Stonewall's Boer Goats

Happy Birthday Stonewall

2009-09-02T01:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Love, Sand

UPDATE: What you can do regarding H.R. 875

2009-03-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Rosehaven Cottage: UPDATE: What you can do regarding H.R. 875

From Rosehaven Cottage

2009-03-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Cindy raises an interesting question in her post Rosehaven Cottage: Are you a "Food Production Facility"? I really hope this legislature doesn't apply to backyard gardeners.

Animal ID and animal welfare: Strange bedfellows

2009-03-16T16:14:00.001-07:00

From Farm & Dairy Animal ID and animal welfare: Strange bedfellows.

Gifts for Goat Lovers

2007-10-01T05:11:00.001-07:00

Buying gifts for guys can be so............................challenging. So here are some ideas for the goat lover in your life.

Goat shaving cream ~ Udder Delight's Ceramic Shaving Mug Set made a wonderful Christmas present. The mug comes in a wide variety of colours, you are sure to find the perfect shade for anyones decor.

Comfrey from Horizon Herbs makes an ideal Father's Day present. Just be sure to tell the lucky guy ahead of time so he'll have a bed ready to plant the roots in once they arrive.

Goat cheese ~ Igourmet has a variety of goat cheese to try. You can go with their Goats Milk Cheese Crate or create your own. I went with a Belle Chevre created in Alabama's first goat cheese dairy, a Chocolate Capri Log by Westfield Farm and a Cranberry Chevre with Cinnamon arranged on a bamboo cutting board and accompanied by Walnut Crackers for Goat's Milk Cheese

Heart of the South~Boer Goat Sale

2007-04-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

The Heart of the South ~Boer Goat Sale will be held May 12th, in Hattiesburg. Admission: Free. Where the Forrest County Multi Purpose Center Building "E". For details call 601-583-7500 or click here.

Magnolia Classic Boer Goat Show

2007-02-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

The Magnolia Classic Boer Goat Show will be held February 23-24 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (Forrest County Multi Purpose Center). Presented by Self's Boer Goats and Sandrock Hill Boer Goats. The show starts at 10AM, admission is free.

Livestock Deserve Protection From Loose Pets

2007-01-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

One of the PEAK members dog got out and while on a neighbors property was shot. There have been a lot of emails offering sympathy and maintaining that the dog shouldn't have been shot and that it should be against the law to shoot a dog even if it is in your yard. Part of me agrees.

But another part of me recognizes that there are times when it is necessary to shoot a dog that is on your property even IF it is your neighbors beloved pet. For instance someone in my parents neighborhood allowed their dogs to roam free ( or maybe they just escaped from the yard or house they were in) the dogs got in the pasture while my parents were away and killed the sheep my father was raising at the time. They didn't kill just one sheep they killed practically every sheep he had until they were shot by another neighbor that saw what was happening.

I don't know the whole story behind the PEAK members dog being shot. I do know they live in a rural area so the shooter could very well have been protecting their livestock. Even the sweetest pet will follow it's instincts and attack livestock, unless they are trained not to. So I am unwilling to condemn the shooter out of hand. Yes, I know the PEAK member was going to get her dog as soon as she could throw some clothes on; but it only takes a second for your pet dog to seriously injure or kill someones pet or livestock, they have every right to protect it. For all I know the shooter was just some mean old coot who shot the dog because he/she was tired of dogs running around his/her property, in which case it was a shame. But the bottom line should be that you attempt to keep your dog off other peoples property. You wouldn't let you child run rampant in the neighborhood you shouldn't let your pet.

Goat cheese goes great with pasta

2007-01-03T03:31:00.000-08:00

Click here for a recipe.

Stockmen don't cotton to livestock registration

2006-11-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

For Rob Alexander, a cow-calf rancher in Elbert County, Colo., the program could be just another drain on his already wafer-thin profit margin."I have to buy this new tool to put a tag in the ear, and then I have to buy new software to scan the tags," he said. "Will it make my life more complicated? Yes. Am I excited about that? No. To the producer who's on the short end of the stick, this smells like a rat, because most of the burden is going to be on us."Alexander, who hasn't registered his ranch, is a Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Foundation board member and wonders how the program will affect rodeos and the contractors that provide rodeo stock. He's also curious about its impact on county and state fairs; his daughter shows 4-H calves.

