I was so excited when I discovered two of my LaManchas that I wanted to AI were in heat.  Especially Lynnhaven NYM Classic Coco.  But Coco had different ideas.  Everything was wonderful until I touched her tail.  I did not know she knew so many tap dance moves.  I could see this wasn't going to work solo and hubby was gone to a playday in town to watch his great nephews.  So off to plan B.  I put her in the pen out front with Lynnhaven Spirit of Texas.  Coco headed straight for Toggie Boy whose pen shares a 16 foot length of fencing with Spirit. No Coco.  I want purebred LaMancha babies this year. 

If all else fails, sticking your head inside a roll of hay will makes things better. Eating will ease the disappointment of no Toggie Boy.  

Finally Spirit of Texas has entered the picture.  He is sneaking up on her as he is well aware of her personality!!!

To make things worse, I looked at my breeding calendar and she will kid the first day of the Houston Livestock Show.  Nooooo!! Looks like I will lute her the weekend before the Houston Show. I don't want to miss the birth of Coco X Spirit kids.  

I am throwing caution to the wind and will breed most of my LaManchas to Lynnhaven SS Spirit of Texas.  I absolutely LOVE the kids he sired last year, especially when crossed with my Lynnhaven KT A TX Tornado does. I kept a 2016 Spirit son as backup and little Harley will be bred to at least one 2016 doeling. The rest of the 2016 doelings will be bred to Whiteoak-Bend A TX Dust Storm. Dust Storm is a Lynnhaven KT A TX Tornado son who is on the 2016 Young Sire Development Program. 
The following are 2016 offspring of Spirit:

When I decided I wanted to dabble in Sables I started my search for a mature brood doe.  I never expected to end up with a doe the quality of Patina Grit's Derby.  The owner of Derby, Carolyn Morrison,  transported Derby back to her breeder, Cindi Shelley in NY and Cindi delivered her to the National Show in Harrisburg, PA.  Cindi was even penned one aisle over from us so it was an easy move for Derby to join my herd. AND Carolyn Morrison and her family came to watch Derby show. I milked Derby three times a day to get her production back up as she had been transported twice and was a little stressed by it all. I don't usually bond with mature goats but for some reason Derby seems special to me. I also bought semen from two Sable bucks and I plan on AI'ing Derby to either CH Patina Grey Yaris or Caprikorn Mercio Espejo. I also brought home a yearling, Patina Y Fancy! who placed second in the Junior Yearling class and a 2016 kid, Sable Swanktuary Rising Sun that we picked up in Indiana on our way home. 

Whiteoak-Bend Heart of Texas (Lynnhaven SS Spirit of Texas X Lynnhaven NYM Email my Heart) had a short junior career.  She won her dry leg this past weekend at the Heart of Oklahoma Show in Norman, OK after being purchased the week before.
 Her half sister, Whiteoak-Bend Hyacinth (Lyunnhaven SS Spirit of TYexas X Whiteoak-Bend Easter Lily) won Reserve in the same ring. The judge was really studying these two girls as they were so similar.  Looks like Spirit of Texas is stamping his offspring with the same traits.  

I rarely sell kids and when I do it has to be to someone very special. In fact I only sold two kids last year, an Alpine and a Saanen,  and both went to youth in Oklahoma. After an inquiry about a Lynnhaven doe, I decided I could sell one of a set of twins. Buyers choice. So I clipped and hauled the sisters to Gainesville where Grace immediately picked Whiteoak-Bend Heart of Texas. Sire: Lynnhaven SS Spirit of Texas and Dam: Lynnhaven KT Email my Heart. So my kid sale for 2016 went to a youth in Oklahoma. I hope Grace and Heart of Texas have a long show career together as I really think Grace and Heart of Texas hit it off.

Whiteoak-Bend A TX Valentine (Lynnhaven KT A TX Tornado x Lynnhaven LAN Chantilly Cream) was so excited to get to go with the big girls for a ride in the trailer.  She and the other five juniors jumped up and down the whole trip. Valentine managed to win her dry leg by winning her class as the youngest entry as she turned 3 months old the day of the show and by then going Grand Champion Junior LaMancha in the first ring she walked into.  This ended her junior show career as I do NOT show juniors that have earned a dry (restricted) leg. I am so proud of my Tornado daughters. They do me proud.  Thank you Lynn Fleming for bringing this buck to Texas five years ago.

I did not breed Spook nor did I raise Spook but I have owned Spook for the past four years.  We have been through a lot together and she is my favorite goat in the herd.  Easy to handle, moves slow, ever does anything to hurt me and these traits have earned her a forever home with me. Spook was appraised today as a six year old and scored (pending) 91(VEEE). My first doe to ever score 90 or above. It took me three years for Spook to finish her championship and she has slowly climbed the ladder on appraisal scores.  I love my Spookie Girl even if she has had bucks for the past two years.  

+*B SG Lynnhaven KT A TX Tornado just received an email informing him that he has not one but two sons on the 2016 first quarter list for the Young Sire Development Program. Whiteoak-Bend A TX Dust Storm and Whiteoak-Bend A TX Hurricane are the proud qualifiers. Hurricane's dam is SG Lynnhaven NYM Classic Coco and Dust Storm's dam is Dreamy Delights B Daystar. I do not have a picture of Daystar as she has been my problem child for the past two years but I guess I will have to spruce her up for appraisal and get a photo session in. ​

Kidding season starts here on February 5, 2016 with Whiteoak-Bend Dreamgirl up first.  Dreamgirl is bred to Lynnhaven JBN Just in Case. She appraised 88(VV+E) 02-03 and is getting close to the end of her lactation where she should earn her milk star. Dreamgirl is one of my favorite home grown does in the herd.  She is sweet and easy to handle and I love her color.