We are trudging ever closer to our first babies of the year.  We start kidding in about 2 weeks...I say about because no matter how well timed you think you are, they still come when they are good and ready.  

Marina (not pictured) is the first to go. She is due Feb 22, 2013. Sono'd with 1+.  I hope more than one as I detest large single babies in a FF doe.  So I am hoping that there was another kid hiding behind the big kid the vet saw.  Marina is our 2 X Junior champion doe out of a stellar milking FF doe.  Sure wish I hadn't sold that doe but she now resides at a great farm - Sunset Plains. 

Second up is Dickory.  This is Dickory (see pics above and below) She is huge. I never sono'd her because she got big fast so I just assumed she was bred - she most certainly is as she's been steadily bagging up for several weeks.  She is due March 1.  Her and Marina are both bred to MCH/CH Hill Country's DAX Stitch.  I am half expecting triplets here but who knows? 

Valley Flowers Lily of the Valley is next in line - she is a Stitch daughter who is bred to our little buck 

Flat Rock Earl Grey (Enchanted Hill Virginia X Irish Whisper Harry Potter) he's barely 9 months old now but was up to the job of breeding several does in Sept/Oct.  

REally cannot wait to see Lily's udder and Earl's first kids here.  

After Lily we have my hubby's Kinder doe, Cleo due.  She will be kidding near the end of March, then we have a big break and Last Straw Chattahoochee *D/*M will be due April 27th.  We are going on Thursday to ultrasound Chatty's granddam Prairie Wood Peachy at the vets so will know if she is bred or not and if yes, When she is due more or less. I have 3 breeding dates on her and am not really certain which is right. 

If you've been following this blog for any length of time you already know that about 4 years ago I sold my herd down to 1 Oberhasli and a few young Nigerians because my daughter was diagnosed with cancer. 

I felt like I needed to sell the milkers to make it easier on my hubby who, when I was at the hospital with my daughter, was left holding down the fort at home with all the animals, a fulltime job and of course, our other two children who were homeschooled at the time.  

When I sold these goats I let 2 go that under ordinary circumstances never would have left. 

1 was our "poster child" (the one pictured on the header of our blog) SG/AR Nizhoni's Joie de Vivre*D/*M

who was possibly one of the best goats I've ever owned and a really good milker. 

The other, was her daughter, CBF TD Kokoro Kiseki 2*D. 

Possible one of the best breedings we ever did here.  Koko was one of triplets. 2 does and a buck. 

The buck is a herdsire here in NM, the other doe, CBF TD Pepper is milking (now for nearly 2 years)

at another herd and Koko went to AZ with her dam.  I had always held out hope I could get a kid 

back from one of them but it never seemed to really work - either the breeding was too close to what I had, I didn't have the money (or the time to go to AZ) or something. 

Due to a very generous offer by Koko's current owner, Lysa Roman of Lazy R Ranch, we are going to bring back a Koko buck kid - Lazy R Ranch Kosuke.  He was one of quads 3 does and 1 buck. Sire is Busy Browsers Akamai.  Kosuke means Rising Sun in Japanese.  Koko's name is Japanese meaning Hand/Heart Connection and we wanted to kind of hold on to that theme.  

This little guy who looks an awful lot like his gorgeous momma was born late January and should be arriving here some time in late March/early April. 

This has been a crazy busy year for us here at CBF Nigerians.  We are no longer JUST a Goat farm or even Hobby Farmers really.  We have added bees, had a huge garden and for the first time since we moved here 10 years ago, we had a bumper crop of fruit from our trees.  I think I had no idea what I was in for this past year! And while I'm still mainly a goat person it was satisfying to see us roll a little closer to becoming a little more self sustaining!  I don't like that I was sooooo busy I had no time to post and update on our blog.

This was our second year on DHI which has been a long time goal of mine since we got our first goats.  To date we've had MANY of our girls earn their stars/ARs in both registries (both in our herd and those we've sold to others)  This  past year we also participated in our first Linear Appraisal through ADGA, another long time goal.

I am so pround of our little  doe Chatty - she completely wowed me this year earning her Star/AR in both registries as a FF.  At 273 DIM she gave us 654lbs of milk 35 lbs of Butterfat and 27 lbs of Protein.  She also scored an 86 on ADGA Linears.  I just adore her sweet personality too!

