Sterotyping Pygmies

"I don't want a Pygmy because they will have kidding complications."

"I don't like Pygmies because they always have kidding problems."

"I could never own a Pygmy, especially since they never produce alot of milk!"

ALL of the above can be true. But mostly are generally NOT true. Most Pygmy Goats do NOT have troubles kidding if they are vaccinated and fed correctly throughout pregnancy. They generally do not have more problems than other breeds. But you must take very good care of the does during pregnancy. No more than 1 cup of grain a day, and no less than 1/4 of a cup. I generally like to give mine about 1/2 to 3/4 to ensure nice sized kids. Not to big to get stuck and not to small to be stillborn.

And the comment on production is falicious also. Pygmy Goats CAN produce alot of milk. Some do not. It is not the breed, it is the idividual goat.

It is also common knowledge that FULL blooded Pygmies can not be solid white, have blue eyes, or be naturally disbudded.

If anyone has any questions, contact me.
Otherwise, best of luck in finding you "perfect" pygmy.

Now for the good news!

Now for the good news! I am actually in a pretty good mood. For the most part...

Well, where should I begin? I will start with my personal favorite news. Which is hard, as I like all the news I have to share. Mhm, okay. :) I've made up my mind which will be shared first.

My new goats! I will be getting the following goats THIS Saturday! ROAD TRIP!
First we are heading down to Dry Run Aces to get Reserve Grand Champion Beech Creek Elite John Henry! Henry is a really handsome buck and he's JUST what I want! I am soo excited to get him home! :)

Then we will be stopping buy the remainder of Shiloh Hill's goats which includes some really impressive bloodlines:
Top Renegade Ranch Mary Lou (Medium Caramel Doe)
Springwater Farms Miss Karina (Medium Grey Doe)
Dry Run Acres Dexter (Dark Grey Agouti Wether)
Then there is Dooley a Swiss Marked, Unregistered, Nigerian Dwarf Wether!!!

So, this saturday will be a real long day for me! Thankfully my dad is willing to haul me around to get all these goats! Watch out Southern Ohio! Tara's Rowdy Kids will soon be coming to a town near YOU! Coming soon! LOL!

And Sparkle and Isabella have a really nice start to their udders! Josie is just confusing! I may have written down the wrong date. Could of been Oct 12 or 13. So I Josie still has a chance to give me George babies! Sparkle is bred to George and Isabella to Mo. Their legacy in my herd continues. :) It really is bittersweet, but I am glad to see their legacy continue on in my herd.

Well, that should be about it. Looking forward to getting John here to breed to a few of my girls. :)

Wish us luck on our cross state adventure! Heehee! The perks of being an only child!

Have a good night all and a HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY!!!!
Tara

Starting all over - Deja Vu

You know....It's kind of funny. Not like the "Haha" funny but more like an unexpected, ironic funny.

I finally had my herd just the way I wanted it. Perfect to my liking, in my opinion. When everything suddenly seems to go wrong. First we loose George. That was just totally unexpected...I didn't see it coming. One day he was fine, the next morning he was dying.

For those of you who have never lost an animal, or one you've grown attached to, it's heartbreaking. Especially watching George. My sweet, stubborn, pain in the rear George. We tried everything we could. He wasn't bloated...He had no reason to go down. Up to date on wormings, Bo-Se, CD/T, everything. I can't even put it into words how much it killed me to see him just laying there. Leaving me. And once a goat decides to die, you can never change their minds. We have a Vet on their way out...A futile effort in the end. That one killed me, that loss. George was my boy and no one has no idea how much it HURTS. My animals are part of my life, an irreplaceable part of my heart...Leaving another place blank when they left. A place that their memory can only occupy.

Might as well hit me well I'm down.

Mordecai bloated. Vet came out, fixed him up and he was doing FABULOUS for about...6 days when I could instantly tell he wasn't himself. Got him up to our vet, who treated him for pneumonia immediately. They called that night saying he was doing great and we would be able to pick him up the next morning. I went to bed with a light heart and in a wonderful mood. My boy would be okay! Then again strikes deja vu. The Vet calls in the morning saying he was down and wouldn't get up. They gave him IVs, the whole nine yards I am told but in the end, once more, the effort was futile. The Vets wanted an autopsy done, which, of course, we went ahead with. Sure enough...pneumonia of the lung.

That loss hurt just as much.

Why, I ask myself everyday, why do I have to suffer? I take care of my animals health wise and I love them. There are PLENTY of people in this world that abuse their animals or don't feed them. Just this year 30 horses were seized from a woman that didn't take care of them and a good handful of dogs seized from a small puppy mill. The problem? Why am I the one to loose my animals? I give them everything they need plus some. They could have no better home. Whereas there are plenty of people out the who do not take care of their animals and they never loose an animal. How is that fair? I'd never wish for an animal to die. Never, but why am I the one to suffer? I just don't get it.

Anyway, it feels like I am starting all over now. Starting with getting a new buck and new does this weekend, and I will be bringing in a new brown buck and a new caramel buck the near future and then I will be done. Given no more unexpected deaths.

Sorry, not in the best of moods and felt like I had to explain what happened to my much loved boys. It just kills me every time I think about them. And I feel so guilty. I am lucky to have their offspring and genetics alive in my herd. Rest in piece my boys...

New Goats! *Hopefully!*

Looks like I'll be getting 2 new registered does on Saturday and 2 wethers along with them! And hopefully a RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BUCK as well!!!!!! :) More info and pictures will come as I verify. I am super excited!

Wish me luck and cross your fingers that all will work out! I sure hope it does!

Tara