Friday, December 3, 2010

FAREWELL LEDA

About a year and a half ago I(Meghan's mom)made the error of purchasing an obese Nigerian doe for her. We didn't know the animal was obese when we made arrangements with Irish Whisper Goat Farm to purchase her as we had only seen an older photo of her. Her bloodlines were very good, so I arranged to meet the owner down in lower Michigan to pick her up.



When we met in a parking lot I was on my way home. We had to park my truck tailgoate to tailgate to get Leda out of one crate and into ours, because she was too heavy for the two of us to lift...way too heavy. Folds of fat encased her entire body and she had blown out abdominal walls, broken down legs and feet and was unable to walk very well. I asked the woman "What have you been feeding her?" and she said, "Alfalfa hay and grain.". This was a dry animal and I don't know when she last freshened as we never could get the previous owner to return our calls with more information.



So I drove Leda home and we put her on a strict diet to take the fat off her. It took a several months for her to develop a healthy rumen and drop much of her exterior fat. And she eventually did get to the point where she could move with the herd and actually run short distances on occasion, but she was always problematic.



She bred and we anxiously awaited her kidding. She developed ketosis about two weeks before she was due and we pulled her through. Despite keeping watch on her as often as possible she managed to kid between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. one very cold night and I found both her kids lifeless and covered with shavings(appearing to have been laid upon). I managed to revive both kids with heat and numerous tube feedings. Leda delivered a partial placenta and acted odd but not sick. I checked and found the placenta near her cervical opening and felt things would progress. It turns out she had yet another larger kid dead in her that I failed to find which she partially delivered six days later. Once that kid was out she cleaned out well and never had a high fever or was off-feed.



We sent her to a friend's farm to graze and exercise for the summer and brought her home fit and sassy(but not fat)to breed yet again. Her kids were sold to a pet home, because the doe kid had an extra teat.



Leda went into heat and took on her first cycle. Unfortunately about a week ago she went off-feed and showed signs of labor and eventually aborted a single fetus. We had her on antibiotics and made sure she wasn't wormy, and she seemed to be doing much better until yesterday when she lost the use of one hindleg and then went down and couldn't use any of her legs. She wasn't eating, was shivering and shocky, so I put her down.



Meghan and I are both sorry we couldn't make things right for you Leda. And we hope sincerely that anyone who owns goats realizes that overfeeding them is just as abusive as not feeding them enough.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

THE HERD IN FALL

Sugar Creek YO Blue Yoko is a recent purchase from Julie Shere in MN. She is a lovely Cou Clair doe with a very sweet personality. Yoko will be bred to Obama (she produced very colorful quads with him earlier this year) and I hope to use her as my main milker.
This is Sugar Creek PG Velleda Moth. Leda doe not have the most attractive physique due to a lifetime of multiple kiddings (as well as being morbidly obese for a time) but she is an excellent producer and is bred to Obama, who should complement her problem areas.

Dancing Angels Rockette (aka Roxie) is currently serving as my reluctant milker. She can be quite temperamental and sensitive, but she has been cooperating better since her doe kid left. Roxie has always been a heavy milker, reluctant to dry off, and she is also an easy keeper. Roxie is bred to Obama, and I think his refinement will complement her strength.


Dancing Angels Tempera is my a beautiful red and white doe out of one of my favorite does, Dancing Angels Temptation, whom I lost last year. Tempera has done a great job raising her twin doe kids and is still growing and starting to really mature. She is filling out and I think in a year or two she will be looking even better. Tempera will be bred to Dancing Angels Tempo for a linebreeding on Temptation and hopefully some red or gold kids.
Tempera's twins are pictured below. I am not sure about breeding them yet, although they are certainly growthy enough.




Dancing Angels Lovely


And here is Dancing Angels GhostBuster (GB).

PROMISEDLAND RC OBAMA



I'm very excited about the opportunity to use this buck and hopefully bring some new colors into my herd. Obama is a lovely, refined buck with a very easygoing temperament. Thank you to Julie Shere for letting me bring this nice buck into my herd.

Monday, September 20, 2010

MINNESOTA DELIVERS

I took a brief 1200 mile roadtrip through Minnesota to exchange goats in Embarass, MN and pick up sheep in Perham and Mora. Meghan now has an extremely colorful(moonspots in all shades of gold and buckskin)buck named Promisedland Obama and a lovely cou clair doe--Sugarcreek Blue Yoko--in addition to her other keepers.

