Which Mini Breed is Best for us?

[goats&moregoats]

Decorum, what we decorated our barn with? Oh no, no that is décor( hay feeders, buckets, kidding pens) Please yes, lots of pictures when the time arrives. Can never ever get enough of goats or LGDs.

 

[Southern by choice]

 

[Devonviolet]

LADIES! PLEASE, you're makin' me laugh so hard I'm going to have to excuse myself . . .!

I have been on BYH for two weeks . . . It seems like so much longer. Have been trying to post pics, but wasn't allowed. I tried a few minutes ago, and it was going to let me. But I had to leave the page for a minute. Now that I am trying again it won't let me again.

Okay . . . QUICK! It let me open my photo album! Here is a group shot of the litter, at 3 weeks. 5 girls, 3 boys. I was the last to put my deposit on a girl, so I get last pick. However, the breeder is keeping one of the girls, and says they are all such strong pups, she is going to have a hard time choosing, so I'm not worried about which one I will get.

Here they are at almost 5 weeks

Here is the Sire. He was imported from champion lines, from Abruzzi Italy. His name is Bartolo. Isn't he a good looking boy?

And here is the Dam. Her name is Gabby. I know she has excellent lineage. But, right now can't remember what it is. She is a beautiful girl too, eh?

Okay, so decorum aside. Or is it dècor-ah? Or was that Decorah (Iowa)? After all the pleading and cajoling, does this satisfy (at least temporarily) y'alls need for pics? I'm not sure how to do it, but I'm thinking once we get our little girl, I will start a journal. I'm big on taking photos so my journal won't be wanting for lots of pics.

 

[Devonviolet]

Now I know those emoticons are suppose to be celebratory... but what they really are is you and DH losing your minds ... X2.

Goats do that to you.

For our region the Kiko's made the most sense but in the future when we are on more land we would love to bring in some Spanish Goats, maybe some Myotonics.

This is from Onion Creek Ranch... rich in articles and resources you may want to take a look.
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/myotonicgoats.html

The Savannah goat looks very similar to the Boer... nice goats too.

I think deciding whether you want breeding stock to raise and sell as breeding stock or raising for commercial herd will help you in your decision too. I love the look of the Boer but sadly they do not do well in our region.

Very excited about your Maremma pup! We will require lots of pics as that is the unspoken rule around here. LOL

HA! You are SO right, Southern! I've always been the driving force behind getting our farm, goats, chickens, LGD, etc. and I seems to have more energy than DH. So, I was kinda thinkin' that I would be more involved in the goings on with the animals. However, I have been pleasantly surprised that DH has caught the bug! He is devouring the hard copy and Kindle books I bought about goats, chickens and training LGDs. He even dreams about goats! Can you imagine that!?!? So, yes! We are losing our minds . . . X2!

DH left me a note. It said, "I'm lost. I've gone to look for myself. If I should arrive before I get back, please ask me to wait!"

Thanks for your comments on the different breeds of meat goats. I've actually been looking at info on Spanish goats and think there is a local breeder, not too far from us. They seem to be popular here in Texas. Thanks for the link on the myotonic goats. They are always good for a laugh. And of course they make great meat goats.

 

[Devonviolet]

Southern by choice said,

"For our region the Kiko's made the most sense but in the future when we are on more land we would love to bring in some Spanish Goats, maybe some Myotonics.

This is from Onion Creek Ranch... rich in articles and resources you may want to take a look.
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/myotonicgoats.html "

<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>

WOW! I just came from the Onion Creek Ranch website! What good looking bucks and does they have! I think I am in LOVE!

Some of them look like they are on steroids! GEEZ, Southern! You sure do know how to make a tough decision even harder to make!!! And to think I was ready to stop at Boers - not that they aren't a good goat. It's just that some of these goats are absolutely gorgeous! I just wish I could afford more than 5 acres! My dream was 20 acres, but we had to keep paring back the number of acres to keep it all in the budget!

 

[Southern by choice]

Some of them look like they are on steroids! GEEZ, Southern! You sure do know how to make a tough decision even harder to make!!!

I know for us, in our region the Boer was the only goat... I do believe that most North Carolinians did not know there was more than one meat goat. LOL We furthered our search and discovered lots of other MG. Here the farmers all had the same story... Well now don't be surprised if ya walk out in cher field and see one layin' dead... ya gotta worm em all the time....
Uh... NO. As much as I love the look of the Boer there was something wrong with that picture. After 2012/2013 9 months of rain and whole herds being wiped out by parasites everyone suddenly turned to Kiko's. LOL Due to my partners hiatus from goats right now we only have a few... LOL he could have sold 100 goats last year and this. Ugh- his timing.

