I am pretty selective when it comes to allowing a buck kid on my farm to stay a buck kid. By far, most of my male goat offspring each year are wethered and become happy, healthy market animals or pets. The castration method I currently utilize, and have been utilizing for decades with much success, […]
This year we are going to upsize our pig pen and take on a few additional animals to accommodate fair projects for the kids, as well as one for our freezer. This meant building an additional pig feeder, which you can find the link to instructions for that here. It also meant we needed an
Sure, bottle feeding a baby goat is fun. There is nothing more adorable or rewarding than watching a bottle baby’s tail wag while you fill his belly with milk, but there are reasons why I prefer that the kids on my farm be dam-raised. I raise Boers and Nubians and have a herd numbering between
A while back, I wrote an article highlighting all of the reasons that I prefer to let my goats grow and keep their horns naturally. That is still true, and you can click here to find out why. There are, however, kids that we choose to disbud every year to meet show specifications. On our
On our farm in southwestern Michigan, kidding season kicks off in less than three weeks. Due to having one of the earliest county fairs, we kid in February so our wethers are market ready. This year we have 13 confirmed pregnant does, so it is time to make sure we have plenty of supplies on
I show and barrel race my senior horse, Ranger. He is 19-years-old and will be 20 in two months. Over the summer, I take him to multiple speed shows to race, and he does great. But every senior horse has those days when they are tired and stiff. Here are some things to help keep
6 Ways to Get Top Performance From Your Senior Horse Read More »
I raise Boer and Nubian goats. Some of them have horns and some do not. There are definite pros and cons to keeping horned goats. Here, I will make a case for foregoing disbudding or dehorning and letting your goats keep their crowns of glory. Read on, and decide for yourself what is best for
So, you’ve signed up for your first speed show? I bet you’re SO excited. I was too. I couldn’t wait to go racing around those barrels on my best friend. But first, here are some things to remember. 1. Listen to your horse You should not ride if your horse is not feeling well. Before
So, you want a horse, huh? And you can’t decide whether to get a gelding or mare? Well, I have the answer. GET A GELDING!!! 1. Geldings have better attitudes Mares are sassy. Mares tend to make a mean face whenever you touch them. Geldings won’t do this! Mares also like to pretend like they
You don’t need a veterinary degree to pull blood on your goats. With a review of anatomy, a helping hand, and some practice, this annual task can be pretty quick and easy! A blood sample is often required for herd biosecurity testing for diseases such as CAE, CL, Johnes, and Q-Fever. A blood sample can