September 30, 2022

All is well on the Quirky Goat Farm, Spicewood Annex, with a contingent of six goats. The Nubians are now about ten months old and fully assimilated with the herd. The biggest news is that Gypsy has been deposed as herd queen. She had been behaving badly - biting and bullying the other goats. I removed her to a small pen for a "time out" of several days three times. After the third time, Bug, the largest Saanen, decided not to take any more bullying. She outweighs Gypsy by maybe 40 pounds, and she put every bit into pushing back. They fought, head butting and shoulder pushing, for several hours. By the next day, there was no doubt that Bug had deposed the queen and taken the position of leader. Gypsy had an obvious emotional reaction to losing her status. She stayed far away from everyone and didn't come for grain for two feedings. Even after a couple of weeks, she is still more solitary and subdued. I am milking Pearl, the other Saanen, once a day and getting three quarts every time. Cheesemaking takes place twice a week, and I'm working my way through all of the cheese recipes that I used to make. Chevre, of course, as that's the easiest. Robiola and brie. A batch of cheddar is underway as I am typing this.

Summer Solstice

I have to laugh. Apparently I wrote this quite a while ago. I wish the weather paid more attention to the calendar, and the official "end" of summer. These afternoon with temperatures in the 100s are a challenge to deal with. Good news on the goat herd. Travis had forwarded a link to The Dapper Goat dairy at Weimar. A few emails and a phone call, and I traveled to the dairy and acquired two "big white girls." Saanens are my favorite breed. Big, calm, softly talkative, and great production. Integrating these two lovely ladies (Pearl and Bug) into the herd has been a bit difficult.The roll includes Louise, age 14, her daughter Gypsy (10), Gypsy's daughter, Betsy (3), and Betsy's bucklings (one month). Add to that, the two Nubian orphan bottle kids, Sissie and Boo, now about five months old.

Goat update

I made the strategic error of joining a Texas Dairy Goats page on Facebook. A nice lady in Dripping Springs was liquidating her herd and had two orphan Nubians born in December. They were about two weeks old when I acquired them - bottle kids!!! Four times a day. Fun at first and then you remember WHY bottle kids are stressful.

Luckily, now in April, they are graduating to the adult pen during the day. Betsy, who is Louise's granddaughter, was bred to a Nubian buck and is due to kid the first week of May. Her X-ray shows at least two kids, but she is HUGE. As one of the Homesteading Today members says, she looks like she swallowed an ottoman.