Corydon Indiana - THE CREAM OF THE CROP SALE

We had not planned on attending the sale this year.  I got a call from a past buyer who lived in KY that wanted to purchase another load of our commercial does - I will say this always makes me feel good. I am sure it makes everyone feel good, but sometimes don't you wonder how your goats are doing when they leave your farm and if the buyers are happy with them. Sometimes you never hear from the buyer again.  Anyway we struck up a deal to deliver goats to the sale.

I was excited because I wanted to go back and take the kids to Corydon during Halloween for their big festival things going on around the square.

We arrived late, late Friday night - we had planned on leaving earlier, as we always do, but it didn't work out that way.  The 9 hr trip always takes a little longer when you have 4 kids in the truck - but we arrived!
The next morning we slept in a little (because of that dang time change - Cameron our oldest didn't think that Corydon wad far enough East to allow a time difference. I think I agree with him).

When we finally arrived at the sale Dr. Browning was just about to start his seminar.  I feel that his information is so useful and well done if that is all you went to see it would be a well worth trip.  We learned a few things and were reminded of a few others.  He also talked about the flood from last year and showed a lot of photos from it.  The goat industry is lucky to have TSU and the Brownings and all of the research for us to use for free.

Sale time rolled around and some how Cody and Cameron (our two oldest - were helping work the sale).  It is funny because Cody is NOT a goat person but he was more than willing to go do a paying job.

The prices were up and I bid on a few but they were to much out of my reality price range for me to justify me buying a goat.  We are not in need of any stock but there were a few that that I really wanted. :)  I was proud of myself for refraining and having control of myself.  Goat auctions, well almost any auction, it is hard for me not to go home with out at least ONE animal or item.

There was a lot of high quality stock and they buyers appreciated it.  From what I can see the high selling buck was consigned by Egypt Creek Ranch Lot #71 and sold for $2400 - he was by BBM Hanky Panky's Y266 and out of a daughter of BHF Onyx's Shadow...he was a pretty buck and just got off of the WIU performance test.
The high sellind doe was consigned by Goat Hill Kikos Lot #27 and sold for $2700 sire: Sunboy Stanton 149 (Nick) Dam was a daughter of TNT Cody
The high selling % was a 1/2 AKGA doe Consigned by Goat Hill Kikos Sire: GHK Nick's Copy and out of a commercial Spanish doe - she was bred to Wild Bill... she sold for $525

After the sale we took the kids to the square for some Halloween fun.  We were just an hr behind on the good trick or treating, most of the homes were out of candy after dark....so we ended up taking them to Wal-Mart to pick out a big bag of candy to make into one big pile of sugary goodness.

Work, work, work....

FINALLY we got the goats up again to check FAMACHA and worm who needed it and do a little weighing of the 2010 kids (I think we are off by a month, but better late than never right?).  

I had the great idea of using our two oldest boys as "ranch goat hands" since they were off for Labor Day.  Cody, the almost 13 year old, let me know that working goats was a horrible "vacation" day activity.  Cameron, 16, who owns some of the goats, decided to have a smile on his face (forced) since he owns some of the goats. 

We started at 9 a.m. (if you don't count me getting up at 6:30 a.m. to get them all in before they left the arena/goat catch pen area) and finished at around 5:00 p.m.  There was an hr and half break when I went to deliver the 5 commercial doelings I sold to a near by new goater.  Probably having a not too excited preteen who complained of a sore wrist from rock climbing slowed us down by and hr or two - BUT we did it, together.  

Now we have wormed the ones that need to be wormed and marked the ones that need to be culled - oh and weighed those remaining 2010 kids, late or not, they are weighed!   Now onto breeding plans.  

I pulled 5 does out to put in with the El Chido Quate  (Spanish buck) tomorrow.  I hope we get some nice bucklings for the forage test. (1) PB Kiko doe (3) PB black Spanish does from the Koy ranch and (1) Willingham Spanish doe.   I wanted to breed some AKGA NZ and PB does early too but I do not have the paperwork back on the two older bucks we purchased this year.  So until all the DNA checks out they will stay doeless.  I am sure it all will but the minute I start putting does with them, something won't be right.  I know how it goes for me sometimes in the luck part of the goat business...  

Until next time!

New Bucks!

Meet El Chido Cuate (The Cool Dude or The Cool Man)

I was just minding my own business and here came this buck and I just had to have him.  That seems to happen to me when it comes to nice goats.  We have another young buck (2010 model) coming from the Koy Ranch where we purchased all of our does from.  He will be arriving around the second week of Sept.

A few weeks back we decided to give Ron Polette a visit and returned with AVG'S Ozark Hot Shot.  His bloodlines are known for good parasite resistance. 

More to come.... :)

The Kiko Advantage

Our goats at work

Our spanish goats...

While we were at the AKGA National Convention I had some people ask me how our spanish goats were doing. Well, I really didn't know how many we had left out of the 52 we purchased. Between natural selection and  a few, we are sure, leaving the ranch there could have only been 15 left.  