Obama will be bred back to Yoko(who produced colorful quads)her first kidding. He'll also be crossed with Dancing Angels Rockette and Sugarcreek Valeda Moth(gold and white doe). Dancing Angels Tempera will be bred to her half-brother Dancing Angels Tempo for a linebreeding on one of Meghan's all-time favorite does Dancing Angels Temptation.

We already have people on the list for kids, so if something spikes your interest please let us know in advance.

Photos will be posted by the end of next week.

I still have "truck lag".

Friday, June 4, 2010

THE KEEPERS




Dancing Angels Rockette (Sugar Creek PT Show Girl x MCH Dancing Angels Cool Your Jets)


Dancing Angels Tempera (Dancing Angels Temptation x TX Twincreeks WDF Megapixel)


Dancing Angels Lovely (Dancing Angels Tempera x Shere Country TR Minstrel)



Dancing Angels Ghostbuster (Dancing Angels Tempera x Shere Country TR Minstrel)



Dancing Angels Crystal Bowersox (Dancing Angels Rockette x Dancing Angels Tempo)

Sasha and Apple are leaving for a wonderful new home in Minnesota this Sunday which will leave the Dancing Angels herd numbering just five does...one yearling, one mature and three kids from this spring. We will miss all the goats that have gone on to new homes, but appreciate the wonderful people who have chosen them for their farms and look forward to kidding next year.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

SHOW QUALITY DOES FOR SALE

Dancing Angels Apple--Twincreeks Court N Spark X Dancing Angels Blackberry(Twincreeks PDG Megapixel daughter)--Blue-eyed two year old doe. Twinned this year. Udder with six hours of milk after second month of being fresh. Very friendly, easygoing doe. $200. SOLD
Dancing Angels Sasha Fierce(Twincreeks PDG Megapixel X Dancing Angels Bittersweet(GCH/CH Dancing Angels Cool Your Jets daughter))--Black with white blue-eyed yearling bred to Dancing Angels Tempo(2 CH legs gold and white buck)for early August kids. $200 firm. SOLD






Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Nigerian Dwarf Goats for Sale

Dancing Angels Raisinette(Shere Country Minstrel X Dancing Angels Apple)--Numerous Twincreeks lines behind this lovely, extremely friendly twin doe kid. She is ready to wean and go to a show/milk home for $150 with AGS papers. Updated photos available upon request. SOLD

Shere Country Madrigal--Twin Creeks Troubador X Dancing Angels Masquerade. Some beautiful show and udder lines behind this dry yearling. She is available for $150 as we used her 3/4 brother in the herd and want to retain several of his daughters. SOLD.
Wethers available like this one for $50.00 at weaning. All SOLD.
Shere Country Minstrel--Twin Creek Troubador X Dancing Angels Little Voice. A very well built, yearling buck who produced several sets of twins his first season. We are retaining several of his daughters who are all level, dairy and flashy with beautiful hindleg sets. SOLD.
Dancing Angels Sasha Fierce--Twincreeks Megapixel X Dancing Angels Bittersweet. Blue-eyed and from very reliable, small, productive lines. She is bred for late summer/early fall kids to Dancing Angels Tempo(2 CH legs)--a very handsome gold and white buck. $200 OBO.
Delivery at no extra charge available to the border between MI's Upper Peninsula and WI, northern WI/MN, or SW MI sometime in May/June. Health certificates are extra.
There is also a ride available to Oregon for any of the listed animals in mid-June to Black Sheep Gathering. Ask for more information. SOLD



Monday, March 8, 2010

APPLE KIDS ON HER DUE DATE

A few spotted white buck kid with brown eyes who will be wethered for a nice couple who lives in the area...name "Ap".

And a dark buckskin doe kid with brown eyes and white spots here and there. Name pending although I call her Raisin. I think Meghan may keep this one, but we have many more to come. The Minstrel kids are looking very small, refined, dairy and long. Sandie is next.

Monday, February 1, 2010

DUE DATES FOR 2010 BREEDINGS

Dancing Angels Apple(blue eyes) is bred to Shere Country Minstrel and due 3/6/10.



Dancing Angels Pecan Sandie(blue eyes) is bred to Minstrel and due 3/18/10.



Sugarcreek Valeda Moth is bred to Minstrel and due 3/22/10.



Dancing Angels Tempera is bred to Minstrel and due 3/29/10.



Dancing Angels Roxie(blue eyes) is due on 5/3/10.