One Fine Acre - 2023 4H Steer Project Update

[OneFineAcre]

She's 5 years old and. 5 FF.

 

[farmerjan]

For her age I think she is in very good condition. With that milk record and 300 DIM. Sure she could use a little flesh, over her hips/pins, but I am very impressed with how good she looks at that stage of the game. I think it is harder to keep weight on goats, or put it back on, than on cattle. The other one looks superb.
Not to be negative, but what is the reason behind holding the goats head up like she is being "choked" ??? I am not being critical, just don't get it. I think they look prettier with their head at a little more natural angle. It's the same with show sheep. They have their heads up so high, and so many of them are just too "lean" in the rear too for my taste. I like "rumps" on my animals.
One reason I am trying this AI breeding with Aubrac semen, to give my calves more butt. If it works out on the dairy animals, so I have a more saleable calf for beef rather than an angus cross, then I might very well try some on my beef cows next year.

 

[OneFineAcre]

For her age I think she is in very good condition. With that milk record and 300 DIM. Sure she could use a little flesh, over her hips/pins, but I am very impressed with how good she looks at that stage of the game. I think it is harder to keep weight on goats, or put it back on, than on cattle. The other one looks superb.
Not to be negative, but what is the reason behind holding the goats head up like she is being "choked" ??? I am not being critical, just don't get it. I think they look prettier with their head at a little more natural angle. It's the same with show sheep. They have their heads up so high, and so many of them are just too "lean" in the rear too for my taste. I like "rumps" on my animals.
One reason I am trying this AI breeding with Aubrac semen, to give my calves more butt. If it works out on the dairy animals, so I have a more saleable calf for beef rather than an angus cross, then I might very well try some on my beef cows next year.

LOL
You want the doe to hold her head up
You want to try to accentuate the length of her neck
Long slender neck is what you want

 

[OneFineAcre]

I agree Standards are generally harder keepers, but I think much depends on the lines as well. Seems the more fru fru the harder they are to keep.
It bothers me that the LM is getting so tall and big. I do think crossing breeds for experimentals can be beneficial but I also think crossing LM's to Saanens & Alpines just to get larger udders and greater capacity/production is overall causing the issues and hurting the Lamanchas.

We have heard from a few real long timers in goats about the Togg getting so large as well.

@Southern by choice
Honestly I think a lot of these goats that are leaders are as you say fru fru goats
Its cost a lot of money to keep.Climate at that level you really have to be doing it for that reason
But also her sons will.probably be worth more money but it isn't going to pay off

And even with the Nigerians ours are getting milk stars but they aren't even close to the top does
But we are feeding ours Bermuda hay and some alfalfa pellets and a local mix feed
Those does at the top have a much higher grocery bill I promise

 

[OneFineAcre]

I did the DNA test from Ancestry.com
Was a little surprised
I am 59% Western European
31% Ireland/Scotland/Wales
5% Great Britain
5% Other
The other is low confidence
4% Scamdanavian
1% Southern European
1% Melanisia (south pacific)

I'm surprised its that's high western European and not higher Ireland/Scotland

The interesting thing is they identified me as being from the coastal plain of NC/VA

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I always wondered how accurate those tests actually are. Read an article one day about identical triplets and they were about 5% off if I recall correctly. Apparently there is a disclaimer about the percentage of error?? Who knows?! Still interesting though.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I'm sure spitting in a test tube has its limitations
But they sure had my family's location correct

 

[misfitmorgan]

I wanna do one of those tests some day OFA, my mom's adopted so we always wondered what the other half of us is. Half my mom's kids look mediterranean/middle eastern/spanish and the other half irish or scottish...so who knows.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Did a head count since I had no idea how many goats we have now
36

 

[Southern by choice]

Never count!
It can cause the following:

Shock
Denial
Anger
Split Personality (brought on by ways of coping)

if no intervention immediately ....

it may also cause you to look at the following

bank account

then the cycle will repeat.