SBC/GW's Journal- Spring shows DONE! & Update

[farmerjan]

Nope. Not happening anytime soon. That's why "farmers" are dwindling. No one wants the work, take the effort, losses, lessons...just go buy GMO & hormone filled from the grocery. They don't even know what it takes to get it there! Most don't care.

Past 20-30 years have seen so, so many health issues for the general population. Lack of proper nutrition, chemicals in food and too much sitting on their tush!
People don't know HOW to cook. Heck I have people sample foods at demos and they want to buy the jar/can/pkg of what I made. When told where ingredients are they go "I have to MAKE IT??" in total shock. LOL

Oh I hear you @Mini Horses . The idea that they might have to actually COOK something, from raw ingredients....
The ones who do, and there is a "group of homesteader types" who do believe in the whole "healthy, homegrown" is better for you, are in the minority, and on top of that, there are just too many that want fast, and convenient, out of a can or rehydrate a package.... I am kind of glad that I will not live to see the total disaster of it all. I can, freeze, do some dehydrating and am actually looking at a freeze drier so that I am not so dependent on the freezers and electricity. So I am not against progress....and I do get some "fast food"... but I don't want it to be my staple diet. Another reason I am looking forward to "less working" so that I can actually do more cooking for myself and not being so tired out at night all the time.

 

[farmerjan]

Let the doc buy his own damn cow!

I'm with you there, but if we are still renting the place, I will still "get asked", be expected to "help" take care of it etc.
I have a 2 teat jersey that is a bitch as a nurse cow that I have told my son that I would consider, because she is going to the stockyard after this calf is raised up. But I don't want the responsibility of the whole thing. Plus, I will not be able to raise "his calf" separately from the calves that are on my nurse cows there, without completely creating a big deal with pens and gates and things like the creep gate for teaching the calves to come in to learn to eat grain.... and this beef would be up to 30 months old before slaughter... NO I don't want to deal with it. I would sell him the cow, but I would still wind up being responsible for it and I just want no part of the whole thing.

 

[Southern by choice]

@farmerjan no way I would enter into any agreement with this guy. That is a nightmare waiting to happen.

@Mini Horses - I here ya. You know I like the showing etc, I like making improvements on my goats etc. I also love my less than perfect goats. For me it isn't so much on improving the breed as it is improving my own stock. I am mixed about the idea of what "improving" the breed really means.
The Lamanchas and Toggenburgs were medium size goats... they have been "improved" so much that they are now huge. If I wanted a Saanen I'd get a Saanen. Not sure making alot of these goats bigger is necessarily better. 30-40 # heavier and 4-6" taller doesn't equate to higher production necessarily. Why feed that extra height and weight?

 

[Baymule]

@farmerjan I wouldn't even sell him a cow. He's got a lot of nerve, expecting you to breed your cow for his calf. I am astounded at his narcissism. He has a bad case of what we call "the big head" meaning that his head is swelled up with his own self importance. Comments to go along with that condition include giving him a bar of soap so he can soap the door jam in order to slide his big fat head through the door.

 

[farmerjan]

@farmerjan I wouldn't even sell him a cow. He's got a lot of nerve, expecting you to breed your cow for his calf. I am astounded at his narcissism. He has a bad case of what we call "the big head" meaning that his head is swelled up with his own self importance. Comments to go along with that condition include giving him a bar of soap so he can soap the door jam in order to slide his big fat head through the door.

You have him pegged. He thinks he is IT and that he knows it all. He has "researched" all this breeding to a wagyu and has also looked into what the semen will cost and the shipping and all. Plus he "knows" what it will take to get this calf up to eating age and size....
I am not at all astounded at his attitude or feeling of entitlement. He is an ass. I've just got to get out of this without it being too much of a disaster and moving my nurse cows will be the best way I think. If I am not there every day as I am now, them I will not be able to "take care" of his BIG IDEA.

