| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Dec 08 2008 : 07:46:04 AM
She's a Lamancha dairy goat. She'll be 2 next March. This past year she miscarried. She'd gotten sick and lost the kid. So, she is a beautiful goat, but she's a jumper. Jumps over anything. So she has to wear all kinds of rediculously looking neckware to keep her from jumping. A few weeks ago she was on the other side if the fence in the neighbor's field. So I had to come up with a new idea. I found some old mower blades (they are small blades) and tied them on the leash that is permanently attached to her for this purpose. So now she is not jumping again. I know, it sounds cruel, but I have to do something. I doubt she'd ever run off, but it sure is annoying to have to get her back in and it riles up the other girls.
So, I decided to start training her for the stanchion. The past few days I had to literally pick that 200 lb. goat up and put her on it. Today, she jumped right up like she'd been doing it for years!!! I was so proud of her, I gave her extra grain.
So there is hope for her yet. I am trying to sell her and her sister, though. I just dried her up. She was a great first year milker. I know Sadie will be too. I have their mother and she's still giving 2 1/2 lbs a day. I'm just milking OAD. And they are bred, too. For the end of April-early May births.
So if anyone's looking for milk goats, I've got them!
Kris |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Dec 13 2008 : 3:42:55 PM
AAHHH, that's so sweet, Belle. I will tell her you said that. She's really a good girl. I'm sure she'll be staying around for a long tome.
I like the name Ida Belle. That may be one of the next baby girls name. It'll go along with the Belle. The people we bought our place from were Bell's. I had thought about naming the farm Belle Acres but that's my friends soap line.
I finally settled on a name for my little heifer. Maizie Mae Belle. She's a sweetie, too. But getting a little rambunctious lately. She's 5 months old, so she might be starting to feel her oats? I don't know much about cows yet. I'm learning as I go.
Kris |
| Bellepepper |
Posted - Dec 13 2008 : 1:35:52 PM
Kris, I love the name!! My Grandma's name was Sadie Ida Belle. That is where I got my name Belle. You tell Sadie Mae Belle that Sadie Ida Belle was a shore nuff ladie. I mean really really a ladie. So she should shape up and behave. Sounds like she is on the way. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 4:35:06 PM
Thanks for all the info, Tracy. I guess I am pretty stuck on the Lamancha breed. I've got both types of ears here. The gopher and the elf. Sadie has elf ears. Her sister Holly Berry, has gopher ears. I need to go look at some Nigerians in person. Only seen them in pictures so far. 2 of my oldest does produce up to 8 lbs a day each on twice a day milking. They've gone down to almost 3 lbs each OAD now.
I had thought about the invisible fencing, too, but WAY too expensive for this ole country girl. I finally saved up enuf to have my back property fenced with electric. I love it. It only really takes one goat to get bit and the rest stay away. It's the little piece of field fence that goes from the chain link to the barn that Sadie jumps over.
I love the Maryjane compound idea, too. Maybe it could work!
Kris |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 10:50:47 AM
It might, but you'd have to have a radio collar on EVERY single animal in order for it to work. I don't think it would work on SHEEP anyway (of which I have 26-- (for now) -- unless you shaved their necks BALD! Wool is a great insulator and they don't feel the hotwire at all, as evidenced by all the wool that's STUCK to it in certain places along the sagging fence line. Besides, I have WAY too many animals for that to be a cost effective method of "critter control." But it's an interesting concept Cristine. Just might work for someone with only a few animals. ~~Hugs~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| MsCwick |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 10:36:20 AM
would the underground dog fence work on them? I think my neighbor used to do that with her moma goat, but she wasnt a farm girl, so I dont know if it would work on all.
www.thelittlegreenstore.net
Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are. - Roosevelt |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 08:41:26 AM
I LOVE my Nigies Kris-- but boy are they a CHALLENGE to keep corraled! They are very clever little things and can jump WAY higher than most people think. Also, what ONE doesn't figure out, ANOTHER one will and then they teach eachother all their bad habits. Currently I have 20 of them (3 of them bucks) so you can just imagine the fiasco's that take place around here!
I did buy my goats for milking (6yrs ago!) but have not tried my hand at it as yet. The breeder I bought my "original" buck from milks up to 22 does a day either by hand or by milking machine. She's got some EXCELLENT stock-- very focused on breeding quality DUAL purpose animals. She's won TONS of awards for her goats, both in the show ring AND in the milk trials (though I don't think there are ribbons and such in THAT department) You can see them at "Castle Rock Farm" in Vacaville California.
The Nigerians are one of the highest butter fat producers of ALL the dairy breeds (between 4-6% and HIGHER depending on the doe-- AND her bloodlines) and each doe can produce up to a half gallon of milk a day. Their personalities are VERY similar to your La Mancha's too. I would like to add a Mancha doe or two to my OWN herd too! I just LOVE those EARS! (or lack-there-of! LOL!!!) Again, it's too bad we didn't live closer. I'd trade you a Nigie or two for your Sadie Mae Belle!
I like your idea of the Maryjane Compound too! Where do I sign up? Is there enough room for my critters? Cause I ain't leavin' them behind! ~~Hugs~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Dec 10 2008 : 3:49:26 PM
Tracy, how do you like the Nigerians? Do you milk them? Several people have told me I need to try them out. But I'm jusy hooked on Lamanchas.
And why don't ya live closer? We should all just but a couple thousand acres somewhere in the middle and start a commune. I'm ready. That way we could all help each other out. I've always wanted to do that.
Sadie MB has been so good lately, I may just have to keep her after all. We'll see how she does this next year, if she keeps the baby this time and see how she handles the milking part. I really do hate to sell her. I'm afraid someone else would just take her to the stockyard.
Good luck with the cow business. Lots of people around here getting into beef cows now. People gotta eat!
Kris |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Dec 09 2008 : 8:21:06 PM
Sure wish you lived CLOSER! I have been wanting some La Mancha milkers! Cross country is a long way to send a goat-- especially one like "Sadie Mae Belle!" (LOVE the name!!!)
I have a whole HERD of jumpers here and I've pretty much given up trying to keep my Nigerians in. The fences are too short (can you imagine?) and the hot wire seldom works-- Plus they follow the sheep out who don't even NOTICE the hot wire! Hopefully, now that my husband decided to get into the COW business, he will FINALLY fix the fences right!
I don't worry TOO much about the goats though, since they stay on the pasture side of the property --it's a LOOONG way to the road from there and they are a fat, lazy bunch. They seldom go too far.
Hope you find a good home for your girls Kris. Someone with LOTS of patience and VERY good fences! (LOL!) ~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
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