Another doe of ours was doing fairly well milking (Valley Flowers Lisianthus) but she kidded in Aug and I bred her in Dec so she didn't quite get in enough time or milk to earn her stars.  I have no doubt that given more time she would have earned hers in at least AGS.  I was recently contacted by someone who had placed a deposit on another doe but had to back out last year who wanted a Bred doe - proven (more or less) to join their herd and be shown by their kids. Only 2 does here fit the bill for their request and I couldn't part with Chatty, so Lisi is heading to Colorado, bred to Flat Rocks Earl Grey for May kids. I hope she does really well for them.

This year we were able to work off Breeding fees to use on a few of our does. The Buck we chose is a beautiful, well built buck from Hill Country - MCH/CH Hill Country DAX Stitch *S.  Stitch is sire to our Lily and Grandsire to Lisi and is now bred to Chatty, Dickory, and Marina.  We are so excited for kidding season!!!!!!  We hadn't planned on having a buck but we were also presented with a deal we couldn't pass up - a Buck for 8 scarves (Thanks Flat Rock TX herd! - Sunni Milligan) We jumped on it and brought him in and bred him to the other 3 does - Lily (Obviously we couldn't breed her to her dad!), Lisi and Peachy.

As you can probably tell there are some new names in the bunch as well - so to update you all - here's how it all happened.  In May our queen bee and main milker kidded a single, double teated doe kid.  She also wasn't hardly milking and I needed the milk.  So I contacted a herd we've admired for a long time - just so happened she was willing to sell us Seldom Herd Dickory - daughter of a long admired doe, and sister to a doe who had beat us at Quad two years ago with the doe I was looking to replace.  We jumped and we are eagerly awaiting her first kids around March 1.

Lily is another doe we view as a gift! Christine at Valley Flowers allowed us to have her in exchange for working on her website which we are doing currently after having some serious computer problems for several months.  (Yes, we will get it done!!!!!) Lily is about the sweetest doe (besides Chatty) and pretty to boot - daughter of Stitch and we are looking forward to her first kids in March as well.

Well, that's about the long story short and I am hoping that we can continute to update this Blog more often.
Thanks for being patient with us and checking back with us!

Valley Flowers Lily of the Valley

Not to long ago we were blessed yet again by Christine at Valley Flowers Farm 

with a new herd member.  

Meet Lily.  

Suzy is totally smitten with Lily, frankly, so am I. 

She's amazing. 

she is out of MCH Hill Country DAX Stitch 

who has some of that amazing Kingwood running in his veins.

and her dam is Valley Flowers Perky Sue who is Rosasharn's bred. 

(Rosasharn's MY Kodaly 6*D   X  Rosasharn's SP Lil' Boy Blue.) 

Suzy showed Lily in her first show in April as a 4 week old baby who took 2nd in both classes 

under two different Judges.  In front of her in the line was 

her dam's 1/2 sister - Valley Flowers Calico Hearts who went on to win 

Junior Grand Champion. 

Lily Love Bug welcome to our herd. 

So much has been going on here at CBF Nigerians.  I've barely had time to blog about it.  

I know I am WAAAAY behind in updating.  The last time I wrote, It was shortly 

after the first 2 sets of kids arrived on the scene here.  That was Chatty and Wish's 

kids.  Chatty and Wish have since joined our milk test. Chatty is blowing my socks off in the milk pail. 

She's had 2 tests now and both times over 3#'s.  I'm pretty impressed with her as a FF doe.  

Wish, not so much.  She didn't do badly her first test but since I sold her boys as wethers, he milk has dropped. 

PHTHTTHTH! 

About 2 week ago - Tirzah kidded, She was HUGE.  I mean like Triplets huge! 

and she had ONE single big doe kid.  You are probably thinking I should be turning cartwheels, 

because at least it was a doe.  UM, not so fast! 

The doe has a teat with a double orifice. No  more cartwheels.  You are older and overweight still and might hurt yourself (I'm talking to myself of course) .   So for several weeks I've been debating what 

to do and how to handle this whole fiasco.  

I wish there was an easy answer but the one I came to - taking several things into consideration is, 

Selling Tirzah and her daughter as unregistered backyard milkers is where we went. 

I'm also selling Wish and our new buck, Legend.  Yeah, you are probably thinking, I"m nuts. 

