Goats are doing well, the bucks are always in rut. Got a lot of positive response with this photo below of the boys on face book. One of the guys I went to high school with made the comment that these three looked like himself and his buddies in college... He is a hoot...!
The boys are discussing a doe in not a gentlemanly manner I am sure.. (right)
Yes the boys are characters to say the least. This time of the year does are bred for fall kidding. The Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats breed all year around. Many of the large breeds are seasonal and come into heat for fall to kid in the spring. I have a few kidding in the fall, but plan to take a break and kid mostly in the spring so we can have the winter to rest.
Milk testing is going well and Brush Creek Liz is close to drying up. She has made her stars on butter fat, not sure if she will make it on milk. She is eight now and do not expect the world from a doe who like myself is past their prime. As a brood doe she is PREMIUM though and hope she will have does next year for me. Her son Lex is looking great, moon spots and all.
Scandal is still milking strong, since last September. She will more then likely hit the 1000 pound mark and get her AR (advanced registry). I have dried off several of my regular milkers due to time and not having enough of it. If the does have earned their stars, lets focus on the ones who have yet to reach that status. So do not dismay if you see one of my does with less milk this year then last. She may have been dried off to make room for a daughter or others who have not earned their stars. Email me if you have questions and are interested in reserving a kid.
Oldesouth Blue Amber is still milking strong and hope to take her to her AR as well. Amber bred herself to CH Gypsy Moon Sudoku *S, because she broke out and honey mooned with him. She fell in love with him, seeing him one time and smelling him on the ride back to Alabama. I found her in his pen one morning when he was in isolation. She stayed there until his blood work came back clean. My experience has been they start drying off on their own a couple of months into the pregnancy. Will see how far we can take her before she drys herself off. She is pictured to the right winning a large 2 to 3 year old doe in milk class at Clemson, SC in May.
BEFORE GOATS, I did have a non goat life and my son was growing up. Bicycling kept him clean and focused on positive pursuits in life.... I am not sure how many of you know my son Tim Babb. He cycled for years as a Junior and was the Alabama Champion for two years. Tim also competed in the Canadian Jr race which is a JR Tour of France. I think it was the Tour de l'Abitibi in western Quebec, but will verify that with Tim. The first time he competed he was one of the last, but finished the 950 mile plus race over 8 days. The second time he competed he was in the top 50, which was great. Had he started sooner, perhaps his JR cycling would have made the top 10. Tim left cycling to go into the Air Force and has just recently gone back to cycling.
I am happy for him, but now he can buy his own equipment and pay his own way, which was not cheap by the way... He did get some sponsors as a JR, maybe he will get more now...
Tim Babb on his bike May 2012.