DH left me a note. It said, "I'm lost. I've gone to look for myself. If I should arrive before I get back, please ask me to wait!"
.

This was our George... a New Zealand...isn't he gorgeous!
We ended up not being able to keep him as he would not acclimate to our other bucks. He was the only buck on his farm forever and had never been around any other bucks. He was the sweetest baby ever. We cried and cried when he left us. All our other bucks live peacefully together... he wasn't going to. He lived completely off the land before we got him, we couldn't keep him in a lot. He lost so much weight in the first few weeks in quarantine as he wasn't even use to hay and never had feed.
As sweet as he was he almost killed our Kiko buck through the fence. If not for our LGD's "Moses" would be dead. Moses was young 18m and 100 lbs less. Here is George... and here is Callie keeping him off our fence that he was tearing down.

http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/the-value-of-a-lgd-callie-protects-her-herd.27160/

George- George loved hugs and kisses! I miss him.

Oh, and LOVE pics of the pups!

 

[Devonviolet]

This was our George... a New Zealand...isn't he gorgeous!
We ended up not being able to keep him as he would not acclimate to our other bucks. He was the only buck on his farm forever and had never been around any other bucks. He was the sweetest baby ever. We cried and cried when he left us. All our other bucks live peacefully together... he wasn't going to. He lived completely off the land before we got him, we couldn't keep him in a lot. He lost so much weight in the first few weeks in quarantine as he wasn't even use to hay and never had feed.
As sweet as he was he almost killed our Kiko buck through the fence. If not for our LGD's "Moses" would be dead. Moses was young 18m and 100 lbs less. Here is George... and here is Callie keeping him off our fence that he was tearing down.

http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/the-value-of-a-lgd-callie-protects-her-herd.27160/

George- George loved hugs and kisses! I miss him.View attachment 6000 View attachment 6001

WOW! What a gorgeous specimen your George was! It's too bad he wasn't exposed to living with other bucks. I can see why you miss him so much! Reading your story about George makes me realize we need more than wethers to keep our foundational bucks company!

I went to the post about him attacking Moses and how Callie saved the day! A true testament of how good LGDs are! WOW!

In the last post of that thread you said one of your ND does got in with the Kiko bucks and they mated her. How did that turn out? Did she have trouble at kidding? Being so new at this, I'm not sure what you meant by, "she has already had her Lute shot"?

 

[Devonviolet]

Oh, and LOVE pics of the pups!

Thanks! I am so excited to get our little girl and start working on training her! I see these pics and I want to pick them up and cuddle them!

 

[Southern by choice]

The lute shot shot induces her basically. So before any attachment to the uterine wall or babies are formed we "luted" her. It does make them go back into heat.
That was an old section of fence that was welded wire... we had hot on one side.... but... wire was down, fence was flimsy there and she pushed her way under... Lil Ho'

Thank you, George was wonderful. And yes, still think of him often. Loved that goat. When we had to draw blood for his testing... I couldn't get it... so thick in the neck and so many folds it was not an easy task... our vet came out and it took over 20 minutes... feel, poke, nope, feel poke, nope, over and over.... that angel boy was perfect and patient. If we'd have had more land and I could have run him by himself and a few does I would have but it just wasn't going to be possible.
We do have his offspring! Twins doe/buck.
But I don't think there will ever be another like him.

Truly it is the hardest thing about having goats. Each one is so different and saying goodbye is excruciating. We had a 3 month old buckling leave this am... I was fine as he was a brat.
My DD on the other hand...

Callie(Anatolian) and Moses (he's the goat) are so ridiculous together. They adore each other so much that the daggone goat stands over her in the day and guards her when she is sleeping. And now when she takes off after something he thinks he is suppose to go with her.
The most bizarre thing ever.

 

[Devonviolet]

The lute shot shot induces her basically. So before any attachment to the uterine wall or babies are formed we "luted" her. It does make them go back into heat.
That was an old section of fence that was welded wire... we had hot on one side.... but... wire was down, fence was flimsy there and she pushed her way under... Lil Ho'

Callie(Anatolian) and Moses (he's the goat) are so ridiculous together. They adore each other so much that the daggone goat stands over her in the day and guards her when she is sleeping. And now when she takes off after something he thinks he is suppose to go with her.
The most bizarre thing ever.

Ah, that makes sense, about the Lute shot helping the doe to conceive. I'm curious how an ND faired after being bred with a full size goat? Or am I misguided here? I thought when you breed a full size buck with a dwarf doe, she can have large kids, which makes kidding difficult. In my reading, it always says to breed a dwarf buck to a full size doe, when you are breeding crosses.

That is so funny about Callie and Moses! Did Moses do that before Callie saved him from George? Or have they always had that special connection?