One Fine Acre - 2023 4H Steer Project Update

[babsbag]

@Latestarter...fortunately no wildfires around me, we live in an area of grassland and small oak tress, no dense brush and only a few tall pines. Grass fires can do some damage but usually not burn down your house if you have the right kind of roof, siding, no decking with open bottoms, and nothing stored around the home. You just have to be smart.

As far as water, it is only So. CA that gets water from the Colorado. Most of the Central Valley irrigation comes from No. CA snow pack and reservoirs and the central Sierra snow pack and the ensuing Central Valley Water Project, and wells. And yes, they are in crisis. We have our own well. Doesn't mean I am wasterful but as of yet no one is monitoring my water useage, but that may come someday. But my water isn't free, I pay a pretty penny in eletricity to pump it out of the 300' deep well. I have about 25 fruit trees, berries, vegetable garden, lots of flowers, and a small lawn. I don't wash my car though, if it doesn't grow it doesn't need water...

 

[babsbag]

I think that goats that have been in the ring a few times learn what is going on, just like a dog does. They are smart...sometimes too smart.

 

[Hens and Roos]

I think that goats that have been in the ring a few times learn what is going on, just like a dog does. They are smart...sometimes too smart.

I agree! We have to put a second clip on some of our pen gates because we have 1 goat that is constantly trying to open them.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Here is the championship line up for Nigerians at NC State Fair.
My goat Rosemarinus is the 5 year old and above all the way on the right.
The 3-4 year old in the middle was GC, and the 2-3 year old behind her was reserve.

 

[babsbag]

Those are all some nice looking does. I can see some nice long teats even in the picture which is one thing I look for an any doe that is a home milker. I think there was some stiff competition; good shows always bring out the best goats. Your goats did well, you should be very proud.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Those are all some nice looking does. I can see some nice long teats even in the picture which is one thing I look for an any doe that is a home milker. I think there was some stiff competition; good shows always bring out the best goats. Your goats did well, you should be very proud.

Isn't it interesting that in that line you see some different looks which isn't unusual with Nigerians
Our doe and the 4 yo are similar and the 2 and 3 year olds are similar but different from the 4 and 5 ?
The 2 and 3 yo excelled in udder capacity
The 3 yo that was grand champ has a lot of extension on her for udderamd had a lot of width at the udder arch
But you can see how her teats point forward
The 4 and 5 yo definitely score higher in Dairy Strength ( they used to call it Dairy Character)
They just look more Dairy to me

 

[babsbag]

You can certainly see her fore-udder in that picture, and the teats that point forward. As a non-show person the most informative day I ever had was when I helped our club hosts a judges' training. I spent the day showing goats, and not just mine, all kind, good and bad, and got to listen to the candidates judge them and give reasons and then had the "real" judges give input on their reasons. It was an ah ah moment for me more than once. I don't have any goats worthy of the show ring but boy can some of them milk, and that is what I need right now so I am ok with that.

Actually my bucks would probably do better in the show ring than my does. My new LM buckling is amazing, wish I had more does to breed him to.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I've seen her animals in person at Shelby, and met her too. She's a very nice lady. And smart too, she's a pharmacist.
Just exchanged emails with her in fact.

I don't think we are going to do any AI this year with our schedule. We kind of do everything around kidding by mid May because of the Memorial Day show. If we were going to do AI would want to try them earlier like in Sept, so that you try maybe twice and if they don't settle still expose to a buck.

So
Rethinking this based on the State Fair
We have 3 does we aren't going to worry about showing in the spring and go ahead and go the AI route for this breeding

And we wrote certain breeding and retention rights into the contracts of a couple of does we sold
So will be giving AI updates soon

 

[Hens and Roos]

So
Rethinking this based on the State Fair
We have 3 does we aren't going to worry about showing in the spring and go ahead and go the AI route for this breeding

And we wrote certain breeding and retention rights into the contracts of a couple of does we sold
So will be giving AI updates soon

Can you explain in general what this is about and why it is done? Thx

 

[OneFineAcre]

Can you explain in general what this is about and why it is done? Thx

I wrote that last night on my phone. I guess it made no sense?

Well the first part we had talked about doing artificial insemination, but I didn't think we would try this year because we try to have all of our does bred by the first week in December because of the show memorial day. We don't have the semen yet, and if she doesn't settle the first try she wouldn't kid before the show.

But, I think that we may not worry about showing some (3 or 4) in may and go ahead and try AI. In fact, we may hold off a while so they kid in the summer to have a few fresh for the fall fairs. That doe who was GC had only kidded a month before and everyone else in the show was stale.

As to the second part, when people buy does from me and say they don't want to own a buck (or can't own a buck) and they want me to provide stud service for them, I sometimes agree. But, if I do I usually write a contract saying they have to have annual testing etc, I choose which buck to breed the doe to, and that I have the right to purchase a kid from them for the same price as they paid for the doe. I get first choice.
There are a couple that might be worth doing AI on in this case.