After reviewing other web sites and blogs, we decided to experiment - a “diary” of
what we do on our farm each month. “Calendar” did not seem a good word to use.
October 11, 2011: The rains have arrived. 3 days of steady downpour and more coming.
All the nice long cashmere the younger goats grew during the cold spell is now coming
out. A whole lot of combing is needed to take it off in case they grow more. 2
done and 6 more to do. A good lesson this weekend about sticking to a stated policy.
Our web site states that we will not ship after October 1st. We were lazy and left
up a yearling buck for sale and received an out of state inquiry who wanted to ship
in the middle of winter and the holiday season. The welfare of the goat and adapting
to a much colder climate not even a concern to the buyer. The answer was “no” and
we will not accept one sentence inquiries in the future.
October 21, 2011: Another reason to be firm and stick to our policies. An inquiry
for the best reds we have to be kept as “non-breeding” and strictly for fiber. No
one reads the web site fully or they would know our answer. The ladies will be freed
from the breeding pens if the rain eases. Time to get away from the bucks who have
gotten chubby eating everything. This weekend will be the start of foot trimming
and treating all the herd with Copper-Tox to give some protection from the wet and
mud. It helps harden the hooves. It must be done with gloves and lots of air flow.
Messy and you risk a permanent green stain on your clothes but necessary. Foot
problems are the norm in winter but you can prevent a lot of problems by regularly
checking of the feet when you catch up the goat for brushing of the fiber. If the
fiber get wet, then you have to brush out the tangles and fluff it up for body warmth.
The result: an easy harvest in the Spring, not dreadlocks. More work but worth
the effort. The grass is green again but not growing very high. The big leaves
on the Empress trees down by the barn are dropping. The goats love them and eat
any that fall in their pens. Pine branches and wild hazel nuts are favorites too.
