Sycamore Springs Farm

Kidding Season

2012-03-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Things around the farm have been really busy. We have had kids born from several goats. Two of our goats kidded this week. Antiquity Oaks Farm Florence Nightingale kidded as a first freshener with one single buckling. His name is "Smokin Flame". We are really excited to have him born because he carries an awesome pedigree for show and dairy production. Our farm will retain him (keep him) for our future breeding plan. He has a very sweet personality. His pedigree includes: Jobi (a farm from the west) known for high dairy genetics, Rosasharn (a farm from the east) known for show and high dairy genetics, plus: Lost Valley (a farm) known for high quality show and dairy goats. Plus: others.

Sycamore Springs Farm Smokin Flame

Creekside Farm Stormy is the next first freshener that kidded with a single doeling last night, during the storm. She is really cute and will be for sale. The doeling will be named by the new owner.

Creekside Farm Doeling (Girl)

     We still have some of our other goats that are due to kid any day. How do we know when they will kid? Goats are pregnant for five months. They kid on average between the 145th to 150th day.  Usually, this is the average and you can really count on this time frame. On our farm, we had one goat go one day earlier and one go one day later.  What if they don't get pregnant the first time? We watch for them to go back into heat. Sometimes, you have goats that are very vocal, flapping their tail etc. and it's obvious. Other times, you have quiet ones that your presume got pregnant and when they don't give birth, you realize that they are not pregnant. Unfortunately, this has happened to us. We have been raising goats for three years, but it still happens.

     Other news--

Chickens--they are laying between 12 to 24 eggs on average.

Hogs--we got our new gilt (female) this week. She is eight weeks old.  Unfortunately, she is to small to be put with the other hogs. So we have put her with the younger goats. The only funny thing is that they are afraid of her and she is three times smaller than them. So we are rotating her with the goats and on the other side of the fence so that she can still see them and not be lonely.  Eventually in the next few weeks, she will go in with the boar (male) and the two barrows (fixed males). Here is Bonnie:

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

New Kids Coming Soon

2012-02-05T04:54:00.000-08:00

We have new kids that are due starting February 15th-February 20th. Emily Flower is the next goat due. She is black with a little white on her head and one side. She comes from good milking lines, but isn't what I would say a show goat. Emily flower is laid back and thinks she is actually a dog. :) She loves to be around other goats and humans. This will be the first time that she has kidded. Her kids are $325.00 for a doeling and $225.00 for a buckling. She was bred to Lost Valley Z Mardi Gras . He has blue eyes and we are hoping that his gene will carry on to his kids. We are currently taking deposits to reserve her kids.

EMILY FLOWER AS A KID

EMILY FLOWER

Scandal Delivered

2012-02-05T04:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't wrote on my blog for a while. We have been busy with goat kids and I have been sick. In my last blog, I told you about Bambi kidding. She really did great and all four kids have really grown. We have two of them sold and several other people interested in the last two.

After Bambi kidded, Scandal (our most expensive goat and 9 yrs old) decided to follow. Once Bambi was settled and everything was good, I checked on Scandal and she was happy in her stall chewing her cud. There seemed to be no progress so I had to run an errand and went to get it done. I just finished one of my errands when I get a frantic call from my daughter and son, saying "one is out". I truly think my heart fell to the floor of the SUV. All I could think about was I'm not there and they aren't going to make it. So I immediately drove straight to the barn. My mind was going over all that I know in an emergency. As I pull up, I pray "lord please let them be ok". I get to the stall and there lays one 1/2 dried off on the pad. Joseph is yelling there is a head and sure enough the second kids head is 1/2 way out. As I am drying it off, Joseph delivers the next one. Megan gets the hair dryer and helps dry the kids off. Scandal is licking them like crazy. We use a box that kids can come in and out with a heat lamp. Scandal tries multiple times to jump in the box. Being one of our newer goats, we quickly realize that she isn't use to the box and it is making her agitated. So we assure her and get the kids out. However, she is up and down and has not delivered the placenta. Goat 101--don't leave a goat until the placenta is passed. What looks to be the placenta starts to come out, when we realize that it's another kid. All together she kidded three kids. One doeling and two buckling's. I was sad for my friend because she really wanted a doeling. However, we know that this is the way things happen sometimes. Our farm retained the doeling and one buckling. The second buckling sold before we even advertised him. Scandal is a very special goat and we are so thankful to Antiquity Oaks Farm for allowing us to purchase her.

SYCAMORE SPRINGS SS VENUS

SYCAMORE SPRINGS SS PEGASUS

SCANDAL WITH HER TRIPLETS

Windy City Acres Bambi Kidding

2012-01-22T02:43:00.000-08:00

     As I was writing my last blog, it was time to check Bambi and Scandal for kidding. I had just left the barn one hour earlier and both didn't seem close to delivering at 1:30 a.m. One thing that I have discovered is most of the goat’s kid in the middle of the night. Therefore, it becomes important to check the goats frequently during this time. Especially, in the winter.

