Reshaping (and shrinking) the herd

TroutRiver · #1 03/28/12, 06:17 PM

In the last 48 hours 6 goats have left my herd, with one more leaving on Saturday, and another being sold in the coming weeks. My wether and buck are on their way to the freezer, I sold my 2 open yearlings and my boer/nubian with her doeling.

I found myself stuffing the hay hopper as full as I could this morning, only to find it still mostly full at noon (when I usually go out to refill it)

My plan is to keep Mama Red and her 3 week old twins, and buy one more milker, and that will be it for now, until I have more time and better facilities. There is a goat dairy near me that is going out of business and selling their whole herd of registered alpines. I had a lovely conversation with the owner last night, and I'll be going over there tomorrow afternoon and possibly coming home with a doe in milk.

I have to say, I am SO relieved to not be feeding so many non-milking goats. I am excited to be able to do a really great job with just 2 milkers, instead of trying to make ends meet and scrambling to care for 12, when only 1 was giving me milk

.... funny how we can put ourselves in these situations

BTW, I swear I'm not addicted

prairiedog · #2 03/28/12, 06:44 PM

We decided to keep our herd small so that we can give the best care possible too.

Oat Bucket Farm · #3 03/28/12, 06:46 PM

Yep. sometimes you have to decide exactly what you want out of your herd and reduce and reshape to get it.

Natural Beauty Farm · #4 03/28/12, 06:52 PM

Yup I'm cutting back next year I swear............. awww I gotta keep the one with starry spots though, and the one that looks like a cow, and the one that is sooo sweet, and, and ,and....... well definitely cutting back in 2014

The Hard Way · #5 03/28/12, 07:23 PM

Trout, I'm new to this blog and blogging too for that matter (although I' ve read a boatload), and I was curious about your buck and whether going to the freezer, specifically the buck. We raise boer and boer nuby cross for about 5 yrs, never milked(kids bugging to try), only for meat and sell the rest for meat. I have always been told (even by people from countries that eat a lot of goat) by anyone that I consider knowledgeable that you only eat the does and the whethers, and that the bucks taste bad. Have I been misinformed, or is there some secret? Do you castrate and feed them out before butchering? I would like to know, I have 2 bucks right now that have both bred a couple of times. I am planning on buying a new buck and getting rid of the 2. I was planning on hauling them to auction, but if they are good table fare somehow, I'd just as soon eat them(as long as the meat is tasty and does not smell).

The Tin Mom · #6 03/28/12, 07:33 PM

I am getting ready to post a similar thread. Seven is just too many for us to milk, my main helper is starting college classes next fall, and we just can't afford to keep dry girls as pets, no matter how much we love them- we are getting stretched too thin and they aren't getting the attention they need.

chewie · #7 03/28/12, 08:07 PM

I was heartbroke last year to sell my snubian, usually when I sell its more like culling. but her, she was a super goat in every way a milker could be. but I just couldn't do it all, and the morning that I finally said 'enough, something's gotta give', I got a call from a nice family needing a milker. she was gone the next day.

I sold one other one and kept no kids. and this year, kidding out a grand total of 3, with the retired doe and the wether, its a group that isn't crowded in the barn, easily managed and fed. its still probably one more milker than necessary, but at this number, I don't feel like staying in bed instead of doing chores.

too many took the fun out of it, which is half the reason i do this, and I couldn't keep up with stuff, nor pay for what was needed. cutting back by 2 does and all the kids last year meant the fun returned, and I can keep up with the care that's best for the ones I've kept.

hubs seen the kids today saying, hey, that one would be good to milk (due to her breeding) yes, maybe, but not here. I'll keep no kids, and the does I have now are young, healthy, easy to manage and way easy to get tons of milk from.

Natural Beauty Farm · #8 03/28/12, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Hard Way

I have always been told (even by people from countries that eat a lot of goat) by anyone that I consider knowledgeable that you only eat the does and the whethers, and that the bucks taste bad. Have I been misinformed, or is there some secret?

No smell, no bad taste,most people from other countries prefer bucks over wethers.

They just have to be calm when the deed is done. Move them a few days before into a pen with a neighbor, walk out early in the morning, do it calmly and make sure you clean and cool the meat in 30 min or less.

Bucks are only bucky when the have been run, scared, and then the meat sits for a few hours before its gutted and cooled down. No different than with wild game. We process all our extra bucks here and never had a complaint, visitors are really impressed with the meat.

TroutRiver · #9 03/29/12, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Hard Way

Trout, I'm new to this blog and blogging too for that matter (although I' ve read a boatload), and I was curious about your buck and whether going to the freezer, specifically the buck. We raise boer and boer nuby cross for about 5 yrs, never milked(kids bugging to try), only for meat and sell the rest for meat. I have always been told (even by people from countries that eat a lot of goat) by anyone that I consider knowledgeable that you only eat the does and the whethers, and that the bucks taste bad. Have I been misinformed, or is there some secret? Do you castrate and feed them out before butchering? I would like to know, I have 2 bucks right now that have both bred a couple of times. I am planning on buying a new buck and getting rid of the 2. I was planning on hauling them to auction, but if they are good table fare somehow, I'd just as soon eat them(as long as the meat is tasty and does not smell).

Butcher them in the spring or early-mid summer, NOT during the breeding season. I butchered a buck last October... big mistake. The meat tasted exactly like he smelled... Also if you are doing it yourself and not sending him away to a butcher/slaughterhouse, make sure you are VERY clean when separating the hide from the meat. If the meat is contaminated by a stinky hide, it will not taste good.

Alice In TX/MO · #10 03/29/12, 08:38 AM

Some water with a good shot of Bourbon in it doesn't hurt either. For the goat, not the processor.

Blue Run Farm · #11 03/29/12, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Some water with a good shot of Bourbon in it doesn't hurt either. For the goat, not the processor.

Gee Alice, you had me all excited there for a second. We have to process our wether from last year soon and a shot of bourbon seemed like a nice bonus to make the process more enjoyable, lol.

dbarjacres · #12 03/29/12, 10:10 AM

Glad you're happy with the route your herd is taking. It's always nice to feel relief with any kind of stock/farm chore.

I want to keep my herd small too and have always had under 12 (Nigerians mostly). I had to sell out in 2010 and started rebuilding in 2011. I like the size my herd is now with 6 does and 1 buck, but I'm breeding for breeding stock mostly, not just milk, and found out I need to get my numbers back up there. Then I decided to breed quality mini manchas and only keep a few Nigerians, so that's adding more. Oh well, keeps me outside and out of the cookie jar! lol My goal is still to be under 16 tho, except in spring when the goat population explodes.

The Hard Way · #13 03/29/12, 10:30 AM

We do all our own butchering, and we have a cooler night (49 degrees) coming next week. The bucks are seperated and not bucky at all right now. I'm gonna give it a shot. It would be better payback for me than the auction. Thanks for the information. I will certainly try the bourbon and water. Maybe the goats will share.

TroutRiver · #14 03/29/12, 11:02 AM

I'm confused about the shot of bourbon... you give it to the goat before slaughter?

When I was living on a vineyard last year, it was tradition to drink a glass of homemade wine during butchering... I think it helped