Tag: raising goats

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Little Girl Lost

Nubian doe High Reaches Opal is a first time mother. She is verya ttentive to her little doe kid-most of the time. Yet this was the little girl lost out on the hills.

Nubian kid looking at herd
Giving practice time for a young kid in keeping up with the herd is popular with the kids. This little Nubian doe kid, now found, is out for a couple of afternoon hours with the herd. First she must find the herd.

Fencing Question

After her kid was a few days old, Opal wanted to go out to pasture. If her little kid was awake and active, Opal stayed in the barn lot crying as the herd went out.

That evening Opal came in with the herd. She had let herself out. How? Was there a hol in the fence? I couldn’t find one.

This was the pattern for several days. As soon as her kid settled down and went to sleep, Opal went out through? under? over? the fence and joined the herd.

Nubian doe kid racing
The herd is moving away. The little Nubian doe kid runs to catch up.

Opal’s Little Girl

This is one lovely little doe. She is black with frosted ears and nose, polled and lively. Opal has trouble keeping up with her and has since she was one day old.

All the kids were out playing on the goat gym. The little girl got tired and laid down on the bottom step. Opal stood guard as the herd went out. I went to the house to put the seedlings out on the porch.

Hearing Opal calling, I looked up hoping to see where she was getting out. Instead I saw her leading her kid across the bridge to pasture. Now her kid is barely two weeks old, far too young to be out on the hills.

Nubian doe kid is catching up with the herd
Kids and adult goats run in leaps and bounds. This little Nubian doe kid is still racing over to the herd.

Little Girl Lost

Although I hurried, I don’t run any more. By the time I got to the bridge, Opal and her kid were across the hill pasture. When I got to the south pasture, Opal and her kid were out of sight.

I caught a glimpse of them going up the hill at the far end of the south pasture. They were gone when I got there. No Opal. No kid. And no herd of goats.

Nubian doe kid and mother
Poor Nubian doe High Reaches Opal has a hard time keeping up with her little doe kid. The kid isn’t concerned. Mother will catch up.

After an hour climbing the hill, I found the herd. Opal was there. Her kid wasn’t.

Little girl lost, any little kid lost is panic time.

It took a lot of searching by us and a friend to find the little girl. I like happy endings and got one this time.

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Goats As Pets

People driving by stopped asking about my goats. It seems they want to buy one for their grandson. I cringed. Goats as pets often does not end well for the goat.

Many people think of Nigerian Dwarfs or Pygmies as pets. Perhaps these work out better than my Nubians as they are small. I have no experience with them.

Nubians get big. I have a six-year-old wether. His back is over three feet up and his weight is well over 200 pounds. Yes, he is a pet, although I kept him as a lead goat which role he rarely fills.

Goats as pets can work
Yes, this Nubian wether is called Pest among other names like Big Lug which he is at over 200 pounds. A wether is a fixed buck goat and is better suited as a pet as he will not usually be as aggressive and won’t stink during the fall. Pest was very small when he was born and was raised on a bottle. He is very laid back. Still, he is big enough to hurt me without trying.

Goats Can Be Dangerous

My Nubians are as much pets as livestock for me. Even so, I have one doe who is spooky. If she panics, she will climb right over the top of me. She is at least twenty pounds heavier than I am and has four feet ending with hard hooves.

Long ago I knew a woman with a commercial goat dairy. One of her bucks, a Toggenburg (another big dairy breed), broke her leg is three places. Newly out of the hospital, she tried to stop him from deliberately killing another buck. She went back in the hospital.

I have had a broken hand, numerous bruises and almost lost an eye from my goats. The goats involved were not mean nor did they try to hurt me. But they did.

Goats As Pets

Goats are herd animals. They need another goat for company. People wanting a pet goat often think they can get only one and wonder why the goat cries. A baby Nubian can be heard for a quarter mile.

A goat is not like a dog. Yes, they love petting. Yes, they will follow you around to see what you are doing. Getting shoved can leave you on the ground.

In addition, goats eat fruit trees, gardens, stand on vehicles. They are curious and get into everything.

Horror Stories

Goats take lots of good care. Pet goats often don’t get the proper food or care. They get abused and turn mean. They get sick and die. I know of all of these things happening.