Joel Franz of Burlington, Colo., a cattle rancher for 50 years, is like many of his friends. He hasn't signed up his ranch and takes issue with a voluntary program he said pushes registration through 4-Hers and with bribes. Some states offer cash to register, he said."There is no law that says it has to be done," he said. "Not by anybody."

Read the entire article in the Sun Herald.

COH

2006-08-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

Visit this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling, hosted by Spirttibee .

2006-08-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Boer Goats ~N~ Homeschooling

One of the really wonderful things about homeschooling is you can pick up and take your school with you wherever you need to go. When Stonewall was under the weather Lord Epa and I took a trip to Meridian to tend to his cats, dog, chickens and goats. Here are some of the things Lord Epa learned.

Do not put chicken eggs in your pocket, so you won't drop them. When you bend down to catch the runaway hen they will crack.
The runaway hen will stop to eat the chicken egg. Yes, chickens are cannibals.
Pick the runaway hen up by the neck so she can't peck or scratch you.
Goats like to eat early in the morning.
Goats will run over you to get to their food
And last but not least, Little Bit loves going for walks.........................

To learn more about homeschooling when we aren't on the farm, visit my blog Home~schoolers Rule.

Big Brother and Livestock

2006-07-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

A program to require identification of livestock will become mandatory in three to five years. The Mississippi Press has a timely article about this controversial program.

First there is the issue of how much the program will cost.

Even the USDA is not sure how much this program will cost. Because of the massive scope of the NAIS, where it affects the entire livestock and poultry industry, the USDA says paying for the program will be done jointly between government and the producers. The USDA has already spent $18.8 million on developing the identification system, and requested an additional $33 million last year.

Then there is the fact it will drive many small ranchers out of bushiness.

According to the Rev. J. B. Davis, who has land near the Central community in George County; "If the intent is to control mad cow disease and other diseases like that," Davis said, "then I guess it is OK But, if the intent is to give the government another way to control people and put their noses into peoples business, then I am not for it. I am afraid this is going to put the little guy out of business." Davis, who is 75, and has health problems, is one of the little guys who are going out of business when this program becomes mandatory, he said. He has kept a herd of up to 100 cows for more than 50 years. "I am not going to be physically able to keep up with the additional work that will be involved or with the paperwork."

Not to mention the privacy issue.........................................

The Pitfalls of Photographing Goats

2006-06-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Since I have a digital camera it seemed a simple assignment. Take a "few" pictures of Daddy's goats. Alas with goats nothing is simple. First there was the height factor. Since I am considerable taller then the goats, the only way to take a decent picture was to knell. Unfortunately goats go to the bathroom wherever they like.............So not only did I have to worry about getting the perfect shot, I had to watch where I knelt to boot.

Of course the goats saw me kneeling in the pasture as an invitation to come check out that odd critter roaming their territory. One goat seemed to think my hair smelled edible. Most were satisfied with a pat on the nose. Although I have to admit it was nice to see the devotion Daddy invoked. No sooner did Daddy step foot in the pasture then the goats came leaping to him. Dogs certainly don't have anything on goats for devotion, it's easy to see they adore Daddy (maybe because he feeds them). But it's really hard to take a picture when your subject comes walking up to you. I got a lot more close ups then I intended.

Then there was the matter of a "few" goats. Having finished taking pictures of the goats in the lower pasture I assumed I was through. Not so, there was goats in the barn, and goats in the upper pasture. In fact there were goats everywhere. Several of the nanny's looked like they were ready to give birth. There weren't any newborns unfortunately. I think they are adorable when they are first born (all wobbly legs), but the kids were cute and playful.

Now if I can only get Daddy to milk the goats next time we are up. ..................................

Happy Father's Day

2006-06-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

My Dad, aka Stonewall raises Boer Goats. Father's Day we took a tour around the homestead and I took some pictures of the herd.

The kids provide countless hours of entertainment, showing off their agility by jumping on and off logs.

I wish I was as nimble as they are.

The one thing you can't accuse a goat of being is quiet, this kid has no problem letting you know what is on it's mind (Unfortunately I don't speak goat).

And of course every goat herd needs a goat herder. The job is filled by Stonewall's right hand dog, Little Bit, who is a Great Pyrenees.