Well, its coming up to the time of breeding for the girls. We like to breed the girls in December so that they kid in May when I come home for the summer. So its part of the fun to find the perfect Buck for our girls.
But fun has turned to a mild frustration this year. Its been hard to find Alpines in our area, especially with our limitations as to cost and ADGA registered. I'm considering turning criminal just to find a buck with ADGA papers who can get our girl Lissa to drop a doe or three. Oi. We have a few potentials for her, but I think we're going to go with the Reynolds buck, an Alpine they are leasing from Doe Haven. Lissa has some Doe Haven in her, but she's not related to the buck thats going down. But I haven't even seen him! On the goat forum I'm on, everyone is talking about bucks and does and kids and milk and its driving me insane! If I had the money and space (and wasn't away at college the majority of the year) I would buy any goat that needed a home. Its hard to resist the beautiful girls and boys that people have. And hard to wait to see what my not-even-bred-yet does kid in the spring.
Another toughy about bucks is my problem of Rosie and Pheobe, our dwarf goats. (btw, would you spell it dwarFS or dwarVES??) Rosie is registered with NMGA (at least will be when the papers finally come in officially in the mail) and has an "certificate of Identification" from ADGA (same story as above). So I want to breed her to a registered buck. Problem? I'm not planning on keeping any of her babies. So why so much effort? I guess so that I can sell her babies for more since they'll be registered. But who knows really?? As for Pheobe, her kids would be pure profit; no de-budding, no castration, no nothing unless it gets built into the cost. I think Pheobe throws cutie pie kids and is a good mother. Plus she's so young she'd be a waste just to have around (I also feel like she'd get excluded if everyone but her had kids). I want to breed her to a cheap buck (if I have to pay at all) maybe even a pygmy! But I can't seem to find one ANYWHERE!! >.< I have to tell myself repeatedly, we are Alpine breeders. Pheobe and Rosie are our ONLY exceptions, and are just here for love and company (best. investment. ever. :D)
I keep telling my parents that I want one buck of each. Yes they are smelly, but from what I am reading they are super sweet and lovey if you handle them right. I could even show them if I got ones with papers. And every few kiddings I could trade them out for fresh faces, AND NEVER AGAIN WOULD I HAVE TO SPEND MONTHS SEARCHING FOR JUST THE RIGHT BUCK!!!
Still, we are planning on expanding our herd, at least in female numbers. Lissa hasn't thrown us a single girl, and the only girl born on the farm other than Rosie was Vittoria from Amara's only kidding. But we sold her thinking we could just get another that could be registered purebred. NOPE. Nada. Ziltch. Nothing.
When we finally do get a doe out of Lissa (and I'm hoping she'll have twin or triplet does next!) I want to build another small barn and box in our milking station. I may separate by breed at night, so I could make a small shed like barn for Pheobe and Rosie. Wouldn't be too much effort but would free up a stall in the original barn. Then maybe we could expand that one if we wanted more Alpines . . . . So many plans, so little construction ability.
As for the boxing in our milking station, when we get more Alpines I want to become certified to sell the milk so that we can really start raking in the dough. Its hard to find time to make goat milk products, especially in-edible ones we can sell without a license. My mom doesn't have the time and I don't have the patience. So building a functional milking shed with separate sink, pots, and fridge, would be excellent. Though of course then we'd have to get some sort of milker, since my mom has arthritis and i have tendonitis.. . . .
Another issue that I sense looming is me. I'm growing up! Already I'm 20, and going to be a Junior in college! Both my older brothers have moved out, so I feel like I should be too. I think I'll move out my Senior year, which means is it even fair to begin expanding like this? Or should I bank on the hope that I can lease out a huge house with a bunch of friends that has property I can keep the goats on?
The future is so foggy. I can't wait to see where it'll go but at the same time I like how things are now. If things stay the same, I can do all these plans. . . but if not. . . . :/
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