Will I sell my kids as pets? I would rather not.

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Busy Moving In

There’s nothing like being locked up due to the weather to help a new goat fit in. Huckleberry has been busy moving in.

New Routines

Everything was different for Huckleberry. Of course, the herd was new. He looked them over. They looked him over. An uneasy truce was reached.

Then there was the milk room routine. Huckleberry soon decided this was the place to be. Oats appeared in his dish followed by a handful of alfalfa hay.

The difficulty was getting on and off the milkstand. He finally found he could jump up after climbing half up a few times. It was getting out again that troubled him.

To get out of the milkstand, a goat must back up. Goats don’t easily back up. Huckleberry is considerably bigger than I am. Still, I pulled him out a time or two. He’s a smart buck and does fine now.

The next step is going out of the milk room once you are done eating. He is still working on that.

Busy moving in Nubian buck Terrell Creek Huckleberry
Before the snow and cold arrived, I introduced Nubian buck Huckleberry to the pasture. The herd was busy searching for new blades of grass. Huckleberry wasn’t too sure about being out in a pasture. Once the snow and cold go away, we will try again.

Before Winter Returned

Another new routine was going out to pasture. Huckleberry stood and watched the herd go out, then wondered where they were. Fresh hay in the barn helped pass the time until the herd returned.

I tried taking him out to where the herd was busy nipping off new grass shoots. He stood looking around.

After several times, he has learned grass is good to eat. This is true as long as I stand out in the pasture. As soon as I go back to the barn, so does he.

In Lock Down Once Again

Goats will go out in the snow. They will ignore a fresh bucket of water and eat snow. Sunshine is the true lure as they can stand, bask and get cozy warm.

However, the barn cools down to the outside temperature once the door is open. When the temperature stays around ten, the door stays closed, sun or no sun.

Huckleberry feels right at home this way. He is used to spending most of his time in a barn.

Once the snow leaves again, Huckleberry will keep busy moving in by learning to go out with the herd. Maybe.

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Welcome Huckleberry

The pasture stood empty. Someone was supposed to be there. Now someone will be there. Welcome Huckleberry to High Reaches.

Officially the new buck is Terrell Creek Huckleberry. Unofficially he is Huckleberry or Big Boy.

Finding My New Buck

I started with the ADGA (American Dairy Goat Association) yearbook as I wanted to find a registered Nubian buck not too far from home. However, I also checked out Craig’s List. I am not on Facebook for several reasons, time being one.

Yes, I know I should look over pedigrees, relations etc. But, that came second this time as his pictures told me this was the buck I was interested in. I sent an email about him.

Nigerian doe at R Corner Ranch
This very spoiled Nigerian doe at R Corner Ranch is one of several that wander around. She is very pregnant. Many of the Nigerians have blue eyes here. All are beautiful and milk very well. This is a dairy operation.

Getting the Buck

I no longer load, haul and unload goats myself. It’s one of the casualties of getting older. So, I called a friend. She was free the same day the buck’s owner was free, sort of.

Emily Reed of R Corner Ranch in Silex, MO, works with her goats full time. She is concentrating on her Nigerian Dwarfs and selling her Nubians. That put Huckleberry up for sale. It’s kidding season at her place.

The trip was an all day affair. The weather was winter coming in again, overcast and icy cold. Luckily, Huckleberry would be closed in and out of the wind chill.

Welcome Huckleberry, new Nubian buck at High Reaches
This is Nubian buck Terrell Creek Huckleberry loaded in the truck, ready to move to High Reaches. It took several hours. He wasn’t too sure what was happening, but glad to arrive and get out of the truck.

Welcome Huckleberry?

Sunset was over by the time Huckleberry arrived at his new home. The pen I had spent days cleaning out would be too cold, even bedded with straw. The barn stall wasn’t set up.

Much to my herd’s disgust, Huckleberry moved in. No one is in season right now. He has the company of other goats, something he is used to. Another plus is his easy going nature.

In the morning, I came out to welcome Huckleberry to his new home and routine. The herd is still looking him over.

