kidding season arrives

On Monday, March 31, 2014, our nigerian dwarf doe "Lily" gave birth to four healthy bucklings.  I was with her as she kidded, though she did not need any help from me this time.  She pushed all four babies out in just seven minutes and was standing up to greet and feed them as soon as she was done.  

These boys are the first born on our farm and will carry our herd name.  They all weighed in above three pounds at birth.  

Hello Tigger!  

We are in the ADGA Performance Plus Program this year which means we are participating in milk test, we are having the whole herd linear appraised, and we are proofing DNA for our herd leaders.  Show season is just around the corner too.  This summer is going to be really exciting, and a big learning experience for us.

We need to settle on names this week and get these boys registered so they'll be ready for all these adventures.

Sweet Dreams

Our FIRST Farm Visit from the Vet

Last week we had our first on site farm visit from our new veterinarian.  It was a real learning experience.

My does had sonograms.  Lily is ripe, carrying atleast two babies.  I got to see their little fast pounding heartbeats on the sonogram screen.  That was so cool.

The whole herd had physicals and had their annual lab tests and fecals.

Our Vet called me back yesterday to share the great news.  The herd's fecals were clean.  All CAE and CL test results were negative as well.

The best part for me, the new goat herd owner, was having the vet tell me that she loved our goat house and yard.  It was the cleanest she's seen, and my herd have excellent body conditioning.  Even with Miss Lily pregnant she still looks great.  Thanks to those great Joyful Hearts/Rosasharn genetics.

They came to me starting in April of last year from healthy, established herds, and it feels good knowing that my hard work is keeping them healthy.

Moving Day on the Farm

The goats and I have been waiting patiently for several months for this very special day at Tres Rios Farm. They moved in to the new Goat House yesterday.

We've still got a few kinks to work out in the arrangement of stalls, who goes where, how to set up what- where, but I can say that everyone is resting well and enjoying their new larger, warmer, more secure home tonight.

Jerry and I also made great progress today in the yard.  We disassembled the old goat yard and began tilling and scraping the new goat pasture area.  We ordered a few bags of pasture seed mix for small ruminants and are prepping the soil on about an acre of relatively flat hillside for our new goat pasture.

We've got big plans for our little farm this year. We joined the ADGA Performance Plus Program for the first time.  I got my tester certification card this week, and am preparing for our first year on milk test.  Our veterinarian will be making a farm call next week for routine physicals, sonograms on our two pregnant does, and annual herd testing.  Things are sure going to be exciting around here for a while, and then begins SHOW season... Oh, and BABY WATCH is just around the corner!!!

Have a HAPPY week friends.  

FARMGIRL PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT NOW!!!

That's right!  All day today I am posting clues hourly.  PRIZES every hour!  

All you need to do is HOP on over and JOIN the group if you haven't yet had a chance, and SHARE your favorite photos that match our clues.  What could be simpler than that?  

Whatcha waiting for?  Hope to see ya there!  HERE'S THE LINK!

Wow. That's Moving FAST.

The GOAT BARN continues to take shape

 thanks to my boys

when finished, it will be home to my little herd 

 My boys have managed to construct most of this barn from recycled construction materials found here at the farm

Everything but the nails, roof boards, and exterior plywood siding on the back are re-purposed.  The siding on front and the two sides is re-purposed fencing from the back yard.

If the weather holds out, we may have goats inside sleeping in another week or so.  

Friday on the Farm

My boys have been busy the last few days working on a goat barn for my herd.

The Addy and Moonie Show...

Our First Year With Dairy Goats

To ring in the New Year, I compiled a short video full of pictures I've taken during the last ten months of my first baby nigerian dwarf dairy goats, Addy and Moonie.  They are the precious kids that started my addiction to goats.

They sure grow FAST.  The first picture is from the beginning of April 2013 and the last image is from November 2013.

I hope you enjoy it.

Heidi

I am linking up to share my farm babies on The Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop this week!

New Year, New Goals

Happy New Year

We've been making steady progress toward a few of our long term goals for the farm.

The goat barn is almost done.

We've placed reservations on two livestock guardian puppies due in spring.  They come from a farm with goats and chickens.  The parents are experienced LGDs.

The goats and I have embarked on a daily exercise ritual.  We spend about 30 minutes each afternoon jogging up and down the mountainside.

Jerry and I have been auditing local stockyard auctions trying to get an idea of the FMV for a few healthy feeder calves.  After talking to a few bovine experts we've got a plan to purchase two calves from a CL/CAE free herd. We just need to find one nearby.

I am taking my DHIR tester training course online this week and have prepared the paperwork to start our first year on milk test.  I am very excited.  I hope Lily earns her star.

Since bringing home our sweetheart buck Trump Card two months ago, we expect Lily to be bred for Easter babies.  I am taking her for an ultrasound in two weeks and I hope to know for sure then.

I plan to have Joyful Hearts CB Adelaide and DesertNanny BE Trump Card linear appraised.  I am still working on finding a host herd within a short drive.

We have plans to repair the irrigation system in the 5 acre pasture above the house and I hope to begin re-mineralizing it and seeding it with good forage for the goats and cows.

The last year has been the best year I can remember.  I learned so much and enjoyed many new and exciting experiences.  I hope that 2014 is full of more new adventures.

Meet "The Trump"

We are proud to announce the arrival of our future herdsire "DesertNanny BE Trump Card" aka "The Trump".

Photo courtesy of Sharon Warren, DesertNanny

The Trump hails from the great state of Arizona and the awesome DesertNanny herd belonging to Sharon and Glenn Warren.  You can check out their amazing animals HERE.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Warren, DesertNanny

His pedigree is full of milk and good conformation.  I am really looking forward to seeing the beautiful babies he will add to our farm.

Desertnanny BE Trump Card

We are making plans for The Trump and our girls to get better acquainted.  

My First Batch of Goat Milk Soap

 My little yearling dairy goat Lily has me a little overwhelmed with milk.  She may be a dwarf dairy goat, but she milks like a much larger doe so I have been challenged to find new uses for her milk.

This week I made my first few batches of goat milk soap.

I started with (Beekman Boys) Dr. Brent Ridge's basic unscented goat milk soap recipe which I found on Martha Stewart's website HERE.  I added a few herbs, raw honey from my bees, vitamin E, and ground oats into the dark bars for me.  Then I ran it through a soap calculator online just to be sure my ratios were good, and Voila!  We have soap. The light colored bars contain a few drops of peppermint oil in them for my hubby.  

The soap still has to cure for a few weeks to be sure the lye has cooked out, but I used to make cold process soap often- and this soap was so mild after initial processing that I was amazed.  

We have soap for a year in under two hours.  

Do you make soap?

What is your favorite soap recipe?

Grand Opening!

Welcome to Three Rivers Farm

This is my new blog.  The place that I will be discussing all things related to animal husbandry and herd management.  I am a newbie to farm living.  I was born a city kid, grew up in the suburbs, and got bit by the "rural living" bug in my thirties after a job took us out to the country to live on a 30 acre dairy farm.  Those were the most exciting years we've spent and I loved every minute of it.

Later, I spent years in college learning about crop science, forage crops, and rangeland management.  With our move to the new farm last December, I have determined to start implementing the skills I developed through all those wonderful farm classes.  It may not be a pretty sight just yet, but things will fall into place.  One piece at a time.

I hope to realize my dream to be attached to the land and animals that feed me, and to treat both with dignity and respect.

Thanks for stopping by the farm. Come again soon!

Heidi