Baymule
Herd Master
What do you feed the bucks in? Could you add a little mineral daily to their feed ration?
rachels.haven's Journal
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Ridgetop
Herd Master
If you drill another well, maybe keep the original one for the livestock.
Good to know that the Hoy's bucks milk too. Glad that he got back to you. They are such nice people.
You could try making a mineral feeder out of pieces of 2x12 wood and put t on the ground. 2x12s are pretty sturdy.
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
They seem like they are. Someday if I can't find a buck matching and complementing Pete in quality I may get another from them. I realized a little while ago that I only have 4 does I can breed to Pete this year (and one I was strongly considering retiring or letting go, another I wanted to do an outcross because she was related to Pete, so really only two). All the rest of my does are his daughters or minis. It's probably about time to use him one more round on the foundation dams and let him go work somewhere else. I was hoping to get udders on daughters before letting him go so he could at least be visibly "proven" as far as what he produces but the move and paring down sped things up. It made more sense to keep a lot of little higher quality, more transportable Pete daughters than it did to keep a 8 more foundation does.
I'll find something for the bucks' mineral feeders. As soon as things settle out and slow down a bit and I find or re buy and organize my tools I can start tinkering and finding solutions for things again.
I'll find something for the bucks' mineral feeders. As soon as things settle out and slow down a bit and I find or re buy and organize my tools I can start tinkering and finding solutions for things again.
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
A Pete Experimental-Pete x a Nubian with a fancy show and milk pedigree. Sorry about the watermark. The world is having pic theft issues. I'd rather not have someone trying to "sell" this goat and successfully scamming someone.
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Ridgetop
Herd Master
I like that doe - dry yearling? Who will you breed her to?
Ridgetop
Herd Master
I think I would hang on to him until you have daughters in milk. You could also check with the Hoys about doe kids. I think they also sell first fresheners to a dairy if they don;t have show udders. You might ask about getting one of those. Transport would be harder but if they are cioming to a Nationalnext year and it is near you, maybe they would transport for you to pick up at the show. Another thing you could do is ask who has their bloodlines closer to you. I love their LaManchas and DS2 had very good luck with them in our program.
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
She's a big January kid, so a future dry yearling, although if she hits 100 lbs I could always breed her to mini with less risk of a giant single (not thrilled about the kids though). Aramis, the buck who is too uphill, was purchased to breed Pete kids for a line breeding effect which would hopefully lock in type, and then Kenai my big black, heavily Autumn Acres buck for any Aramis kids to act as an outcross and bring back some substance of bone that is more traditional in old style does while keeping the length of body that isn't, but Aramis is listed for this structure being not quite right,
...so I guess at this point when it's time she will be getting Kenai so I don't have to look at Aramis rumps carbon copied all over my pasture. Aramis has nice spring of rib-the Pete girls could use that-his two daughters have nice flat square rumps, just like his and very correct feet and legs...but if their rumps were a hill you could slide down them unless they are stood just right, which is a shame, so yes he is staying listed and my line breeding plan to solidify type is on hold for now.
It's not what I was going for, but both bucks who are staying are milking, so their structure is acceptable and apparently they have the right dairy stuff despite being male and Kenai's solidness will hopefully be fun to see come into fruition by way of Pete's dairiness and length of bone (and size, Pete is very big and tall)
If the finances settle out I wouldn't mind putting another reservation in at the Hoys for some point, but I don't feel right about that at this point. Last time I picked out a 1st and second choice doe to put a deposit on who were both fresheners I very much liked the looks of who hadn't completed milk test and hadn't been appraised who then knocked it out of the park too, giving me a very good deal. This next round I may play it safer so I will probably wind up paying more, lol. But a buck is genetically half your herd of tomorrow so it's worth it to a point.
I think next year I should put down that deposit and start thinking about growing out a new very nice buck. I feel like I buy, bring in, grow out so many bucks only to decide they aren't up to par...and then I sell them at a loss. Going back to the Hoy's is probably my best bet at the best quality.
Sorry about the ramble. Off to chores.
Baymule
Herd Master
Rambling on here sometimes helps get your thoughts together. Plus you have the bonus of all the advice you get! LOL
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
And that's been great!
And one do the great things about advice is that you can take it with a grain of salt and follow it or not. You guys have helped me over and over again with words of warning, direction, just plain advice and offers of help. And I really appreciate it!
Here's Kenai.
He's not perfect and still growing but between Kenai and Aramis he's the nicer one.
Unfortunately he's not turning red. He's incredibly greasy and they found a dirt bath. He turns your hands orange if you pet him.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
I like his bone - although that might be his heavier coat. Still very dairy even with heavier bone.