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Nubian Buck High Reaches Augustus

High Reaches Silk was so proud of her little spotted boy. They were always together during rest times. Other times he raced around her. This was High Reaches Silk’s Augustus.

Young Nubian buck with mother
This is a favorite picture of young Nubian buck Augustus with his mother Silk. He was born the end of November and this is a couple of months later.

Growing Up

The big buck in my herd at that time was Goat Town USA Gaius. He was from Oklahoma and came home when I was writing “Goat Games”. I loved his regal bearing and deep red color.

Bucks get old faster than does. I liked Augustus and so did Gaius, as much as any buck respects a rival. They did play together for several years until Gaius got old and Augustus got big.

Nubian kid racing
This was a lucky picture. Augustus was out racing around. Nubians are fun to see do this as their ears fly as though getting set for take off.

Then the two had separate quarters. They still shared their pasture during the day.

One day Gaius was gone. Augustus was the big buck in my herd. He ruled the herd for many years.

Nubian buck Augustus trotting
Even as a young Nubian buck, Augustus was confident. Here he is striding off across the pasture to catch up with the herd.

Getting Old

I knew Augustus was getting old. He lost weight and wasn’t as lively. He did still love to be with the girls.

Special days were those when no one was in season and the entire herd could go out to pasture. Only my big wether Pest complained about those days. Pest might be bigger than my old buck, but was no match for him.

Adult Nubian bucks playing
Butting heads is a favorite play for goats, especially for bucks. Here Nubian bucks red Gaius and spotted Augustus are playing.

Going Forward

I had intended to stop breeding my does after Augustus died. There is a flaw in this idea. There are still nine does plus Pest. They eat a lot. They still need care twice a day, every day. Several does are young enough to breed and give milk.

It seems ridiculous to still be doing all the work and having to buy milk. So, there will be a new big buck for my herd.

Two of my oldest does going back to Gaius are bred. High Reaches Spring kidded with two nice little bucks. High Reaches Drucilla is polled. A polled buck would be nice.

Nubian buck High Reaches Augustus watching for the herd
Nubian buck High Reaches Augustus watching for the herd to come in. He was still doing fairly well.

Then again, I may go looking elsewhere. After I stop missing Augustus.

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Black Spots on Nubian Kid

I’ve seen a lot of spots on Nubian kids over the years. This is the first time I’ve seen black spots on Nubian kid. They are striking against a soft brown.

White and Brown Spots

Usually, kids have white spots like one or both of their parents. Sometimes they have hazy edges. This is usually when the background color is a bit frosty.

The deep black with white spots coloring is the one people love. For a time goat owners would breed just to get this combination. The problem was that the color didn’t necessarily keep good milk production and conformation with it.

Brown spots on kids are sometimes called liver spots. Generally, these start turning white in a few months. Sometimes the main spot will be white with a brown edge.

American Nubian buck kid
At a week old this Nubian buck kid is practicing looking impressive. He is also starting to chew on everything, not for teething, but to get bacteria in his rumen and start his cud. Yes, he will be for sale in a few months.

Black Spots Are New

Nubian doe High Reaches Spring is a red brown with brown ears. Her color goes back to some red bucks like Goat Town USA Gaius. She has no spots nor any spots in her background.

Nubian buck High Reaches Silk’s Augustus is gray with frosted or white ears and nose. He has lots of white spots. Red is in his background. He is the only buck in my herd.

Both of these buck kids are definitely Augustus’ kids. He passed on his frosted ears and nose to them.

One is red brown with black dorsal stripe. He is big and bold. His stance is often that of a proud buck.

Then there is the other one. Black spots on Nubian kid surprise. These spots are jet black. His coat is brown so the spots really show up.

Will These Black Spots Turn White?

Liver spots turn white. Augustus has white spots. Spotted Nubian goats usually have white spots.

Over the next few months, I will watch and see if these spots change color. They probably will. However, it would be nice for them to stay like they are now.

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First Frost

This Ozark fall has been flirting with frost for a few weeks. The frost date isn’t until the end of October. Weather doesn’t read calendars so the first frost hit with twenty-five degrees.

There was warning in the weather forecast. Balmy days seemed to laugh at it.

