I have recently decided that I want to learn how to spin my own yarn. I've been interested in getting an alpaca for a while, but the right opportunity has not, as yet, offered itself. So I've been patiently waiting and looking for the right one to come along.
A few weeks ago, I got a phone call from someone who asked if I would be willing to haul a horse to the auction for them. I usually have a few ads here and there, offering my services doing any number of jobs. This particular woman was answering an ad that I had placed, offering my services in horse training. She said that her horse didn't like to load into the trailer, and she was wondering if I would be willing to come and get the horse in the trailer and haul her to the auction for them. She happened to mention that she raised milk goats. At the time, I was looking for some more goats, so I asked her if she had a doe that she would be willing to trade in exchange for hauling the horse. To my surprise, she offered to give me TWO bred does! Now that's an offer I couldn't turn down!
So the day of the auction came around, and I pulled up into the driveway where I was to pick up the horse. The husband went out to catch her, and she really wasn't too hot on having him catch her, so I went out to help, and she made the job easy by walking right up to me. He then led her up to the horse trailer, and she stopped quite a way back, and started snorting and pawing. He worked with her for a few minutes, and then I asked if I could work with her for a minute. Fortunately, she was a fairly easy case, as she walked right in after about five minutes.
After loading her up, I got to go pick out my does. I got to pick two out of four does, and the choice wasn't easy. They were all pretty good looking goats, so I just picked the two that looked the most pregnant. Neither of the two goats were tame, so getting them to the horse trailer was fun. We made them each a "collar and leash" from bailing twine that we tied around their necks, and then it was a matter of pushing and pulling and huffing and puffing until we finally managed to get the to and into the horse trailer. With that done, we took off for the auction.
By the time I got home that afternoon, I was more than ready to unload the does and take a break for a while. I started out trying to unload one doe, but she didn't want to leave her buddy. So I thought that maybe they'd
walk better if they were together. It worked (sort of) for a little while... At least they came out of the horse trailer easier. But then Molly, my mom's Labrador Retriever, decided that she wanted to "help", and she kept running to get in the middle of things. Each time I yelled at her she'd go away for a split second and then run back, and each time, the goats were getting more and more excited. Finally, they both stampeded, and I have no idea how much they weigh, but I can guarantee that it's more than twice what I weigh, and there was no way I was stopping them. So I dug my feet into the ground and tried to gain a foothold as they drug me across the lawn. I didn't want to let them go, because goodness knows I wouldn't be able to catch them again, and they were headed for the road in front of my house. Somehow, I managed to steer them over back to the horse trailer, where they finally stopped because there was a trailer in front of them. Molly got put IN the trailer. lol After that, there were no more problems, but I just couldn't stop laughing! Where's the video camera when you need it?
I have had these two goats for just a couple of weeks now... They've settled in very nicely and get along great with my other critters. My original plant was to keep both does until they kid out, then sell the does and bottle feed the kids so they are tame, and then possibly keep one or two of the doelings to breed. Well, it's a good thing my plans are always open for change!
Yesterday, I was doing my daily scavenge on Craigslist, and I found an ad that had two registered Angora goats for sale (a buck and a doe). The people wanted $200 for the buck, and $75 for the doe, but they would trade for a milk goat. Normally, I do not care for bucks. I've already got one, and I've gone back and forth as to if I even want to keep him or not, and he's a REALLY good buck. The thing with bucks is that they STINK. Man oh man they stink so badly! And if you touch them and get that stink on your hands or anything... You can scrub and scrub and scrub and the stink just won't go away.
Bucks are also hard on fen
cing. I have seen so much fencing absolutely destroyed by bucks. Fortunately, my buck (Prince Henry III - he's a Nubian/Alpine cross) is a very good buck. He only stank for a short while, and now he's gone back to not stinking (he must have known I was thinking about getting rid of him!). He throws beautiful kids, and, so far, he has not destroyed any of my fencing (at least no more than my other goats). I was afraid, however, that bringing another buck into the situation would just... Stir things up. And I was sure that I simply did not need another buck.
So my first thought was to trade one of my new does for the Angora doe. But if I did that now, I'd lose a lot of money by trading her and sending the kids with her. So I offered to trade her with her soon-to-be-born kids for both goats. I figured I'd just sell the buck, breed the doe once, and keep one of her kids as an up-and-coming breeder. I was actually a little surprised when the owner of those goats accepted my offer!
The two new goats were a La Manche and a Saanan. The La Manche I wanted to keep, simply because I want a La Manche doe, so I will hopefully get a doeling from this girl that I can keep. So the Saanan was the one that I traded in.
My wonderful friend and neigh
bor, Raquel, came out to help me catch her and load her up, and we cracked up when Raquel hog-tackled her as the doe tried to dash between Raquel and the fence. Go Raquel! Wish I could have gotten that on video. :)
So today I went to Newman to pick up Roxanne and Omar. And, of course, I had oficially fallen in love with them already! They are so cool (very, VERY dirty, but (cool!). Omar (the buck) is very mellow, very friendly, very laid back, and does not stink at all! So, of course, I have decided to keep them both (at least for now). They are both due to be sheared, so now I have to find some shears for them. I'm afraid that most of their fiber won't be useable from this time, as it's really matted and dirty... I think they've gone too long without being sheared, and they were in a small, dirt pen when I got them. I'm hoping to learn how other people keep their goats/sheep/alpacas/lamas clean enough so that the fiber is usable when the animals get sheared. Any ideas?
So the picture here is of Omar. Roxanne is white, and I'll post som
e pictures of her when I get them. I'm going to have to work on getting some weight on poor Omar, because he is absolutely skin and bones. You really can't tell by looking because he's so fluffly, but when you put your hand on his back, you can feel every bone in his spine just about. But I'm pretty confident that he'll pick up weight pretty quickly living here with me.
Of course, all of the animals didn't know what on earth I had brought into their world. The horses were snorting and running around, and the other goats didn't want to go anywhere near the Angoras. They'll get used to them soon enough.
Well, that's about it for now. I need to get back to my crocheting or I won't have my hat finished in time for my walk in the morning. Until next time!
S honey? Go figure! I suppose that maybe the "blend" on the honey jar might have tipped me off, but I just figured it was a blend of kinds of honey, not honey mixed with something else!
