That's such a non-descript title, isn't it? Well, I've done more weedingj. I am weeding in the garden to, but that's most likely not of great interest so not worthy of posting, nor worthy of your time to read!
This weeding was from the goat barn and not the garden! Yesterday 3 more goaties left. About a month before 3 bucklings left.
My weeding at this point now has my core herd of goats back down to 9 and below my goal of 12-15! I've not been this low for some time! I was up into the 30's with kids only a year or so ago. Kidding season is always a big number explosion due to multiple births. This year we didn't go over 30 due to loss of 7 kids!
I now have the following goaties who I REALLY REALLY like and plan on keeping for some time:
Claire - Alpine doe
Kendra - Alpine doe
Jewels - Alpine doeling/Kendra's daughter
Sugar - LaMancha doeling (pictured above but she's sure grown lots!)
LadyBug - ND (Nigerian Dwarf)
JuneBug - ND
As to the bucklings, 2 would be adequate but I couldn't decide amongst the boys initially. I decided I'd keep the bucklings I had and would weed them out as they grew. One left and now I need to see what these 3 mature into and produce come 2012. At this point, the line-up consists of 3 boys I REALLY REALLY like and enjoy:
Kernals - ND buckling (unrelated to all the other ND's)
Patches - ND buckling/LadyBug's son
Wrapper - ND buckling/LadyBug's son
After the 2012 kidding season, I'm planning on keeping a couple of the kids for a while. I'd like to keep a couple doelings and I'll have 3 Alpine does to choose a buckling from. I've not made a lot of decisions yet for the LaMancha breedings.
I'll be breeding Mini Alpines and Mini LaManchas. I'll need a buckling who is 50% first generation mini and then the following year 2nd generation mini @ 75%. The Alpines will be easier as I have 3 does and more breeding possibilities. The LaManchas I'll have to make more decisions on as I need the % of the LaMancha bloodlines but I also need to keep the gopher ears a priority. The first generation kids will most likely have elf ears and I'll then need to have a buck who can give the elf ears (meaning he'll have to have them!) Hopefully I'll be able to trade kids to get a gopher-eared Mini Mancha buckling.
I now hope that I have the weeding I needed to do done until 2012 kidding is done! Wish me luck and success!
In the meantime, it was sooooo nicely quiet and relaxing to go do milking last night with only 6 does/doelings in the barn! The boys are now in the outside pen. They did some talking and I visited with them a bit too. Kendra and Claire are the only milkers now and it was fast and easy as they both get on the stand get to business. AKA, stand there quietly and let me work! It was also very easy to go out and get the girls out today for some browsing and sunshine.
Now I need to get Waddles and Munchie, LaMancha bucklings, banded and off to their new home. I'm behind on getting them moved! They are out with the ND boys and have been behaving very nicely. They are not escape artists either so that helps!
I'm also studying and debating as to which buckling will be bred with which doe. Kernals will have "the Bugs". I'm now debating the other 4 does with the other 2 bucklings.
Does this all make for I've done the weeding needed and now I'm looking at planting season?
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