Exciting News from Arizona

First of all I need to thank Ironwood Ranch for sending me these pics. They have been fantastic not only in letting us have our little buck Irondwoodranch A Good Intrigue*S/*B. but have kept us informed about all sorts of happenings that relate to our herd. This is the gorgeous dam to Intrigue (or 'Trigue as he's known around these parts). Pecan now has two legs toward her MCH and has pretty much been commended for her LOVELY udder by every judge she's been show under this year. She was #4 in the nation in AGS for milk production, butterfat and overall on 305 day test.
The Lovely Pecan's udder (rear view)
Also, earlier this year I sold one of my favorite does - CBF TD Kokoro Kiseki to Pecan Grove in AZ. I sold her thinking I could breed my Tirzah to Koko's dad this year but it wasn't until after I sold her that I found out Tapdance had passed away. SAD day for me.

Especially after seeing this FF udder of Koko's. An improvement over mom's udder whose udder isn't horrible so I'm pleased. She kidded two bucks out of Piddlin Acres H Calm the Storm this year.
But I think she sure matured out as a very very nice doe. NOT disappointed by her at all.
This is Nizhoni's Joie de Vivre *D/*M. Joie was 2nd in the Memorial day show behind Agape Oaks Fire Hazard*D/2*M AR, also owned by Pecan Grove who would have been nearly impossible to beat. Hazard also tied the record in AGS for 1 day test Milk Production at 7.0#s.

Thanks again Ironwood Ranch for keeping me up to date on all the happenings in AZ and sharing these great photos!

Joie and Storm's babies are two weeks old

well, the babies are now two weeks old. Growing fast and won't stay still so getting good pics is nearly impossible. This group of babies are the sweetest babies I've ever had. I really am enjoying spending time with them. OF course, that friendliness also has it's drawbacks - hard to get pics when they are snuggling in your lap - AH the bliss!!!!
the only shot of Tinkerbelle since she spend nearly the whole photo shoot in my lap. She loves to be scratched and her shoulders. She stands real still and in show stance with her eyes closed. I need to bring an assistant to get the pics while I'm scratching!
Magellen is probably the least friendly but still, he will take a break from playing to get some lovin'. Actually he's friendly enough, just BUSY!!! He's definitely living up to his name - he is the explorer of the crew - always busy poking his nose somewhere!!! Funny, when he was born I didn't think much of him but he's turning into quite the good looking little guy. He's got great body capacity and seems to have the nicesest chest. He even looks to have good length though his brother still has him beat there!
None of these pics really captures how good looking Columbus is. He's really got a long body, nice width between the hocks. Good dairy character and angularity.

A tad narrower than his brother but still not bad and a nice long neck and legs. All the babies have nice strait backs and from what I can see so far good feet and legs.
As I was sitting out in the pen playing with the babies I noticed that with two weeks until kidding Auntie Tirzah has a nice start to her FF udder.

I think this will be a lovely udder but darn, I have to wait about 2 more weeks to see it.

Susanna and I want to keep a doe kid from Tirzah and Storm so we are hoping she gives us

CBF CS Evangeline(Suzy's name for this doe kid)

CBFNigerians presents the first babies of 2010

Kidding season 2010 started today - 8 days early with triplets from Nizhoni's Joie de Vivre *D/*M and Piddlin Acres H Calm the Storm. This one is a Black and White blue eyed buck kid who is very nicely built - One of the nicest I've seen so far. We are calling him Columbus until her finds his new home.
This is a chocolate and white brown eyed buck kid who will be wethered. He is just not as nice as his brother or sister - smaller, shorter bodied but CUTE CUTE CUTE. Alyssa named him Magellan
And here is the doeling - She was very obviously the first born and is a beautiful dark buckskin with blue eyes and a darling white topnot! Congrats Tracy on your new doeling!!!!

Bittersweet year for CBF Nigerians Ahead

As an animal owner there is nothing more pressing than finding good homes for those you can't or don't keep. After a lot of thought and sleepless nights I have decided to sell both Joie and Kokoro. It wasn't a decision I came upon lightly and really did not want to make but I really feel, with the crossroads I'm at in the herd and in my life I did finally decide to sell both girls. I did not think it would happen quickly at all but it happened much faster than I thought. Thankfully, both girls are going to what sounds like and incredible home in March. As much as I adore Koko, her pretty markings, her beautiful face....

It is Joie that I will miss the most. Joie has been and really is a very special doe for us. She has provided us with a lot of learning, wonderful babies, A TON of milk and she just is my Joie. But alas, I am going in a little bit different direction than I originally thought. Yes, we are still going to be concentrating on milk of course !!!! But when I began shopping for a new buck in spring we thought we were going one direction - a direction where Joie would have stayed here, but because that buck fell through and another buck is in the making (literally - he is due either the beginning of Jan or Feb) I felt the better choice was Joie's half sister Tirzah. I would like to keep a lot of babies this year with our herd name as well and in order to do so, minimizing my stress levels and given our very limited amount of space I needed to cut my numbers somewhere. I only kept Kokoro because I thought my older daughter was getting back into showing and now she's not wanting to show so Koko was an obvious choice.

I know there will be a lot of tears this spring as Joie moves on to help a new herd get underway and I will miss lovely little Koko running around the goat pen. I do thank the folks who are buying Koko and Joie for giving them a wonderful loving home to go to. I hope Joie will be a joy to you as she is to me and I hope Koko fits into your herd and provides you with lots of ribbons, and milk for your herd. On a more positive note - we sold Joie's first daughter to a friend in Colorado - this doe was a favorite of my daughter Suzy - and due to health issues they are havng to cut down on numbers therefor Skye will come back to join us here at CBF. I don't know if this is wise but Skye has always been Suzy's doe even after we sold her so I know that maybe this doe is meant to be back in Suzy's hands so Suzy can start her own herd of Nigies. Our Colorado friends are keeping Skye's doe kid and buckling from this year so I guess that's the way the ball rolls.....Welcome back Skye.

My How They Grow.

At Quad show this doe seemed so small I was beginning to think maybe she was going to be a tiny little think. Well, Today I shaved her for the Bosque Farms Fair next week and look at the lovely girl I found under the hair. she has the nicest body capacity of any of my youngsters, a nice wide chest floor, good ribbing, long lovely neck

Good width from thurl to thurl and between the hocks. I can't wait to see how she freshens out this coming spring.

And is probably one of the most well put together does I've bred to date. This is with minimal setting up. I also love the beautiful head on this girl. IF Tirzah is not bred to Storm she will head out to have a date with Koko's sire PiddlinAcres KR Tapdance because Tirzah is Joie's half sister and I like this breeding so much I'd like to get another doe close to Koko if I can. IF she is pregnant she is due in Sept and I'll breed her to Tapdance in the spring.

I am thinking hard about breeding this doe to Lora's buck Nekoda or her new buck Warrick.

Probably will do Nekoda, since I've been wanting to breed a doe to him for a long time now.