sometimes during the winter I just like to take some time to reflect on the year that's behind and think about the year that might be ahead.  Winter, the lull in goat stuff.  Everyone is bred that needs to be bred, two more does will go in with their intended bucks but for now they are still enjoying being carefree babies.  I still have two does milking which, compared to last year when we had no milk (really chaps my hide to feed 8 goats and get no milk) at this time.  We also had no eggs last year at this time and this year we are steadily getting around 4 or more a day.  I love thinking about babies that are coming but at the same time am grateful that there isn't so much work to be done right now......Just enjoy the slower pace of life on the mini-farm.  I am dreaming right now about the garden for the year - what will we plant?  Oh so many things on the list!!! I do see the green tops of the garlic planted in November peeking through the dirt. Lots of garlic. And because of the modern wonder of row cover  - we are still picking a bit of greens and root crops. Not much but every little bit helps.  yes, it's a little piece of heaven here at times.  I love the work and fast pace but love the winter slow months too.  Gives me time to catch my breath.  Of course, there is soap to be made, some scarves to felt, maybe a little sewing, knitting, crocheting and finishing up projects that took a back seat to the business of babies, milking, and all that comes with that - cheese, soap, yogurt, canning, gardening etc. 

Yes, I look forward to attending a few shows, being on 305 DHI for the 2nd year in a row and getting our herd Linear Appraised in Sept.  I look forward to looking out my back window and watching this year's kid crops bouncing, playing, snuggling with their mommas....but for now I will enjoy the dreams, because the reality is that the insanity of it all is right around the corner, less than 2 months away.....

BABIES!

One of my most favorite parts of goat ownership and breeding is babies in the spring time.  Tonight I was able to take my two FF does in to our vet to get them ultrasounded.  Last Straw Chattahoochie and CBF AGI Wish Upon A Star were both found to be pregnant. Chatty has one for sure and maybe a second and Wish has two for sure and maybe 3.  Both does are due mid-march Along with Wishes Dam CBF CS Paint Th'Sky With Stars, who is already looking very pregnant so i'm thinking triplets.  Stars is bred back to Intrigue and we already have two does reserved out of her.  These babies are Wishes and her brother Captain.  Seems like kidding season is sooooo far away but it will give me something to look forward to during the winter.  Seeing those little goat bellies develop.  Next into the breeding pen is Tirzah with Asher and then Ammi with Intrigue. That will probably be the last set of kids of Intrigue's here at CBF if someone buys him but we are really looking forward to his kids kidding this spring and seeing his grandkids! 

Ironwoodranch A Good Intrigue*S/*B

Now that our new buck joined our herd much earlier than expected, we are going to part with our dear Intrigue. I agonized over getting this buck - did tons of research and was looking for the right mix of genetics to add to our herd.  At first i had reserved a kid from Agape Oaks because she has an incredible milking program and has the right mix of bloodlines I was looking to bring in but tragically they lost the herdsire I was wanting a buckling out of before he could breed either my first or second choice does. The search was on again.  I just happened to stumble across a not so well known farm in AZ that just happened to have a similar mix of genetics and they also milk test and Linear Appraise (two things I really wanted to do here - we are now currently on 305 DHI and hope to add Linear Appraisal next year) So I contacted them and told them what I was looking for and they suggested a buck kid out of their doe who seems to be the best all around doe - Ironwoodranch SJ Pecan 2*D/2*M.  That year she threw 2 boys and I had my pick of litter.  In March, Intrigue joined our little herd.  Since then, Pecan has earned her Superior Genetics title, as has Intrigue's grandsire (on both sides) Smarty Jones.  That year she also tied for #3 on the Top 10 list milking 1334#s of milk and then made the top 10 list in ADGA as well also tying her herdmate Minnie.  Intrigue has thrown some very nice kids not only for us but for a few other herds as well since we do allow a few outside breedings to folks whose does are tested.  I've been very pleased with all that we've seen so far out of this boy and we don't even have a milking daughter yet.  next year - we are hoping to have two:  CBF AGI Wish Upon a Star And Last Straw Chattahoochie. (Sorry my pictures are so bad)

