uneventful. Had surgery the day before (outpatient thing) so took it easy and just went to a friends house. Had leftovers for dinner tonight, so not any real cooking today either.

Enjoy your weekend!

 

[Southern by choice]

I don't know about your county but I should be hearing back from our ext agent this month. Just had a meeting with her at a new possible location here. I can e-mail her tomorrow.

 

[OneFineAcre]

We're having our NCDGBA meeting in January in Asheboro. If you are interested in coming let me know.

We always do some educational sessions. We've done FAMACHA before. We have a vet and someone from the meat goat unit from State in the club. I can probably get it on the agenda if you would like.

On another note. We have a member who is a vet and raises Toggenburgs. Wife went yesterday and watched/assisted him on an artificial insemination. We are planning a new buckling in the spring, but may be getting a semen tank too.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Did not know if you were a "joiner" or not. Meaning joining organizations. My wife is. I'm not. But, I like the meetings and the people now. Quarterly meeting is always at someone's house and is a covered dish lunch. July meeting in 2014 is at our house.

She is also in the Johnson County Goat producers too. Funny thing is we don't live in Johnson County. Their last meeting they looked at a goat stomach and uterus.

I'll find out the date an location and pass it on.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Just like any organization it is only as good as the people in it.
We have a vet who doesn't specialize in treating goats, but who breeds goats himself. ( I have a vet who specializes in goats but does not breed them himself) 2 different perspectives.
We have a member who raises goats and works at the meat goat unit at State.
So, we have some technical expertise, but they don't know everything for sure.
But we have members who have been breeding goats for 40 years.
You may not necessarily get a lot from one meeting. We've gotten a lot more as we have gotten to know people and just have one on one conversations with them.
My wife was one of the supervisors for the milk test at our spring show last year. No way to tell how much she learned.
Sometimes, what you learn is only as good as the questions you ask.

 

[Southern by choice]

That sounds very interesting!

@Banriona because of funding cuts the services are slim in some counties. Wake and Durham Counties have no livestock agents anymore. Orange and Alamance share one, Chatham has one... not sure of your county. They are stretched thin. The poultry agent, Dan, covers 8 counties. Don't give up, it is just slow going at first.
Pretty much it is the same teams doing the FAMACHA certification as it is a partnership with NC State. The one we were suppose to have here a month ago was cancelled because they needed more than 17 people for the class... problem is people are having a hard time getting the info. If you sign up on the extension services site for your county and sister counties you will get all the e-mails of telling you what is coming up.