Feeling Foolish

One by one I stripped and pulled the pepper plants. All tomatoes of any size came off the vines. Pumpkins and squash moved in on my pantry floor.

The weather was warm. Skies were blue. The only thought keeping me going was: Can I afford to be wrong?

If our first frost didn’t come, my summer garden would still be gone. If it did arrive, my last produce would be safely in the house. Frost would ruin this produce. I couldn’t afford to be wrong.

After first frost surprise
Reptiles disappear all winter. This young northern fence lizard hasn’t gotten the message yet. It’s basking on the old blanket I’m presently using to cover the raised bed.

Watch the Wind

All weekend the wind stayed from the southeast. This means warm or relatively warm temperatures.

Tuesday morning the weather vane began to move to the east. The wind picked up. That cold front was moving in.

Afterwards

Two mornings were in the mid twenties. All leftover squash and tomato vines hung limp, frozen.

There are some cold tender plants still growing because I took out the blankets and covered them. I keep a big stash of old blankets in the barn along with old towels and sweatshirts to use in the garden and on the goats.

Chinese celery won’t take a frost. Using old towels and blankets I’ve kept the plants growing slowly up into January.

Each morning I finish milking and go out into the garden to remove the coverings. It’s nice to see the Napa cabbage, bok choi and Chinese celery looking green and fresh.

banishing first frost cold
Nubian doe High Reaches Pamela is basking in the sun just now lighting up the barn lot after a night of freezing temperatures. Her black fur gets hot. Even the brown and gray fur on various goats gets really warm.

Goats and First Frost

I arrived to start milking and found an empty barn. Nubians love warmth. The herd had moved out in front of the barn to bask in the sun. Their warm fur helps warm up cold hands.

Now the forecast calls for some warmer temperatures. The goats, fall garden and I will be glad to enjoy them.

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Planning Ahead

So much is said about living in the now, appreciating what you see, feel, smell around you in the moment. That’s great up to a point. However, if you raise livestock or crops, planning ahead is essential.

goat coats keeping kids warm
If I want March kids, the does get to visit with Augustus in October. Part of planning ahead is to have the kids born when the weather is better. It doesn’t always work well as the goat coats on these kids of my Nubian doe High Reaches Drucilla say this March was a bit cold. Part of planning ahead is having the goat coats clean and ready just in case.

Livestock Planning

For a few years I ran a commercial rabbitry. There were around 120 does in my barn. These were roughly divided into eight sections. Why?

Gestation for a rabbit is four weeks. Weaning of baby rabbits is four weeks. The only income for a commercial rabbitry is from the sale of those baby rabbits, you guessed it, four weeks later.

Every week I bred some does, put nest boxes in for as many others, weaned babies for that many. If I didn’t keep a schedule, my rabbits went hungry.

It’s the same for other livestock. My goats have a gestation of five months. If I don’t breed in October, I have no kids to sell in the spring for money to put hay in the barn.

Planning ahead for Chinese cabbage
Napa cabbage is surprisingly cold hardy. However, cabbage worms love it. I was a bit late, but mine is wrapped with voile. The garden tubs work well for greens like this one, bok choi, peppers, eggplant and green onions among others. These seeds went in during August, so the cabbage will be ready to eat in November.

Raising Crops

Although I am only a homesteader, the same rules apply for farmers. The summer may be winding down and the summer crops with it, but spring will come again. The garden must be ready to plant then.

As a homesteader, I plant spring, summer and fall crops. January is the month to start cabbage and leeks. The end of February is time for peppers and tomatoes. August is time to plant turnips, spinach and greens along with broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.

Without planning ahead for these deadlines, my garden won’t put food on my table and in my freezer. The full freezer is sure comforting in the fall.

a section of my Ozark creek
One of the joys of living out on this property is going walking up on the hills, into the ravines or along the creek. The same walks are never boring as the places change as the weather and seasons change.

Enjoying the Now?

Standing in the barn door as my goats eat their grain, I look out over the pasture to the far hill. A breeze ruffles my hair. Birds flit by or stop on a branch to scold the cat.

Even though I spend a lot of time planning ahead, enjoying the now is important. It’s what makes homesteading special.