Today we worked goats, all 245 of them (well except a few 2010 kids that did not come in or slipped through the fence) and 39 of them were spanish.  So if you ask me again I can tell you how many spanish goats we still have left and how they are doing, pretty good I would say.  AND they are still wild as ever when you get your hands on them.

 

A few of our spanish does as yearlings. 

AKGA National Convention and our herd....

We just returned from the AKGA National Convention last week. It was hot but the center had air conditioning which was great and worth every extra penny that was spent to have it. At one point I had to go buy a Wal-Mart special jacket because I was cold.

I didn't get to attend any of the classes for one reason or another but I did get to visit with many friends that I only see once a year during this convention.

The sale went well. There was not a market for the % goats this time around like in the past which was bit of a bummer since I had brought two. Still, their prices were better than at a regular sale barn. I just consider it part of my advertising campaign and let them go for what they went for. If you wan to see all the prices from the sale go to: http://www.hcrhorses.com/AKGAConvention.html

After we returned I finally got out and about and took SOME photos of goats we will be offering for sale and to update our website.  Still have a lot to go but it is a start.  I also need to get them all up and FAMACHA scores and start pulling hair and gathering information to register some 2010 babies....

Commercial doeling 

 Twin - FOR SALE

Commercial doeling

Twin

FOR SALE

Commercial Doeling

Twin

FOR SALE

Commercial Purebred Buckling

Single

FOR SALE

Commerical Buckling

3/4 Kiko 1/4 Spanish

Twin

FOR SALE

1/2 AKGA '09 Doe

FOR SALE

Purebred Buck out of Nicks Last Shadow

We will be test breeding some and then possibly will

be offered sale.

Little Update

It has been forever since I last posted it would seem.  Kidding season is  moving right along.  I think we are nearing the end soon.  I was able to get MOST of the goats up in their kidding pastures but some did not come in or they escaped.  For the does that did not get in a kidding pasture, their kids, who were born out on the 350 acres, do not have tags or weights.  Oh well such is life.....

This kid's dam was kind of an accident.  We had a Myotonic buck for some time.  We were brining goats to separate into breeding groups and the dam's dam jumped out into the Myotonic's pasture. So we just left her instead of trying to catch her again.  This kid then is 1/2 Kiko and his dam is boer/spanish x myotonic.

Sun!

The last few days have been heaven compared to the unusual wintery weather we have had. 45, then 50 and today 60 degrees. The kids (four legged - well and two) have really enjoyed this warmer weather. Here are a few photos of some of them. Enjoy!

7/8 Doe by BBM Sports Kat V872

(twin sister facing the other direction)

Purebred kids by Nicks Last Shadow

Purebred Doeling by BBM Sports Kat V872

Owned by Cameron

1/2 Kiko Doe with her 3/4 Kiko kids (doe & buck by BBM Sports Kat V872)

Purebred buckling by Nick's Last Shadow

A 3/4 Kiko Sky T42 Smore's daughter with one of her 7/8 doelings - the other one was the fancy

splash paint doe.

I love Smore daughters! She is a first time mom.

Purebred doeling by Terminex

Purebred Buckling by BBM Sports Kat V872

Kidding Update...

Sigh...

This 2010 kidding season has not been with out it's ups and downs. A doe would kid here and there and the weather was not too bad, all was going well. But when the weatherman announced that a BIG storm was coming we knew we were in trouble. Fortunatly we did not get the ice they thought we would , just 8 inches of snow - and it was cold cold at night.

To make a long story short we have 5 does in our garage all w/ twins except one that kidded triplets this morning plus three bottle babies.

At one point I thought, "Now why do we have goats again?" After a good nights rest, the next day I felt better and was ready to take on whatever happened.

Not that the garage is the most ideal place for our goats, it has a good viewing window from the kitchen. :) It is time for several of the mothers to go out w/ their kids today - Cody our second son said "Our garage smells like a goat show. " I can only imagine what our house is starting to smell like to people that come over who don't have animals or goats.

When it comes down to it, these guys are an investment and you do what you have to do... plus no one likes frozen little babies.

New photos will be coming soon after things start to get back to normal.

Slowly but surely...

Little by little we are getting kids. We have not had any big kidding storms...just a set of twins here and there. Boring we thought at first, but since the weather has turned bad on and off, this is a good plan.

Twin commerical kids - doe and buck

Marlin the wonder puppy! Helping me check kids.

(He is an English Bulldog and Heeler cross - strange I know)

Another commercial - buckling

A few photos of the first purebreds born - they are funny. I love how they stick together!

They are true sisters.

The first Purebreds born for 2010!

As we left for Branson today to do a few things I said, "That black doe is going to have kids today I bet." When we arrived home, there they were - two twin purebred doelings. One weighed 5 lbs the other 5.25lbs. One doe down and 20+ to go for January/February kidding!

Waiting Game

We are playing the waiting game, waiting for someone to kid during this nice weather spell. Don't they know it is the perfect time to "GO!"? There are a couple of does out there that look close. We will keep you posted....