The first day of winter for 2015 was actually December 21. Only 6 days ago. In other words, winter has only just begun. And it came in with a vengeance. It moved in Saturday right after lunch. We actually got lucky here, as we were east of the rain and sleet. That frozen stuff is what really causes problems. But, the wind did hit here and then it got windier and it hasn’t let up.
Duke and I made the wise decision to abandon our Phoenix trip. Although, I am quite confident that we could have made the journey with little problem, it was becoming apparent that there was a storm brewing INSIDE the house. I feel that this storm would have become quite violent if we had left the women in charge of the livestock during a blizzard and we were in Phoenix. For Duke’s sake (and mine), I let Tammy have the joy of cancelling the hotel reservations. I hope everyone traveled safely that decided to go. Good luck and have fun.
Anytime that I have thoughts of increasing the size of the doe herd here in paradise, I only need a disturbance in the weather to remind why I need fewer, rather than greater numbers. Rain, sleet or snow reminds me how bad I hate doe goats and how valuable it is to be able to keep every hoof inside. Even though we have lots of barns and enclosed sheds, it is amazing how the wind, at 40 plus mph, can force snow inside any possible crack and can whip around, drift and get inside the wether barn from the south. Thus, the reason that Duke moved his wethers inside the big barn. Part of the wood fence on the west side of the house was about lost. As Duke and I were working wethers in the big barn, he pointed out the window and said, “We’re getting ready to lose Mom’s fence.” A ratchet strap and a driven T post later, the fence is still standing. Duke and I already have a summer project.
Although all of the animals have shelter, fresh water, feed and hay, this job ain’t easy. I knew it was coming. But I couldn’t prevent it. We lost a doe last night. I know, I know. You would think that I could care less about losing a female goat, but there are a few that I monitor closely. K11 was one of these. I knew that we were nearing the end this summer. She was flushed in June and didn’t have many eggs. Then, we flushed her again in September with no luck. She has been living on a full feeder, with fresh grass and an alfalfa bale within reach. She didn’t have much for teeth and I couldn’t get her to gain any weight. I made sure she was wormed properly and didn’t lack for much. Earlier this week, I told Tammy that I feared that K11 wasn’t going to make it much longer. Unfortunately, I was right.
K11 was one of the original Harley daughters. She was a 2007 model sired by Harley and out of a Charles Turner doe. GREAT mother. I do not remember ever having an altercation with K11. She bred on cycle and always raised her kids. Plus, she almost always had buck kids. She only had one doe kid in her career. But, those buck kids. I won’t say that she was the best doe in Oklahoma. But, she belongs on the short list. K11 raised a division champion at the Kansas State Fair, a division champion at Kansas City, a class winner at Tulsa, two premium sale wethers at OYE and the grand wether at Woodward this spring. Plus, she was never bred to the same buck twice. That, my friends, is a producer.
I never flushed her until this year. I guess I should have started earlier. Luckily, John Edwards made something to stick back in June. My favorite line about K11 involves her being flushed in September. The dipshit Zealander performing the flush asked me her age. I told him that she was 8. He then asked me with a very condescending tone “Why would anyone ever waste the time to flush an older doe? Especially one past the age of 5.” K11 was EXACTLY the kind of doe that should be flushed. I don’t want to waste the work and $s on some unproven virgin doe. But instead, I was trying to garnish the last bit of genetic power that she possessed.
Tip of the cap to those good ones. I bet some goats in the kidding barn get a bit more attention than others. Stay warm, keep the critters fed and make sure everything gets a good drink.
