Saying Goodbye ~

Our last 2 Spring bucks were sold yesterday amid some reservations on my part. Oh, I know they had to be sold. We difinitely didn't need 4 bucks on the place. Sometimes the one we have is one too many. But I just didn't like the ways of the man who bought them. Overly protective of my boys? . . . . probably.
Victor ~

Victor and Lil' Bit were both nice specimens of the dairy breed, Nubian. Either one of them would have been great breeders for our herd. Except for the fact that we were keeping related does. When it comes to genetics you don't won't to push the possibility of interbreeding fathers and granddaughters together. Or neither sons back to their mothers. So we had already decided to keep Patches, as our up & coming replacement breeder. As we had already sold his mother this year. Plus there wasn't any concern with him breeding the new does we had kept. So all of the other 5 bucks had to have new homes. Fortunately they had slowly left the farm one at a time until the last 2 remained.

Lil' Bit ~

My prayer as they were being pulling out of the drive was/is that they will be treated kindly. I hate the thought of them being reduced to slave goats (brush control) or worst wind up on someone's dinner table. Though right now my gut feeling is says otherwise. I know this is the nature of the business, but I hate transactions like yesterday.

Lon and I both have decided it is too hard to see them go when we have kept them as long as we did with these two. It was not our intent to keep them but to find homes quickly for them. Each time someone came to look at our boys. The others were picked over these two. Why, who knows, maybe it was their colorations. Or just not what the potential buyers wanted. Victor and Lil' Bit had become part of the family and were like pets, gentle, loving and trusting of us. For my own mental solace, I hope forgiving as well.

Their sale will help us with our morning chores though, as Patches is back with the adults now. There isn't any need for separate housing and feeding any more. He seemed happy to be back playing with Daisy and Sarah. Breeding time is fast upon us, as we are already noticing some bucky behavior from Samson. Though our plans to breed Patches to the new girls may have to wait till he gets a little bigger and older, possibly until next year.

Having dairy goats is an adventure and for the strong of heart. For every season brings losses to the herd. As babies and adults are sold for the health and well being of all.

Missing my little guys,

Deborah