rachels.haven's Journal

[farmerjan]

As I always say, I am not a goat person. BUT, from all I read, and yes I do enjoy reading about peoples relationship with their goats , this whole line/family is just not what you want or should be perpetuating. She causes you to continually have to accommodate her and her attitude. If you are not happy with the body type to start with, why put up with the rest? I get that people tend to feel bad about selling something after they have put alot of time and effort into them.... but honestly, that is emotions getting in the way of good sensible practicality.
Beef cows are different, and we have our favorites as well. BUT. because they are alot bigger, and eat alot more, we have to be more practical. They have to mother their calf. They have to produce every year. They have to raise a decent calf that is saleable. They will get a "pass" if they aren't bred IF there are extenuating circumstances and they HAVE to get pregnant with the next group so only lose 6 months time. If not they are gone. They only get a 6 month pass ONE TIME in their lifetime unless they are very old and we are trying to keep their bloodline going. Had one cow that went 18 months between calves her last 3 but she was over 16 and one was a set of twins. She earned her place to stay like that.

As far as my dairy cows, since I use a couple as nurse cows, they have to have mothering abilities and be fairly accepting of grafted calves. They have to milk decent and not give me grief about coming into the barn. They can't have attitudes and be "kicky" cows. I do not need drama every time I go to the barn to milk, or get them in to feed or anything else like that.
From what @Mike CHS said, prices down his way are very good. If you are going to sell, this is the time to do it. Get rid of the whole family line, get some hay put back, and enjoy the ones you have that do "get with the program". Life is too short to deal with animals with attitudes that make every thing else difficult to do. You have enough other things there that you can't control, living in the "can't do" state that you are in. Keep your home life and farm life enjoyable.

 

[rachels.haven]

The only reason I personally would hesitate to sell her would be that I personally like Nigerian dwarf milk. It is the Jersey milk of the goat world. My family hates how thick and milkshake like it is, but I LOVE it. It is probably not worth the attitude from that goat though. May 24th her withdrawal is done and I will choose.

One of the new dwarves I brought home this year that had a negative preg test before coming here appears to have a more prominent udder than yesterday...this is suspicious. She'd be due in 30 days so the timing would be almost right. It could just be hormones. Or it could be that she didn't feel like being honest on her pregnancy test. She is 6 so I don't expect a huge litter. And she does not look big at all...just appears to be growing a suspicious udder. Hmm.

 

[Bruce]

Who says you can't have more than one kind of milk in the house? DW uses ONLY Lactaid Fat Free. I buy unhomogenized whole milk, mostly for cereal but also for making pancakes. I mostly drink water. DD1 (when here) uses only non fat milk, DD2 uses 1% when DD1 is not here but wants 2% to drink and non fat on cereal when DD1 is here. Personally, I can think of no reason why I would want to pour white tinted water on my cereal.

 

[rachels.haven]

That is what I like to do. Darn ND have concentrated milk and concentrated attitude though. I get the impression I'm going to have to sort through at least my herd to get a group with good production, good udders, and good dispositions all in one package.

 

[farmerjan]

Maybe just a different ND line with a goat that has an agreeable attitude? I like my jersey and guernsey milk, but shipped a jersey that had a CRAP attitude several years ago....

 

[Baymule]

I feed them. I care for them. I water them. I provide shelter for them. I give them treats. In return I expect them to be good Mother’s and not give me a bunch of crap. I can’t stand people who create drama and I sure ain’t gonna take it from a ewe.

 

[rachels.haven]

I'm hoping that this is indeed a case of a spicy lines. Eri, the six year old dwarf with the suspicious udder acts like a normal goat and shares no lines with Ava-she is Promised Land, Old Mountain Farms. That was my hope in getting her. She was described as being near the top of the pecking order and friendly but not obnoxious, with half gallon production and cow sized teats. That was why she came here. So far all but the hand milking teats I can varify and appreciate. She's not as pretty, but she's a dairy goat. And because of that I'd like to whisper an order for a buck and a doe from her.
I do need to sell Ava and at LEAST one of her does, if not two or three. We do have too much spicy and I am sick of it.
I also have Ava's cousin, Durango, as a 55 lbs mature buck. I'd like to keep him-he personally is more handlable than Ava most days- but I will probably consider him under evaluation as well based on daughters temperament.
Sigh.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I second or what ever number we are on to sale her. I had two does before one was a dream to milk the other a nightmare. She would lay down kick anything and everything I had to keep her all tied up everytime to avoid a black eye. Now the doe i have is nice to milk she makes odd steps rarely and just eat her grain and let's me do my thing and she nursing three kids two are hers and one buckling i recently bought who was alittle young to wean lol. I can't wait to milk her girls they already let me touch their udder lines and teats. I have three milking next year. My husband enjoys this milk better. So i might buy a toggenberg buck or something later to keep the kind of milk he likes. My last were pure nubains these girl is nubian toggenberg and her doelings are 3/4 nubian and 1/4 toggenberg my buckling is nubian sansan. So we see how they work out. But I know what you mean on the milk some are creamer then others. I personally enjoy either goats milk. I wouldn't put up with the biting me nonsense she would be on a freezer date just my opinion. My buckling tries that now he gets smack i don't go for biting. Thats the same with my rooster and other animals you bite you go. You behave you got a home.

 

[rachels.haven]

Listed Ava's bottle bucklings today. I immediately got a response from someone requesting I hold and bottle feed them until weaning time for them for the same price.
...not if someone else comes along, and that low price will go up if I have to especially if I like what I see. My time, space, and milk are worth something to me.

Meanwhile Ava produced over 6 cups of milk on the stand this morning-a BIG deal because the assumption is that if not with a buckling (and one of last year's doelings unfortunately) constantly harassing her and drinking the milk she'd be producing 3 quarts/day, which is great for a 60 lbs goat. Clearly she knows I intend to find her another barn...

 

[CntryBoy777]

I don't blame ya for increasing price....if they were "animal people" they would know and understand...or, take them and spend their time raising it.... .....Congrats on the milk increase and it is things like that, that makes all the "obsticles" worth dealing with....

I agree with the others on the "problem children"....just not worth dealing with or making arrangements for a few....