Growing Boys

An update on the cuties! They are getting big! I've got their rain cover/shelter area completed. I get to pick them up in the middle of March.
Harriet should kid at the end of this month, and because I didn't plan things very well... her due date happens to be on the day that Ian goes to state. lol Thankfully, I think I have a goat sitter that will be able to supervise.
Milton:

Cal

Thanks to Holly, from Myrtle Myst Farm for the photos!!
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Urban Farm Handbook Challenge!

I just found out about the Urban Farm Handbook's challenge today, and I'm jumping in!! (you can click the image above to see what it's all about, and view the schedule, or click the image in my sidebar to see all the posts related to this challenge at Sustainable Eats) I just bought their book too. I've been wanting to for a while now...
February is soil month.
I've shared my composting system before...
but I'd also like to use my animal manure to fertilize my garden. I even have an area for spent hay to go until the chickens scratch through it, and eat up all the hay seed. Their scratching also breaks down the hay and creates an AMAZING mulch that I use on my garden. I posted about it HERE.
I also blogged about getting rabbits to supplement my soil.
The difference in just one year from natural soil improvement has been nothing short of amazing.
So are you up for a challenge? You don't have to have a farm to join... The folks hosting the challenge raise their food in the city. You can too! Get started!
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Bucklings.

When I first got goats, I had no intentions of ever owning a buck, because my breeder has more than one, and they are unrelated to my does. She would like me bring my does to breed to her. Since that time, I've been TRYING to get my does settled for nearly a year now. It's not working. I'm not catching them in the prime of their heat cycles, and it's just not taking. I know it's not the bucks, because they have been busy siring plenty of babies with other does. lol
SO.
I've been considering owning my own buck. I finally decided to do it, and since goats are herd animals, and should be kept with at least one other goat, I figured it was probably smart of me to get a companion for my buck. That means a wether (a castrated male) or another buck. I didn't figure it made much sense to buy one buck, and then keep him with a goat that was really only good for eating up food.
SO.
I'm getting two bucks.
I went out to Holly's farm this week and chose the two I'm taking.
This is Milton

This is Cal. I'm trying to decide if I'm keeping his name... I'd like to keep a C name... Maybe choose a longer version of Cal for his official name...

I'll be bringing them both home in about 6 weeks. :)
It took me forever to figure out what to do for bucks...
I wanted to be sure to get bucks that would provide me with as many breeding options as I could have... Here's what I figured out.
My breeder has three bucks.

1. Mr. Stinky
2. Captain
3. Rocky
   

One of my does (Ginger) is not related to ANY of those bucks.
Two of my does (Lucy and Harriet) are daughters of Mr. Stinky.

My plan is to buy bucks from Captain and Rocky from breedings with does that are not related to my does. (there are about 2-3 does that I can buy from at my breeder's farm)
I plan to keep doelings from Harriet and Lucy when they are bred directly with Captain. (Harriet should be kidding with Captain's babies soon, and I plan to breed Lucy to Captain this year when she is a year old.)

With those breedings I will have the following options to breed:

Captain's Offspring (Cal):
Ginger
Harriet
Lucy
Doelings from Ginger's most recent breeding to Mr. Stinky (if she has them)
Any doelings from any of the above does bred with Milton.

Rocky's Offspring (Milton):
Ginger
Harriet
Lucy
Doelings from Ginger's most recent breeding to Mr. Stinky (if she has them)
Any doelings from any of the above does bred with Cal
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