But it made me realize why I got into this in the first place.....it was for my kids.  

This is a 4H project gone wild and one I enjoy immensely (otherwise why would I drag my butt out of bed every morning, feed, milk, maintain hooves, clean pens etc.) but I think I sort of let the goats take over. 

So , we took a step back, revisited our goals and dreams, evaluated what our needs were 

as a family and as responsible herd owners and here's where we are at. 

I am blessed to have some good friends with some EXCELLENT bucks, I don't need them this year, 

so, my plans to keep Caspian intact and Legend for my herd that seems to be shrinking considerably, are unnecessary.  Caspian is now castrated and sold and is going to a new home with Tirzah and Boo as unregistered backyard milkers. 

Wish and Legend are up for sale as a registered breeding pair (If you are interested, $400 for the pair) 

Chatty is staying and her doeling is sold (she was technically sold before she hit the ground, the buyers backed out and I re-listed her so I didn't grow attached and keep another doe!) 

Valley Flowers Lisianthus is bred to Ironwoodranch A Good Intrigue *S/*B and is due in Aug. I am loving Intrigue's kids overall and may keep one of these.  Besides, Intrigue's dam is now a finished Champion!

Lisi's sire also earned a Grand Champion title and I am loving this pretty little doe. 

Marina  - earned another Junior Champion title - this one counted and I'm not selling her.  I'd love to see her freshen but she won't be bred until Fall - she's staying. 

Lastly Lily, WoW is about all I can say, this little girl grows and I am more smitten. 

As you can see - this leaves us with only 2 milkers for the year.  Not really working for me since our goat milk soap helps support the herd and we are kind of addicted to all that fresh milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir and ice cream.....so, I cut my herd to bare bones and bought an outstanding milking doe (okay, so she's due in two weeks and I won't get her until later but still) She's is a 3rd Freshener, 2X Grand Champion who will be Linear Appraised next month with our group AND she is going straight on my milk test.  I'm not giving any more information until she officially joins my herd.  

That means you'll have to come visit us again to get more information! 

I'm sure you are wondering what we are going to do about breeding.  

Well, two of my friends worked out some breedings with us. I will be using 2 maybe 3 bucks for next year: 

MCH Hill Country DAX Stitch who is a LOOONG handsome buck who throws long beautiful kids (See Lily) 

Valley Flowers Blazing Star (this is Marina's intended as it will pull in more of those lovely 

Rosasharn's lines that Marina has) 

and Sunset Plains Almond Roca.  (he is a yearling buck that blew me away at the last show earning a 

Reserve Junior champion Title and aReserve Champion Title behind Lisianthus' sire Bachelor Button. 

I swear, I'm getting really tired of huge herd changes.  I'm ready for some good girls (and maybe even a boy) to stay here and contribute to our little farm.  I hope these changes help us to make that step. 

Thank you to everyone who helped us make some HARD but necessary changes, to those whose shoulders I cried on (you know who you are) and those who gave us a chance to dream big by allowing use or buy some amazing stock from you:

Sunset Plains,

Valley Flowers

Seldom Herd

 

2012 Babies.

C4 CBF AGI Wish Upon A Star X Desert Nanny BF Blue Sunfire buck

C2 Last Straw Chattachoochee X MCH Lost Valley ML Asher (doe)

C1-Last Straw Chattahoochee X MCH Lost Valley ML Asher buck

C3 - CBF AGI Wish Upon a Star X Desert Nanny BF Blue Sunfire buck 

 

As you can see, kidding season has begun.  For once I did not breed all of my does to kid in Feb.  I showed a little restraint mostly because I really wanted to spread out my milk supply.   This spring has brought us a few surprises.  CBF CS Paint Th'Sky With Stars was due to kid first.  She did not, it appears she had a false pregnancy. This was a bit sad as I'd already agreed to sell her to someone post kidding when the babies were weaned.  I did not feel right asking them to wait until fall for me to have another chance so I sold her.  I was really looking forward to Wish and Captain's little siblings to be running around her and having her on the milk string for a few months while I trained the 2 FF does.  I had my eyes on Wishes as the next to kid and when I was out doing a check on Wish I noticed chatty off by herself in beginning stages of labor.  I moved her to the kidding stall and she promptly kidded with buck/doe twins (see C1 and C2 above)  C2 - CBF ASH Creme Puff is sold and going to Colorado, and I am evaluating C2 as a possible herdsire for my herd.  Chatty has a lovely glued on udder and is proving to be a nice little milker.  he is also the grandson of Intrigue and son of Asher.   I can imagine him taking his place here as a herdsire.
Wishes decided to take a clue from Chatty and got her show on the road about 4 hours later and had twin bucks.  I'm a bit disappointed as I was really hoping for at least one doe kid.  Not so.  They are lovely little boys but will most likely wind up wethers.  (see C3 and C4 above).  It's been fun having bouncy little kids around once again. And the girls are milking well considering this is their first go around!  I will put milk numbers and pics of udders on another post here in the next few days. I am milking once a day but our first milk test of the year will be next year.

