Starting a Farm
After getting settled into Good Hope, our journey began with the clearing of another couple of acres of pine and hardwood timber down to our small creek. Following some major stump removals, we were finally ready to start fencing. After installing a half mile of posts, lots of wire, and five gates, we had two fully enclosed pastures.
The next step was learning about goats firsthand. We acquired a few Spanish/Boer doelings and a Nubian billy yearling. To accommodate them, the construction of our first mobile goat shed on skids was soon underway. This, in turn, allowed us to move it between pastures when needed. Thus began our education in goat care: hoof trimming, worming, CD&T immunizations, kidding, feeding, and so much more.
However, a single billy alone in a pasture proved to be a bad idea, so our search for another buck began. And with that, Natures Nook Farm was born!
The Road to Kikos
We began the year with a herd of Boer/Kiko mixes, unregistered and learned the health and kidding benefits of the Kiko breed along the way. By Fall we decided to transition to registered Kikos and make some serious investments. We put up a new barn for the does complete with dry hay storage and solar lighting. Purchased a hay spear so we can manage 1000lb rolls of Bermuda.
We also added a small third pasture for breeding, kidding, and quarantining new arrivals. You can never have too many secure pastures, lol.
By the end of the year, we have the beginning of a quality herd. Seven does exposed to notable bucks like Indian Outlaw, Hobo’s grandson – Keystone, and Royal Ranger. We are looking forward to 2020 kidding and expanding our Kiko herd. Check out Natures Nook Farm on Facebook for updates.
Made it… 100% Kiko Goats
This year was full of challenges. Months away from the farm to renovate a college-girl condo in Texas made flying in and out for kidding season very stressful. Jody held down the fort… not an easy role to jump into. We sold off our remaining percentage does, kids, billy, and reached our first goal to focus on 100% NZ Kiko goats. Over the course of Spring and Summer we acquired additional blood lines to fill out our herd.
We now have 10 breeding age does and 11 doe yearlings… our free loaders, lol, as we won’t expose them until 2021. Breeding season went off as planned but we expect to add more pasture dividers to better accommodate having four awesome billies. Our barn is well stocked for the upcoming winter with 6 1000lb Bermuda hay rolls, 20 Bermuda bales, and 40 bales of Alfalfa.
Rocking and Rolling
Entering 2021 we were very fortunate in avoiding the brutal winter weather that enveloped the Mid West. However, the girls cruise through a 1000lb roll of Bermuda in 2 weeks, about twice the rate we anticipated. In order to establish a health baseline, the entire herd was Bio-Security tested for Johnes, CAE, and CL.
As February began to warm, our expecting moms almost kidded on cue delivering 19 super healthy and bouncy kids! We are pleased with the ongoing interest for our doelings and bucklings.
In the Groove
2022 kidding season kicked off mid-February and brought us an amazing herd of 39 kids. All but 2 delivered in the daylight, many early sunrise babies this year. A first timer delivered without assistance at 2am out in the pasture on our coldest night, in the mid 20s, brrr! Her labor screams woke me up but I came out running to see two beautiful steaming kids. Gotta love Kiko mothering instincts!
All our doelings sold quickly, most were reserved with deposits by March, 50% were reserved within 2 days of posting them. Many of our selected boys found new homes and herds. A big thank you to all our repeat and new customers.
The downside of 2022
Inflation: hay, grain, minerals went up 30-50% and fertilizer was up over 200%. Breeding went off without a hitch beginning in mid September with our four herd sires. We used marking harnesses on the boys so we pretty much have our who and when delivery calendar for 2023. Already looking forward to next years kidding season.
Farm Improvements
Kidding season went off without a hitch and was the year of the doelings, 22 girls, 14 boys. The kids are all growing out nicely. We are focusing on some farm improvements this year. Our old grain feeders that sat on the ground were rotting and falling apart so all pastures received new hanging grain feeders… goats love them.