both girls have been shown and have done very well - neither one has placed lower than 3rd place.  Very excited to see what Intrigue has done here. A daughter and son of his can also be seen at www.crazywisdomdairy.com (see Arctica and Buckwheat).
We are also looking to keep another doe kid out of Intrigue and CBF CS SG Ammi who came back to us after being sold as a 2 mo doe nearly 3 years ago. But we keep a very small herd and since I have 2 and will hopefully have another kid out of him and will be keeping possibly 2 grandkids, I am going to make Intrigue available in January.  I am asking $400 for him which is what I paid for him as an unproven buck.  If you want more information on his dam please visit www.ironwoodranch.weebly.com or his sire, please visit Snickerdoodle at www.pecangroveranch.com 

A New Herdsire for CBF

A few years ago I took a doe from a friend who was battling cancer.  She was a sweet woman with a big heart who loved her goaties.  Due to circumstances beyond her control the doe showed up here with soremouth. My herd was infected and we closed our herd until we were sure it was past.  I agonized over whether to tell her but finally felt like I had to around the time I asked her permission to rehome her to a pet/retirement home.
The folks who have her love her and spoil her rotten!  Despite my protests, she paid in full for a buck - literally the buck of my dreams.  I got to pick the pedigree etc.  Andrea passed away earlier this year never seeing her gift come to fruition.  The breeder tried her best to deliver the buck I wanted but the dam wasn't wanting to cooperate with the sire. 

Last night around 5 pm a friend of mine came here and dropped off one of the most beautiful bucks I've ever seen.  The sire and dam I chose are present in his pedigree as Grandsire on dam's side and Granddam on sire's side.  I feel doubly blessed as this beautiful buck was hand chosen by the breeder to represent her herd here in NM and paid for by a very generous lady who really didn't need to do what she did.  I never felt it was her fault and KNOW she did not send a sick doe here on purpose.  I have spent some time really getting a good look at this beautiful boy.

Welcome to our farm Double SunDog FN Brave Warrior (name to honor Andrea's brave battle with cancer - she may have lost the battle to cancer but I believe in the end she WON! ).  He is out of Double SunDog ST Finn *S (Double SunDog TH Saturday *S  X ARMCH Piddlin Acres PV Gretel *D) and Double SunDog CY Honey Pot (Ironwood Ranch JD Curly X Goodwood DFW City Slicker *D) All I can say is Thank you Kathryn Lewis of Double SunDog for breeding and choosing this handsome boy for our herd and Thank you Andrea Brewer for the gift of this amazing buck.  I think he will stay here MANY years as herdsire for CBF. I am blessed!

Here it is, middle of October and our herd is at the number I need it to be

in order to afford feed for the winter.  Now, we are breeding. 

Seems odd to cut our herd so drastically in order to INCREASE it! LOL. 

This week Chattahoochi went in with MCH Lost Valley ML Asher while

CBF CS Paint Th'Sky with Stars went in with 

the very handsome Ironwoodranch A Good Intrigue*S/*B

Stars breeding will be a repeat of what produced CBF AGI Wish Upon a Star (below) 

and we already have two doeling reservations for this pair. This pair will also boast 3 Superior Genetics animals in their pedigree : SG Nizhoni's Joie de Vivre*D/*M, SG Ironwoodranch SJ Pecan 2*D/2*M and 

SG Esperanza MB Smarty Jones +*B/+*S

Wishes also went to visit her intended out at Nizhoni's.  Nizhoni's bred Nizhoni DW Tirzah 

and SG Nizhoni's Joie De Vivre *M/*D (Stars - is Joie's granddaughter)

Wishes went to visit Esperanza BF Blue Sunfire.  

This is a Smarty Jones linebreeding and should be super milky!  