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GKP Writing News

Wonderful Words

English is a hard language to learn. At its most basic it is a Germanic language using a Latin rule set. What saves the language is all the wonderful words it embraces.

Those words come from so many places. A large number are based on Latin. Anglo Saxon words take over for many basic names.

Then words come from all over the world, moving into the vocabulary. People make up words that become popular. Words like laser, sonar, snafu form from initials.

Inspiration for wonderful words
Goats can be a nuisance at times. They mean work many times. Their personalities and looks make those things inconsequential.

Writers Mine English Vocabulary

I suppose not all writers go looking for that perfect word, the one that describes a situation more perfectly than the common word. For me that is a waste of the treasure trove of wonderful words at my disposal.

Start with a color word like red. If you read the word red, what do you picture? Every reader can picture a different red which may not matter. If it does, red is not the right word. Perhaps auburn, crimson, brick, fire engine, rusty, blood or others would be better choices, make the reader see what the author sees.

Words Have Sounds

It’s snowing. It better not in August, but perhaps the book is set in December. I know snow comes in many forms and each has its own sound. Icy snow falling at low temperatures has a swishing, sharp sound. Warmer temperatures bring a soft, sibilant sounding snow. Close to freezing temperatures brings a snow that plops.

Alliteration is fun too both for writing, reading and speaking. Goats gallop gaily. Saanens step softly. The eight wait.

cover of "For Love of Goats" by Karen GoatKeeper
Increase your vocabulary and improve your pronunciation with this book. You might even have a few laughs. Get a free eBook copy from Smashwords with coupon code P93KK.

For Love of Goats

I love the sounds of all those wonderful words. I grew up saying tongue twisters. That is the basis of this book about some of the lighter sides of goats.

Each letter of the alphabet has a page of alliteration, tongue twisters or homonyms. Each will enlarge your vocabulary and improve your pronunciation.

The free eBook copy of this book is available through August 31, 2024, from Smashwords with coupon code P93KK. If you enjoy the book, please let others know by leaving a review on the book page or on Amazon or Goodreads.

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Nubian Goats Are Loud

It’s breeding season for my goats and I’m having a hard time remembering why I wrote “For Love of Goats”. Nubian goats are loud and breeding season is an excuse to be extra loud.

Just typing Nubian goats are loud doesn’t begin to say how loud they can be. I found out early.

Nubian buck watching for his does
Nubian buck High Reaches Augustus neglects eating during breeding season. He spends most of his time outside standing on top of the goat gym watching the pastures to see where the does are. This is when a buck smells giving people the impression goats smell bad. Only the bucks during breeding season smell bad.

Jennifer

My parents had moved to northwest Arkansas. I’d stayed behind in California until, coming home from work one night, I had an accident. Suddenly I needed to come home to recover and get back on my feet again.

Being stranded over twelve miles from town with nothing to do was frustrating. My parents had a few goats and goats are cute.

Sandy had a little doe kid. We made friends. Goat kids are demanding. When I walked the quarter mile down to the mailbox, I could hear Jennifer calling me.

Milking Time Lately

If I have this correct, the other morning Pamela, Lydia, Drucilla and Opal were all in season. They announced this loudly, continuously. Augustus put on his best display blathering and stomping.

After milking, when the goats finally went out the gate, Opal proved again that Nubians are loud. She bellowed off and on all day from pastures near and far. Augustus answered every bellow.

Maybe it’s a good thing our nearest neighbors are over a mile away.

Two Nubian goats are loud
Out in the pasture Nubian does Rose and Drucilla are looking over toward where Augustus stands. They should be eating some of the food surrounding them. But, it’s breeding season and they are in season.

Breeding Season

In colder places Nubians are like the Swiss breeds with their breeding season being the same as for deer. In the Ozarks Nubians will breed all year, although the bellowing is reserved for the fall season.

The does cycle for a couple of days about every three weeks. Since I prefer to breed the few I still breed in October, all of my does will continue to prove Nubian goats are loud for several more rounds.

Perhaps I will sit down and read some of the fun sayings and stories in “For Love of Goats” to remind myself why I put up with breeding season every year.

Get a free eBook copy of “For Love of Goats” at Smashwords with coupon code P93KK.