We turned over a wild acre and planted Sun Hemp. We just need mother nature to bring some rain to get it going and it should produce about 4-5 tons of high protein forage. Next, we located a 5’x20′ culvert pipe and installed it in an 8′ deep wash and creek that cut our property in half. The new road across gives us access to some forest where we plan to fence about 3 acres for summer forage for the girls.
Disaster struck… mother nature dumped 9″ of rain in a few hours washing our new five foot culvert pipe down stream. Four more days of excavator work, 80 tons of red clay, 40 tons of stone, and moved part of the creek 20 feet. $5000 later, culvert pipe back in place, hopefully for good.
Finished fencing in 3 more acres of forest for additional browse. The goats approve.
Its all about the kids!
Preparation for kidding season all went smoothly: herd received CD&T vaccinations, copper bolus for all, hooves trimmed three weeks before the first due date. Cleaned and hayed the barn and stocked up on alfalfa bales and grain.
Kidding is season is finished with 42 kids on the ground. Last year was a girls year, this year… boys, 26 bucklings, 16 doelings. The boys are weaned and getting alone nicely in the pasture with the big boys. The girls are weaned and separated from the moms.
Had to do the hardest thing as a breeder today. One of my favorite does contracted Listeria from a roll of hay purchased from an unknown farm as a stop gap to my regular provider… it turned out to be moldy. She received round the clock treatment for 2 weeks but unfortunately Listeria claimed her muscle control. A very sad day. I will miss you Pearl.
On a positive note: after a 2000 mile two day drive I brought home Whiskey Blue, a top pedigree blue roan buck from Arizona. Next, we brought in 2 top pedigree Blue yearling does from Kansas and 2 more blues from Alabama and Georgia. Excited to have some excellent blue roan kids in the Spring! Breeding season finished with boys in girls back in their own pastures. Phew!
The Fall Pasture seeding was met with a 5 week drought beginning the day I planted. My 1970 Harvester 510 grain drill still worked magic though. When the rain finally came, Winter Rye, Crimson Clover, and Hairy Vetch sprouted on cue.
This year is filled with highs and lows. Sadly we lost Outlaws Gold, our biggest herd sire, to a freak horn accident. But the sun will rise again with the arrival of Onyx’s Jukka, a full son of the famous Tay Onyx and half brother to the one and only Iron Horse. The future looks bright.
Anticipation
The begins with some untypical weather, warm ups, cold snaps, a lot of ups and downs. Last Fall we planted a new forage mix of winter rye, hairy vetch, and crimson clover followed by a 6 week drought. It germinated very late and we were not sure the new cover would survive the winter. To our delight it is thriving and the goats are enjoying their best Spring pasture yet.
Kidding season kicked off in early January with some much anticipate Blue Roan kids out of Blue Whiskey. He did not disappoint! We have 46 kids on the ground, 25 doelings, 21 bucklings. A great mix of healthy bouncy babies.
Our Thelma, the herd matriarch, has been sequestered in a small corral to give her badly broken leg a chance to heal. To our surprise, delight, and worry, she also delivered amazing twin doeling and buckling. The University of Georgia came to the farm to x-ray Thelma’s leg. It is not looking promising for the healed front leg. Our local vet recommended and removed the inner plate to stop the infection. Her leg bone was healed, but three of four plate screws were loose. While this plate removal helped with the infection, the outer plate must also be removed. The operation will be in a few days.
We planted a new summer forage in mid-March, orchard grass and chicory. Germination has begun, and we are waiting on Spring rains to give it a boost. It has been a crazy weather summer, heavy rains, 3 week of drought, more heavy rain. Pasture survived.
Our new prize buck, Onyx’s Jukka, is growing out extremely well and integrating well with our other three herd sires. We are already looking for to the breeding season this Fall.
Big news! My labor of goat love and knowledge book, Raising Kiko Goats, is published and available for purchase.
Breeding season kicked off on September 15th, four herdsires and 31 does. After one week, 29 of the 31 does are covered. Kidding week in February will be a hoot!
Team
