Neb's herd

[nebs]

Well I started a few threads for some of my individual goats, but maybe it would be easier to just have a herd thread to give updates on.  So my herd started with Thor and Pickles (Alpines) from Dave's farm which I have shared lots of pics of.  Later I picked up Teancum and Ginger (Obers) from Linda's farm in Moses Lake, doubling my herd to 4.  Pickles was bred to Linda's big Ober buck Earl, and Pickles had two big bucklings.  I kept the buckskin colored buckling (He was named Boone) for a future packer, and sold his ober looking brother to my sister in Olympia so now we have 5.  Although Thor and Boone were castrated, we kept Teancum for a breeding buck and he is awesome.  Teancum didn't stink too bad, and has remained good natured even in the rut.  I think he is going to be a big boy and he covered both Pickles and Ginger this year so I should have another crop of Alpine/Obers and some purebred Obers too.  We are very excited to see what Spring brings and I hope to develop a large, hard working, good natured string of packers soon. I have also just leveled and planted another 1/2 acre pasture to help rotate once I get the fence up this spring.  Enjoy the pics.

Pickles and Thor almost 3 years old
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Thor is getting big, I would love to get him on a scale!
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Teancum will be 8 months old in a couple of days.  He has a funny piece of hay hanging on his face.
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Ginger is a darker/redder colored ober, and is so nice.

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[nebs]

I need to get more pictures of Boone.  He and his brother are 6 months old and way bigger then the other ever were at the same age.  I let them be dam raised by Pickles and there doesn't seem to be a substitute for mother's milk.  I worked and interacted with them almost daily and they are just as calm and easy to handle, catch, and work with as any bottle baby.  From my trials I think I get the best results for health, size, and disposition by letting them stay on momma and working with them daily.  I plan on doing this again with both my does this spring.  Not only did the lab confirm my herd was Movi negative but blood work came back clean on CAE as well.  I know doelings are going to be smaller then bucklings but in this picture Ginger is 8 months vs Boone at almost 6.

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[Nanno]

I need to get more pictures of Boone.  He and his brother are 6 months old and way bigger then the other ever were at the same age.  I let them be dam raised by Pickles and there doesn't seem to be a substitute for mother's milk.  I worked and interacted with them almost daily and they are just as calm and easy to handle, catch, and work with as any bottle baby.  From my trials I think I get the best results for health, size, and disposition by letting them stay on momma and working with them daily.  I plan on doing this again with both my does this spring.  Not only did the lab confirm my herd was Movi negative but blood work came back clean on CAE as well.  

What a beautiful herd you have! I love the pictures and descriptions of all your goats. 

I'm with ya 100% on the dam-raising thing. My dam-raised kids are every bit as friendly and outgoing as the bottle babies and they look so much healthier and bigger to me. It also makes me feel good to know that the mamas in the herd are looking out for them so they don't get lost or forgotten in the scrub oak. I worried about that with the bottle kids we bought last spring. For a couple of weeks before one of my does adopted them, they would hang around the house crying instead of going out with the other goats, and if they did go out with the others I wasn't sure they would stay with them or that anyone would go back for them if they started to cry. But then my Nubbin adopted them and it took a huge load off my mind because if the bottle boys got separated and started to cry she would go back and find them.

As my herd is becoming more age diverse, I'm starting to learn a ton about herd dynamics. I thought I might have to worry about babies around my big horned boys, but so far it's not turning out to be the case. It seems like the older, bigger goats have better things to do than pick on kids and they even do a good job of keeping the adolescent goats from being too brutal with the little babies. Or if two of the babies are picking on one of the others, an older doe or wether often intervenes before things get too rough. My does often take turns "babysitting" all the kids while the other mamas take a break. If I have a doe without kids (dry or milking through), she tends to take on "kid duty" more often. It's fascinating to watch.

[Taffy]

Gorgeous goats, Nebs! They have really grown!

I like dam raising. Like Nan, I feel it's the best of both worlds. The caveat is that it only works well if you spend a lot of time with the kids.

If you are on Facebook there's a very interesting group regarding goat behavior. https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=g...%20welfare

[DownUnder Gal]

Beautiful goats Nebs, magnificent horns I also support dam raising, I have tried both and agree that the time spent with dam raised kids is very important.