Usually by now we have most of our kids on the ground by now.  I"m tattooing (it has one great benefit this time of year - I don't have to wear anything green for St. Patrick's day, my hands are green from tattooing!)
Anyway this year we did things a bit different so we've been living vicariously through other folks' kidding instead of our own.  It's been a tough spring already though.  Not only am I missing having my kids to go visit daily, No milk right now.  Stars was supposed to be due today and it appears she has had  false pregnancy.
I'm so sad.  I really was looking forward to another set of Stars/Intrigue kids!!!!! But at least she milked enough this last year to earn her milking star through AGS. She will be a 3*D in AGS. We aren't sure about ADGA yet.

But, sometime in the next week Chatty (Last Straw Chattahoochie) and Wishes (CBF AGI Wish Upon A Star) both Intrigue kids, will be freshening with their first kids.   These are also Intrigue's first kids to freshen.
WE hope to see many more kids of his this year as he was bred to several outside does this year.

I ended up Selling Ammi bred as someone really wanted her and kids out of Intrigue.  I cannot wait to see what that cross will produce.  It was hard letting Ammi go after just getting her back last spring but with the price of hay rising this year we felt that this was for the best for our herd for now.  Ammi has an excellent home and will be used to produce many beautiful babies for her new herd.  Before she left, we found out that she earned her milking star through AGS (not sure about ADGA yet)   VERY proud to say I'm the breeder on this beautiful doe.

Because we are trying to achieve the goal of having year round milk - we bred Tirzah later than we'd usually like (She is bred to Asher).  She really is a nice little milker. She also earned her milking stars in AGS and with her butterfat has enough to earn the Sue Rucker Bronze JuJu award through ANDDA.  We are hoping she will finish this year and we will nominate her for the All around or All American this year as well.

We are just now breeding our younger two does for fall kids.  Our original plan was to breed Marina to Intrigue before he was sold and Lisianthus would go to our new buck, Legend.  you know what they say about best laid plans.....well, Marina went into heat and our good friend Christine of Valley Flowers allowed us to use her buck, Blazing Star, before she sold him and we jumped.  This breeding would bring in a LOT of amazing genetics from Rosasharns' as both Marina and Blaze have that in their background.  And while I was trying to catch Legend to go in the breeding pen with Lisi, Intrigue busted out and got Lisi before I could say BOO!  WEll, I did want 1 more set of Intrigue kids before he left. If both does are bred, they are due July 28 and Aug 10 respectively.  We will be keeping VERY FEW kids this year so if you are interested in something - please email me about availability.  I have some kid reservations to fill but once they are filled - we will have some for sale.  BTW - buck reservations are wide open and I think we could have some good ones this year. For those of you who are new to CBF - I do not breed for eye or coat color.
I breed for conformationally correct milking does and bucks who will produce such.  I prefer certain lines so we do wind up with a lot of Chocolate and white colored goats but it's not because we are trying to breed Chocolate and White Milkers!!!

upcoming news - we are back on 305 DHI this year with everyone who is freshening and because NM is getting a stop or two on ADGA's linear appraisal schedule, we applied.  IF nothing changes we will be getting our Linears done between June 12-26.  The good news is everyone will be shaved already by that time and we'll be eagerly awaiting whatever advice etc. we get from the appraiser.  I am eager to learn what we need to improve on etc. All of this is an amazing learning experience for us as our goal here is to improve our little herd of milkers and produce awesome little milking Nigerians for herds who want them.
Thanks for visiting us here at CBF Nigerians!