Contributions to Herd: Dairyness, Upheadedness, Length of leg,
Wonderful
Strength of Will.
No daughters freshened yet, so we have to wait on production and attachment.
I am extremely impressed with the stamp he's putting on his kids in general
appearance - wide behind, good rib spread, upheadedness and openess throughout.
His daughters are all very similar. Now let's see how they milk. Shane will be
bred for 2010. I think the others may wait a bit longer.
This boy is stunning! He brings the strength of this Little John roots
to the dairiness of Jobi Fern. His first kids are on the ground and they are showing the
same refinement and correctness. Now, if those little girls will grow up milking
like their mothers and grandmothers! Stay tuned.
Dec. 2009 - Rebel died today. Actually, we had to put him down because he just wouldn't give up. He contracted Listeriosis a month ago, and though he recovered from that and two bouts with pneumonia, the brain damage was too severe. He could not chew or stand up, and though he remained a patient patient, and easy to work with during this whole time, we just couldn't let him go on the way he was. We'll miss you Rebel, but thank you for the wonderful gifts you have given us. We await your full siblings to be born this year. They have a
tough act to follow.
Why does Rebel have scurs?- A Story
Back when I was just getting started with goats, a wise old goatherd taught
me how to disbud. Those first kids I did never grew scurs, and have stayed clean headed these 13 years. However, it made me feel bad to put my goats through a disbudding, so when an another goatfarmer offered to do mine for me, I jumped at the chance.
Well, on the day of that disbudding, as is usual on farms, there was an "old timer," hanging around the farm, who whispered something to the goat herd who was doing us "the favor." I figured it was just a comment, and let the disbudding proceed.
The first kid went fine, and each kid after that. But the goat farmer felt that a second burn was in order, so he picked up the first one he'd done, and re-burned. That kid screamed, and then curled up and cried. The rest of the kids were done, without any incident, but that first kid kept on crying and did not rebound like the rest did. I asked the goat keeper if there was a problem. He assured me there was not.
I brought the kids home, and still that first one did not act right. I called the goatherd and asked if we might be looking at a complication. What could I do to help ease this kid's pain? He assured me that the kid was just a "wimp," and that he would be fine.
So, I sat in the barn and held that kid for hours, until he died.
Several days later, my husband ran into the old timer who had been visiting the farm. He old man asked Dave how the kids were doing. Dave told him about Domino's death.. The answer from the old man came,"I'm not surprised. Those were first kids that guy had ever done. I disbudded all the goats he's ever had at his place."
So, after that event, I let only vets do the disbudding, as my own judgment was "shot." But many of the "trained vets," made the procedure so arduous and drawn out, that the kids suffered from shock, and still grew scurs.
So now I disbud my own kids. I may not be perfect, but I'd rather deal with
scurs and re-burns, than with any more kids that suffer needlessly.
Just as a note: When disbudding I always use a cold compress kept in icewater. I keep banamine and willow leaves nearby, in case of a problem, and I always make my kids walk back to their mothers. If they can coordinate that journey, they are rewarded with warm milk, and I'm satisfied. Domino couldn't do that, but perhaps a little banamine, and truth, would have made that possible.
Rebel is beautiful with or without horns.We have trimmed them each a bit, but he'll never be in the ring. He's healthy, fertile and friendly, and a doll to work with
. That's what matters most to me. I hope you understand.
s
