OKAY.. One last purchase was made thanks to Julia Johnson of roomfor1more.. Thanks Julia!! Java Chip is doing great! I truely appreciate purchasing a buckling that has been raised to be social.. What a difference integrating them into the herd!
I now feel I have a great variety of bloodlines, enough bucks (3), does (4), and wethers (2) to get going on my dairy farm! I've been tackling hooves still (finding a good method is a pain the butt.. but no blood yet.. lol.. whew!!) and am getting used to taking two walks instead of one.
I have also taken a step that I thought I never would.. I collared my goats.. Queen Pumpkin has taken obstanance to the extreme.. As my herd grew, she was more interested in leading the does wherever SHE thought they would like to go.. The collars work out great and I think she feels pretty with it on! I found that a gentle guide by the collar and a push on her butt makes for a very cooperative goat.
I'm still very confused on this breeding situation.. Kiko, one of my wethers, is my heat indicator for the does.. Whenever I let him in with the does, he still goes for Kao, my FF doe.. Kao shows all the signs of settling (she had the discharge, dating situations, etc.), but I'm still not sure if it was discharge from being in heat or leftovers from the dating.. At the moment, her back end is swollen, but not wet.. Is this a dry heat or a sign of pregnacy? It's been 20 days since her last heat, so I don't know.. I also only have bucklings.. I know their sperm count can be low at a young age (youngest ones are 4 months old, new buckling is 6 months old, but isn't in rut as much as one of my 4 month olds).. So, my plan of attack is to wait and see if Kao looks like she's ready to pound through the fence to get to the bucks before I do any more dates.
Another thing to get used to.. Rut.. How do I teach my boys that maybe a little Old Spice would be a more appealing cologne for the ladies??
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