Due to job loss we are selling our hobby farm in the city in Northern CA and moving to a community of homesteaders in the Berkshire mountains in Western Massachusetts which is beautiful and also affordable to us. We have 3 adorable Nigerian dwarfs (Honey, Clover & Buttercup). 2 are 4 years old (Honey & Clover). Honey has kidded twice, but does not give the greatest volume of milk (the most she has ever given in a milking is 2.5 cups), teats are grossly uneven and one has multiple holes. We have not yet managed to successfully breed Clover, although we keep trying (she does come from good milking lines). Buttercup is the daughter of Honey, is 2.5 years old and we have also not managed to successfully breed her. Their temprements are wonderful, they are our darlings.
In the community we are moving to there are others interested in sharing the milk and the labor with us, so goats will be in our future. Question: do we take our 3 goats? Or find them good homes and start over? How well do goats do being moved across country and from a mediterranean climate to a New England climate? Is there a chance we'll be more successful breeding once the goats move from their small urban 1/3 acre plot to a lush 168 acre valley? We love them dearly, but taking them across country might not be the best for them. Then there is the pragmatic versus the emotional part... Any input would be appreciated. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to go through the effort for us and stress for them to move them if 2 of the 3 will never be milkers and 1 is a so so milker....
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It would be great to meet you! I'll probably (hopefully) be moving to my new farm in late June and early July. That's a wonderful time of year here. Actually all of our seasons are wonderful in their own ways. Well, maybe not so much February. :) But between local goat keepers, and the many goat keepers on this forum who keep colds in cooler climates like ours, you'll have plenty of tips for keeping goats healthy through each of the seasons.
Judy H said:
Judy & Diane,
Thanks for the encouragement and the welcome! I'd like to connect with both of you after we move. If it is possible it would be great if hubby, daughter and I can visit each of your farms. That will probably be in late June or early July. We'll need to learn about goat keeping in the New England climate - been spoilt out here in CA....
Hi,
I'm so sorry to hear of your job loss, and the possibility that you will be waving goodbye to your goats soon. But I'd like to welcome you to the Northeast. I'm moving soon to a farm on the border of Southern Vermont, Eastern NY and Western Massachusetts (I'm in Upstate NY now), and I can tell you there are plenty of nice goat keepers here, as well as some very good goat clubs (I'm a member of both the Southern VT Dairy Goat and Eastern New York goat clubs). You will have many new friends and people happy to help you get a new herd started. I hope you'll get in touch when you arrive so we can make you welcome. And maybe try to sell you some goats!
I think you'll also find ALOT of great milking does in Massachusetts. Hey!! I have 2 doelings from a FF who kidded easily, excellent mother and lovely udder. The mom's mom is a superb milker but I can't yet tell you anything about this one as I'm not milking her until the kids are older (they are 2 weeks).
But they'd love to be bought by you! They'd be available in later July which might work perfectly for you. I'm not that far from Berkshires.
Judy (www.capradiemndg.com)
That is hard, but I think you and your new community will be so much less likely to face major discouragement if the goats that you get have the quality you want. You're so much more likely to get a return on all that work. I'll pray you find them some awesome new homes for pampered pets! :)
Thanks Julia and Rachel. You are both right and have helped me focus my thoughts. As hard as it is to say goodbye to my sweet fury friends, they have not been (and it is unlikely ever will be) the milkers we and our new community are looking for. So yes we would be hauling 3 "pets" across country and then trying to care for them as we build and then come fall deal with the winter (remember we are wimpy Californians!). Yes, it will be epic. I think the reality is that I am just struggling to acknowledge all this! Thanks for the input.
Rachel made some good points. It sounds to me like you are looking for someone to tell you it's okay to leave your beloved little herd behind and start over and that's something you will have to decide for yourselves. Based on everything you said, if it were me, I'd probably find them good homes and start over. This move will be epic enough without worrying about them too. Good luck with your new adventure!
I know of people who have moved goats across country (one breeder I follow on facebook recently moved from Texas to Oregon with quite a large herd), so I would say it could definitely be done. But the question I think you should ask now is if these goats are ones you want to be in your herd? I personally wouldn't want to breed or keep offspring from a doe with multiple orifices, especially if she isn't producing enough to make up for the flaw. So the two questions I would base my decision on are 1) Do these does fit your ultimate goals? and 2) Are you so attached that you'd want them as pets even if they don't fit your goals and will be "useless" in that sense? I have a couple of does who I will never sell, even though they aren't the best fit for my goals, just because I'm so attached.