Patty is a very large and not too pretty Saanen doe.  I have no daughters from her but Patty is very important to hubby.  Patty freshened last night and he bought two bottle calves yesterday.  Perfect timing. Patty milks well and since I can wean my January kids, we will have just enough milk for these two additions as well as Patty's two little Experimental buck kids. Bottle calves have been hard to come by lately as we only feed out beef calves but hubby lucked on not one but two at a decent price although certainly not a bargain. Both slurped down their half gallon bottles of raw goat milk this morning with no problems.  They are ready to go up to the calf pen as they spent the night in the old trailer they came home in.  They are the quietest calves we have every had and the white one came through the ring with his mama. You would think he would be bawling for her.

This is IDGRC XO91 MMV Nera Nave.  What a name.  She must be trying to live up to it because she is a handful and is HUGE.  She is older and isn't the best in the milk department this year so I never thought she would earn her star.  BUT the April test will put her over the 1716 pounds of milk required for her to become a star milker. 

I never have to milk this goat again.  I am excited.  No more getting stomped into the milk stand if I am too slow putting on the inflations.  No more Nera deciding to get off the milk stand when the mood hits.  She is so big the headgate can't close but food usually keeps her occupied although not always.  I have had her drag the milk machine to the exit gate before. Plus she is so wide she has to squeeze through the gate.  I think I will cross her to my LaMancha buck next year and raise giant LaManchas.

My first and maybe only Alpine doeling for 2014.  I have one more chance in June.  She was born March 20, 2014 and caused us some problems. Her feet were out but it turns out that her head was tucked under.  Had to push her back in and get her head up right.  When doing this we heard a loud pop and thought we had broken the kid's neck.  No she was fine but Xona is not so good.  The pop was her hip.  She is getting up and down and can walk but she sure has a swollen stifle.  She is eating well but I have to milk her on the ground and she is a big producer.  Second one born was a buck and he too had to be rearranged to be born.  Bad kids.  Causing us all kinds of worries. Both kids will be retained. 

X as I call her is one of my first does to earn her milk star this year.  The records have finally filtered down to ADGA and she has become a GCH. Dream-Fire LOX Almost Amy and Companeros Kojack Patty joined her in the star milker category. The rest of the herd will get there as the records are submitted.

I moved X to the maternity pen this morning as she is due to kid next week.  I am very excited about this kidding as X is AI'ed to Sand Dance HLS Rico Suave'.  I actually want a buck out of this breeding so I will be thrilled with one but not so thrilled with three. X had triplets two years ago with an AI breeding - 2 bucks and a doe.  I would be happy with a repeat of that performance.

Three years ago I traded a LaMancha doeling for Basil.  Gil Rogers showed her for me at the HLSR when she was a yearling and again this year when she barely made it into the 2 year old class.  She is a FF and will be 3 on March 10th. I was about to give up on her when her pregnancy test finally came back positive. Thank you Basil.

Basil placed first in her class and was at a disadvantage in the lineup for Grand and Reserve being an almost three year old FF.  But I think she has a future in the show ring and am very happy with her performance.  And a big THANK YOU to Gil Rogers for showing Basil.

I think it looks great.  The open space is for a 16 foot gate so we can drive in from the oilfield road if we need to.  It is easiest for me to go down the road, circle around and drive in the side with the horse trailer than try to drive in the driveway and back it up to where it belongs. Gooseneck trailer and backing are not a good combination for me. The fence is also completed across the front and next is the new buck pen. I am loving the new fence.  Doesn't take a lot to make me happy.  Maybe a new goat but not for now.

Curt decided to retire effective December 31, 2013 and did not return to school after the holidays.  This is his second week of freedom and he is busily getting things done that have been neglected for far too long.  New fence down the oilfield road is first on the list.  All of the trash trees have been pulled up by the roots and the cedar trees trimmed up as they are staying. Next will be post holes, The tractor will be doing the hard labor and luckily the ground is wet so it might be softer unless he hits rock which is likely. Since this isn't really fencing anything in, he will be using woven wire. The other side of the oilfield road is the neighbor's hay field and he sometimes turns his cows into it.  Our garden is in the front starting at the cedar tree. Busy busy January.  When this is finished the buck pen will get started.  The boys are moving out front since our house is set back from the road we had a lot of wasted space.  Now we are going to use it although we may change our minds if the boys cause trouble in public view. We will at least have another small pasture for something.

My Rio Grande Wild Turkey Tom has found a new way to scare the chickens. When he does this all the hens run hide out in the hen house where the nest boxes are.  I thought all of my hens had vanished when I went to gather eggs this evening.  All I saw was Tom and the two turkey hens. When I opened the door to the hen house I was surprised to find at least 30 of my hens hiding out. They weren't impressed with the turkey tom strutting around with his pretty feathers all fluffed out. I am not sure the turkey hens were all that impressed either as they were having a snack from the hanging feeder. Looks like Tom has been in the mud too by the looks of his feet.

Lynnhaven JBN Caramel Crunch would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  She was very sweet to wear the Santa hat and pose for her Christmas portrait.
She is bred to Lynnhaven KT A TX Tornado for March 2, 2014 kids.  I have a little doeling that was born in July from Caramel so I am looking forward to another doe. Caramel is still milking as she started later than most of the rest of the herd.  We are looking forward to this year's show season.