We’re trying a new product this year! This product is to ensure our pregnant does have a constant rich energy supply during their last 8 weeks of gestation.

The Kent/Blue Seal product called EnergiLass is a hard molasses/protein/vitamin/mineral substance. It does NOT have added salt as an inhibitor so they can lick as much as they need. I just put it out a week ago and have noticed (watching the camera a lot) that, so far, only two of the goats are spending a lot of time licking it (Ashara & Tzuriel).

NOTE that we also feed grain twice daily (1.0 lb each) and they have orchard grass at night in each of their stalls and Sericea Lespedeza round-bale in the pasture during the day. They also have loose minerals, kelp, and copper sulfate free choice. We will slowly increase their grain ration during the last 4 weeks of gestation up to 2-3 lbs each depending on how large their baby belly grows (indicative of multiple kids). In the last 2-3 weeks of gestation, we will also be adding alfalfa pellets to their diet for additional calcium.

Read the entire AWESOME article —–> Goat Pasture Management

PARASITE RESISTANCE Is here!! Please take steps now to slow the resistance cycle! Non-chemical control methods must be included!

We currently are utilizing a few of the methods:

• Dry-lot (no grazing, only forest area)
• smart drenching – only drenching goats with high worm loads utilizing McMaster FEC (fecal egg counts)
• rotating pastures for parasite control

NOTE: Pasture Rotation is NOT the same as “Rotating Pastures for Parasite Control”.

Pasture Rotation – getting the most consumption/better forage growth from the land by rotating pastures every 1-7 days and allowing each section to rest/grow for 30 days before allowing grazing back onto the land. This will actually increase internal parasite loads!! Except in the most arid or cold states, at only 30 days, the larvae are primed and ready to be ingested and start their long life cycle inside your goat.

Rotating Pastures for Parasite control – This is rotating pastures leaving it fallow for 8-12 months thereby allowing all internal parasite eggs/larvae to die off before allowing the same species back onto the land.

We do not have enough pasture to rotate for ‘parasite control’ nor do we have cows or horses to rotate behind the goats to ‘vacuum’; so instead we ‘dry lot’ our goats. They are fenced in approximately 1.5 acres of woods and fed hay off the ground year round. We began the dry lot method in 2017 when their internal parasite load was high and becoming difficult to manage (numbers bounced back a month after deworming). Removing their access to the pasture has helped tremendously to break the life-cycle of the worms and we can now manage them more easily. We check their fecals and only deworm if needed. A follow up fecal is also done to ensure that specific dewormer was still effective.

UPDATE: We had a great time at the annual Son Of A Buck show in Amelia, Virginia. It was a single day show with an impressive FIVE RINGS! We are extremely proud of Hiro winning a Grand Champion and also a Reserve Grand Champion!! <3

Three days and counting until we drive up to Amelia, Virginia for the annual Son of a Buck Show. This year it will be a FIVE RING show all in one day! This is great because we can show out of our trailer which reduces the bio-security issues a lot.

We currently only have one yearling buck (MLRT Hiro) so it should be a relaxing day ….but very stinky! He is in full rut and has already lost over 25 pounds. He now eats very little and spends his days pacing the fence while hollering for the ladies.

We purchased this scale back in March 2019. This is a VERY high quality unit with a metal frame, stainless steel top and rubber mat. I am extremely pleased with the quality and ease of use. This makes weighing the goats so easy and very accurate!

It runs off of 2 AA batteries and can also be plugged in. It weighs animals up to 660 pounds and is 43″ x 20″. So far, we are still using the same batteries it came with. I weigh all goats once a month and LOVE this scale! Even our largest bucks fit on it easily. <3 <3

We rarely purchase outside does but this little girl was available and we are thrilled to add her genetics to our herd. Thank you Wingn’ It Farms for entrusting her to us!!

We also have deposits on TWO bucklings from two other herds for next spring!! We will post more on those when the time comes. Fun! Fun!!

Wings & Caprine “Hetty” has very strong dairy character and an excellent pedigree! We are hoping she matures well enough this summer/fall to freshen as a yearling next spring. She will need to meet our 85-90 lb minimum prior to our breeding cut-off date of November 30th or be a dry-yearling next year. (This dead-line helps us to keep on track and prevents us from having does to freshen after April.) She was 41 lbs when we took ownership of her on June 1st and she should gain fast and steady over the next 4-5 months.