Remember that AI tank?

[mygoat]

Remember I had an AI tank show up out of the blue and eventually found out it was a misunderstanding and a friend of mine had sent me an AI tank to replace one he THOUGHT he broke, but he hadn't... :P There's a post about it somewhere.

Anywho, I had AI babies born on Monday. I'm tickled with them. I ended up looking on line on the Tempo page and I think I want all those alpine bucks in an AI tank. However, usually I can only order from BioGenics because they have superb customer service and ship the semen when I can use it, so I could use it right out of the shipper that weekend then send it back (takes good planning, lol).

I ended up asking if I could buy the tank. Nice man still tried to give it to me. It was only 560.00! I couldn't believe it was so cheap! I'm sending him a check asap. He proved it to me by sending me the link where he bought it. Just in case anybody else is interested in a quality affordable tank. http://www.goodecattle.com/tanks.htm

Now I just need to try to be sane when buying semen. :P

(If you haven't guessed already, dad and I discussed and have agreed to try to keep the dairy goats around through my vet career. )

[Josie]

Thanks for the link. I'm bookmarking it for future use Congrats on keeping the goats.

[mygoat]

We'll see how well it goes keeping the herd. If I think my dad is sick of it, they'll be sold. He was actually the one to bring up keeping them, though. He says he'll miss them. Original plan was to make mine and his life easier when I went off to vet school and to sell them off... I told him I don't want to be home every weekend like I did for undergrad. School is only an hour away from home, but I never study when I'm home - I'm too antsy and there's always stuff to do outside, lol. I'll still be home every 2 weekends. He agrees if It's too much for one of us, we'll sell the goaties. It's amazing - he hated goats before I got them, now he enjoys them almost as much as I do. (Though I think he liked them since I got my first ones about 12 years ago, he wouldn't admit it until the past few years. :P). I love them too but I'm not going to lower my grades/study quality by keeping them if it comes to it! I've worked to hard and too long to squander any opportunities. However, I've been sucessful thus far raising animals while in school - they've been my source of ambition, and applying what I'm learning. I'm really good at being really busy, so that helps.

We'll be planning kidding season around spring break and summer break, like I've always done - I'm always in charge of kidding season. I'm getting him a milking machine to help with chores and small FF teats.

[trnubian]

The milking machine is a great idea! I bet he'll like that.

[mygoat]

I have a surge bucket/lid... need about everything else. Just asked on another thread about using a delaval lid with the belly milker.

[Frosted Mini's]

The guy from Perry's milkers sells rebuilt pumps by themselves. Might look into it. Partsdept has all kinds of milk machine parts and pieces and completed systems.

[LoneStrChic23]

Aww, this is great to hear you're going to try and keep the goats! Hope it works out for you

Agree with Nancy, call the guy at Perry's, tell him what ya have, and he might be able to help ya get the rest... I've heard nothing but good about him and the time I chatted with him, he was really nice and helpful

[Backfourty,MI.]

I'm so happy You guys have decided to keep the goats! He would miss them if you sold them all & so would you!
Maybe just don't breed & milk as many while your at school, alternate does' to freshen spring & late fall or something like that. Keeping your numbers down will be less work for your dad too.

[mygoat]

Yup, we never did have a big herd of dairies... And we sold the boer herd. We currently have 4 does. One just kidded, two more due in May, and one that may not be bred at all - but if she is, it'll be July when she kids. (not my idea, she kept cycling... ) We'll get rid of the doe if she isn't bred. We don't plan on having more than 2-4 does at a time. As for breeding, I hope to AI most/all of them for Spring Break kiddings, and throw a buck in with them with a marking harness for summer break kiddings to catch any does that didn't take.

We also have a boer doe who is bred, she'll kid in May, too. After she kids, she'll be butchered. Kids will be sold. I bred her because it was too cold to butcher her and heck if a goat is going to sit around and do nothing. She's the dumb one that won't stop chewing a hole in herself unless she has a goat coat on. We've actually had it off for a few days now. I'm certain she'll rip it back open eventually though. She has repeatedly done so in the past.

Other than that, we have one buck, 3 pet mini does, and a huge alpine wether.

And, 3 kids born on Monday. I'll probably keep the buckling and probably one of the doelings. The other doeling will be for sale.