 

[farmerjan]

@Southern by choice ; I hear you on the " improving the breed" thing with making the different breeds bigger and such. Did it to the angus in the 80-90's with them getting as big as Chianina's. And the holsteins got so big. Agree, WHY feed such a big animal for little or no milk gain. The sizes of some of the breeds has come down, like the angus, a more moderate size is preferred now... but if you saw pictures of some of them at shows in the 50's and such, most were barely up to a tall man's belt buckle. More along the size of the "low-line" angus now. With the family size getting smaller, we really don't need all these monsterously tall rangy animals. But it was the "latest FAD" so they bred them bigger. They needed to have more "capacity" to eat more feed, namely silage.... They have ruined the guernsey breed by trying to make it "more dairy" instead of allowing it to remain a more "coarse type" cow that just produced good milk with a high beta-carotene content. They weren't meant to be refined and it has hurt the breed terribly. Jerseys have gotten bigger, and they have increased the milk production, but many have lost some of the butterfat and components.
I am glad that in the purebred poultry world, the standard of perfection was set up years ago as each breed was recognized as a "purebred" and that the weights and such were established way back then. There has been some "improved breeding" but for showing and such, the size and weights can be very important. I've seen judges carry a set of scales into a show and weigh birds being shown in a class. It has kept them more true to the original types.

 

[Bruce]

We have had people that when told that our class is mandatory for new goat owners (keep in mind we don't charge any extra money- the price of the goat is the same) they don't want to and they go buy a goat for the same price without any education.
How stupid is that? Even if the goat is less, how. stupid. is. that?

That is truly amazing! Yeah I'm sure some divine intervention will plug everything they need to know about caring for their animals in a dream some night. I would expect people to be really happy to get that education even if it wasn't free.

 

[rachels.haven]

@farmerjan
We have had people that when told that our class is mandatory for new goat owners (keep in mind we don't charge any extra money- the price of the goat is the same) they don't want to and they go buy a goat for the same price without any education.
How stupid is that? Even if the goat is less, how. stupid. is. that?
We teach fecal analysis and allow them to take part so they can learn. We teach how to determine external parasite issues. How to examine a goat, how to give shots, how to trim hooves, how to do FAMACHA (we are certified). Feeding care to include a list of articles and limks etc. We also emclose our testing results. We show them how to "look at the goat" what to watch for. We go over coccidia prevention, follow up procedures, what kind of emergency items to have on hand etc... the list goes on.
But they don't want to take 3 hours to do the class.
They don't deserve my goats.

Wow, I can't believe that. I would buy the goat for the three hour class. I'd even consider driving out for it. That shocks me. I'm having to figure out a lot of stuff on my own and via research and experience and would just love to have someone knowledgeable just TELL and/or SHOW me. Vets alone are few and far in between, and I'm not sure what to think of the closest one to me as it is (not sure I want him near my goats unless it's an emergency yet). Those people don't realize how lucky they could be-not stuck depending on this and other forums, vet manuals, youtube, and other anecdotal/wivestaley material.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Wow, I can't believe that. I would buy the goat for the three hour class. I'd even consider driving out for it. That shocks me. I'm having to figure out a lot of stuff on my own and via research and experience and would just love to have someone knowledgeable just TELL and/or SHOW me. Vets alone are few and far in between, and I'm not sure what to think of the closest one to me as it is (not sure I want him near my goats unless it's an emergency yet). Those people don't realize how lucky they could be-not stuck depending on this and other forums, vet manuals, youtube, and other anecdotal/wivestaley material.

You are welcome to come on down

 

[Southern by choice]

@rachels.haven we encourage veterinary involvement always! The biggest thing we see is veterinarians are focused on medical/health problems NOT management. They do not have the time to teach every new client basic management protocol. That isn't what they went to vet school for and it will not pay their expenses for sure. The breeder IMO has the responsibilty to educate the new goat owner. Of course within reason. We find doing the classes also helps dispel a great deal of bad information that people come across as well as it gives opportunity to help them understand the whole "organic" vs "chemical" treatments a goat may need. It is something we have always loved to do because it really gives people the chance to ask questions with the hands on. I think it gives some confidence to the new owner as well. Less intimidating, scary. Of course on discounted animals and wethers, they go to experienced folk that won't require a class. My time is valuable too.

And on occasion a client might get a firsthand glimpse of how NOT to do hoof trimming - you know when you nearly cut your thumb off in front of them. And that gives them a chance to see what rushing can cause! followed by "and that's why you don't do it this way!"