Coming around

The returning goats went through a rough few days, especially this black buck kid. He was crying, dehydrated, had a high fever, no cud chewing and no appetite. Hit all of them with sulfa drugs for shipping fever and coccidia, which requires catching each one of them three days in a row and orally drenching them. Then the buck kid and his mom were hit with all the vitamins and probiotics I could think of. Yesterday he started chewing a cud and tail was back up and wagging and his back not arched up. Today he has been eating on leaves everytime I check them. I think a little goat can survive off fresh trees. He and his brother have the does udder back in working order and getting a little milk and a lot of comfort. I think they will be alright. But that is what it takes when things are off, round the clock care, and sometimes it works.

Returned to the herd

My goats are like boomerangs, no matter how far they go, most of them return. Tansey came back home last fall after a few years of being a pet, a victim of divorce, she happily resides in the sheep bottom pasture with other miscellaneous goats. About the same time she came home, Summer, Cinndy Lu, Susie and Twinkle, bred does, left for a new farm with hopes and dreams of being the start of a fiber business. Today, they returned, with kids in tow. It was a long hard trip for them and Summer and her kids have had a rough time. Got out all my vitamins and probiotics, wormers and bicarb, then picked lots of fresh tree limbs for them, fed and watered them well. Just made my late night check and all seem well. It's going to take a lot of extra work for the next few weeks and some sleepless nights to get these kids back on track. Does anybody see things through? Does anybody think things through? God help the shepherd with the big heart and little pocket book.

Pumpkin Pie

Snapped a picture of this doe kid getting up from nursing Pumpkin Pie. This pair is for sale. A great starter doe and doe kid, Pumpkin is an easy keeper and good mom. Has never had a problem with parasites so she stays in top condition even when nursing kids. Pumpkin has a very fine fleece.

Where wrinkles are favored

In angora goats and fine wool sheep the more wrinkles the better. That means there is more coverage which means more pounds of fiber per square inch. More fiber more money. Legacy is blessed with wrinkles. I sheared this big buck by myself with no worries. He is that nice of a buck.

Character

This is Snapshot's buck kid, a single, her first kidding. He is the darkest chocolate brown. This is the best picture I could get as this kid never touches the ground. He is always on someone's back or bouncing off the walls. A friendly buck built like a tank and very fine, dense covering of mohair. Will make a good show buck as he already sets up.

Ruby's kids

Ruby's kids are both show quality, a chocolate doe and buck with white stripe. The buck is for sale and will be a great asset to a breeding flock. The doe will be in my show string this fall. Ruby is a sister to Tara and like her sister and mother, produces kids that are keepers.

Goats of many colors

There are many shades of red and brown to chocolate kids from Legacy this spring. These are some of the younger buck and doe kids enjoying a Sunday morning treat. I am very impressed with the kids he threw. A very consistent looking group of kids, not common in colored angora goats. The fleeces are very fine and heavily covered.

Tootsie's buck kid

Tootsie's buck kid will be breeding a few does here this fall. He will be breeding the red belted does. Tootsie is a twin to Cookie Doe, Best in Show doe, and has a nicer fleece than Cookie, Tootsie just didn't have the attitude to make a show doe.

Cookie Doe's buck kid

This is Cookie Doe's buck kid, a single birth, her first. Cookie Doe was Best in Show Angora Goat SAFF 2010. This big buck kid has all the qualities of being a top show buck and breeding buck. There are many, many more pictures to come, contact me to select your next buck or doe.

Tara's buck kid

Twin to first buck listed. This kid is just as nice as his twin, that's what Tara does, she has twins that are both quality kids every year. Another show prospect and breeding buck. Should be mature enough for breeding this fall, he's already trying.

Tara's buck kid

Time to list some of the kids for sale. This is one of Tara's buck kids. A big twin with full coverage. Tara is the mother of Cookie Doe, SAFF Best in Show Angora Goat 2010. The sire is Legacy. Both sire and dam have fine handspinning fleeces.This buck hit the ground running and will be a show prospect and a breeding buck.

Most Beautiful Easter Day

This has to be the most beautiful Easter day ever. Just perfect weather. Morning feeding chores went smooth and the last 9 does to kid held off from kidding to give me a break. so I roasted my turkey and baked a pound cake to take to my daughter's house and spend time with my grandchildren. We ate a delicious lunch and visited, then had an egg hunt for  Magi. Made it back home by 3:30 and still no does in labor. Turned the fans on and refilled the water tanks and buckets. Even had time off in the afternoon before starting evening chores. I could never tire of this weather.

Wrangler Jane

This was Josie's first kidding. She is a timid doe that gets picked on by the other goats. The last doe on the totum pole. She has beautiful, lustrous and fine hair. She is a complete ninny, or maybe I am. I heard her straining and screaming, so I checked her and the kid was in position. but after quite awhile of hard labor, she was not progressing. Two front feet were out and the head was there but could not get through. Everytime I tried to help, she got up, then she started running, you don't chase a goat, it's just get crazy. But I knew I had to catch her, that kid was ready to come out and needed help. Finally caught her by the hind leg and laid her down. Had to keep my knee on her chest while trying to pull the kid out so she wouldn't run away. A long stretch. I didn't think I was going to get it out, the hardest and longest pull I have ever had to do. I was beginning to think I had the wrong feet to the head. Finally got it through and of course she took off, running from the pain. So I left and she came back and both are fine. You just have to be there.

Day two

Sunshine is an experienced ewe, so she got those lambs to follow her out to pasture today. They are already bouncing and playing. She really wanted to go out to the big pasture with the other sheep but newborns haven't learned to stay away from other ewes with lambs that will run them away or butt them if they come to close. Safer if they stay up for a few days longer.

Sunshine

Sunshine came in over the intercome around 5 AM. I rushed down to the barn, she had a water bag out and was straining hard. My sheep make a deep grunting sound when there is a big lamb, my goats scream. I could tell when I grabbed the feet it was a big lamb, but it came out okay with a little pull. She kept licking and claiming her baby, but I could feel another lamb waiting to be born. She waited another hour. This one was bigger, good thing it came out second, the first one opened the way for her. Both ewe lambs have BFL ears. Sunshine let everybody know for miles around how happy she is.

Busy weekend

Pumpkin Pie kicked off the weekend with an uneventful birth of a doe kid. Pumpkin is a very laid back doe, super easy keeper, never has parasites and has very fine hair. She read the book on how to deliver. Sweetheart was next, and was at it all day. She didn't read the manual. She tried to have both kids at the same time. Fortunately, they were small kids and  I was able to tell that two of those three feet coming out were back feet and did not belong to the bigger front foot and head. All came out well. Both are black and Tuxedo is the father. Stayed up most of the night checking on Sunshine.