Right now - we are retaining all that result from this breeding. 

Recently CBF Nigerian said goodbye to some of our animals.  This year, the parting was more difficult than normal.  In reflection, I think it's because as we improve as a herd, I see more value in each animal and 

when I am letting go of one these days, I'm letting go of something that I see merit in, not a 

"cull" animal generally.  But my perspective has changed a bit.  We are letting go of some really good animals who are going forth and doing things we could not do here. 

Like letting SG Nizhoni's Joie de Vivre *D/*M go to Pecan Grove - 

she would not have earned her Superior Genetics title here because we have not 

been able to Linear Appraise.  

We just sent CBF CS Hope Diamond (above) 

And CBF CS Special Dark Chocolate, go to Pixie Hollow Nigerians in Florida. 

At first, it was really hard - these girls were supposed to help further MY herd but the more I thought about 

it, what a great way to get my name out there! What if these girls do really well for Pixie Hollow?  

So, Thank you Pixie Hollow for taking my precious girls!

We also let go of Cleo this year.  Another difficult one to let go.  She is a FF, with a stunning body and lovely udder.  She has always done well in her classes and am pretty sure she could earn her milking stars. 

But a small new herd wanted a really good doe, and I have her daughter and am getting the daughter of her half sister out of the same sire next year soooooo, I reluctantly let her go. 

We are down to 9 goats - 7 does and 2 bucks.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what next year brings for us.  We are just now starting to breed the does and we are going to do 305 milk test again next year. I'd really like to do the Linear Appraisal if we can get a stop next year as well but we'll see if the money is there to do it.  

A bittersweet day for me here at CBF - saying good bye to some great girls but looking to the future and what it holds........

FALL is here, Continued

Breeding season will be commencing soon

The first doe to go into the breeding pen will probably be my first doeling of the year CBF AGI Wish Upon A Star.  This is the first daughter of Intrigue's born here and I am super excited to see what she will do.  

The most exciting thing for me is that we are breeding her to an outside buck who I think will be a fantastic match. IF her udder is what it could be, we are looking at keeping a buck out of this match. 

Nizhoni's owns this boy, Desert Nanny BF Blue Sunfire.

I have had my eye on him for about a year now and while Im not fond of his color, I am fond of the udders he's throwing and his littermate sister Desert Nanny BF Blue Sunsprite is an amazing doe. 

http://desertnanny.net/desertnanny_bf_sunsprite.htm

Along with her, Tirzah has a date scheduled with our own buck MCH Lost Valley ML Asher. 

Asher finished in AGS this year, classified at 87.9 Very Good and 

I think will be a great match for her.  She is a good solid overall doe who has earned a 

grand-champion title, reserve champion, Best Udder and Classified at 90.9 Excellent. 

Asher has what I think she's lacking - uphillness.  She has what Asher lacks - a nice rump. I hope this combo produces corrections in those areas. 

Next on the docket is Stars - my beautiful Black and White Blue eyed doe from two years ago and dam to 

Wishes.  Because we like the cross so much (so did several other folks) we are looking at repeating the breeding.  So Stars will go to Intrigue in a few months. A doe from this cross is already reserved. 

At the same time as Stars we will be breeding a new little lady to our herd.  

Last Straw Chattahoochi.  She is also an Intrigue daughter who is joining our herd due to her owners downsizing.  She is one of the 3 daughters Intrigue had this year - the last is owned by Crazy Wisdom Dairy

http://crazywisdomdairy.com

Taking this doe allows me to see how 2 of Intrigue's daughter mature and freshen this coming year before I make the mistake of selling the best buck I've ever owned.  

I am debating whether or not to throw Ammi back in with a buck at this point in time or sell her as a show goat.  She has a beautiful udder, nice build but I have a hard time milking her due to small teats.....

Decisions, decisions.  

I will not be breeding Lisianthus or Marina this year but holding them out until spring to kid in September.