     When I went into the barn, Bambi was in the corner lying down and nothing seemed to be progressing, so I made my way to Scandal. She had made herself a nest that was surrounded by straw. She looked happy and content, chewing her cud. So I went back to Bambi. As I open her stall door, I could see she started pushing and a kid was coming out. My first response was "Oh crap". No husband or kids to help, so I grab a towel and use my cell phone to call them. My son Joseph answered his phone and was on the way. I got the first kid out and cleaned it. It looked healthy and fussing some. I quickly dried it with a towel and made sure the nose and mouth were cleaned out. By the time that was done, Joseph was in the stall. The second kid presented with back feet coming out first. As I reached, Joseph already grabbed it and out it came. The second kid was the biggest and he was a buckling. Carl and Megan arrived. Megan grabbed the hairdryer and Carl started cleaning it. Bambi talked a little to them; however she was very out of it. She refused molasses water and eating. I was concerned that she had lost two much blood. However, it didn't seem to be anymore than usual. I have learned with goats that you never leave them until after they deliver the placenta and the kids have nursed. It took a good 30 for her to kid again. This kid was a doeling and the smallest. However, she was a fighter and wasn't about to give up. Joseph was able to get her to nurse. I was afraid that we were going to have to bottle feed her. The heat lamp was over their kidding box and since they were so small we used the little heater. This seemed to help. Again, it took a while for Bambi to do anything. As we waiting for the placenta, I hear Joseph say, 'Oh know, there's another one". My immediate thought went back to her mother Creekside Farm Coral. She has a history of quads and two of them are usually still born. Joseph helps her deliver the fourth one and says, "I think its dead". Note: *We use pet pads and towels with kidding* I pull a pet pad out to lay the kid on it and realize that it is alive and needs to be suctioned (with the tiniest suction bulb syringe you can find). Bambi is very sleepy and although the kids wanted to eat, she wouldn't get up. So we gave her some time to rest, while the kids were moving all over the place. In the past, Bambi took a large amount of time to pass the placenta. We do not leave her until this is done. I try to pay attention to the placenta to see if there is a cord attached from each kid born. We also bounce her abdomen to see if it feels hollow or heavy. When Bambi finally delivered the placenta (1 1/2 hours later), she suddenly started waking up and had a strange look on her face. It was like suddenly she realized that she had four kids to feed. It was the cutest expression on her face. I even felt sorry for her, but the kids were nursing and she seemed to be able to feed them all. We continued to monitor them frequently, because we didn't want to not see a problem.

BAMBI'S QUADS--2 DOELINGS AND 2 BUCKLINGS

Scandal doesn't seem ready to kid this morning, so we get a little break and will take turns checking on her. Scandal will be on the next blog.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Raising goats in good and bad times

2012-01-20T02:42:00.000-08:00

As I begin this story, I warn you that this blog entry may be very detailed at times. Three of our goats are due to kid this week. As always, our family takes turns checking them to see if they are in labor. As I sat in the barn on Tuesday morning around 4 a.m., I couldn't help but worry about our first of three goats to kid. Her name is (Little Maple Farm Rosie) Aka Bottle Baby. The past several weeks, we have noticed that she was becoming "huge". Almost to the point, that made it look like she had swallowed several watermelon's.

Bottle Baby

     Bottle Baby is a blessing to have come to our farm. She is actually the only goat that we co-own with our friend Jill of Sinai Thunder Farm. Bottle baby became part of our milking herd that helped provide milk, cheese and soap to our family.

     On Tuesday, bottle baby started showing signs of labor. Signs include: contractions of the vulva, arching the back or what I call stretching, making more noises, chewing at their side, personality change (better or worse), white or clear discharge, the udder will become huge and look like it might pop. (However, if this is the first time a goat has kidded (first freshener), then they don't always show the sign of a huge udder) etc. **some goats can have these signs and some do not** these signs are what we have experienced in the past. Bottle baby showed signs of labor and would lie down and then get up, and was breathing harder. However, by the next morning she was standing up eating hay in the hay manger and the breathing harder had almost completely stopped.

     Wednesday--all day we check on bottle baby. As in the past, it never fails that one of our goats deliver while I am working as a nurse. Before I left for work that night, she didn't seem any closer to kidding as the night before. I was hoping against odds that she would wait till I was home. However, I was very relieved that Carl (my husband) and kids would be home to monitor any new conditions. All night they sent me updates and still nothing seemed to be progressing until I received a 911 text from my Carl at 7:30, as I was finishing up at work. Apparently, bottle baby had kidded with two beautiful kids (one doeling) girl and (one buckling) boy. However, a third kid’s hoof was sticking out of her. In a normal kidding, the kid will present with both hooves forward, not just one. At this point, it was apparent that she was in distress. The kid was double in size and had a very large bone span. Bottle baby was screaming and there was no choice, but to reach in and reposition the kid to come out. After my son Joseph (that wants to be a vet) pulled for 30 minutes, the kid was finally delivered. Apparently, the kid was malformed and bottle baby had lost a lot of blood. She had no intentions of getting back up, but had already nursed the new kids. So I frantically left work to get home as fast as I could. As I am driving, I call our vet who knows me by first name :) and I question all aspects of what I should do. As I approach the scene, I can't even imagine what I will see. Bottle Baby is lying down with her head up, but not looking very well or strong. My nursing instinct kept saying she has to get up. I was unable to tell how much blood that she had lost, but knew she was probably in some distress and we offered her some warm maple syrup. Anytime you have a person or animal that loses fluid, you have to replenish it. So I was relieved that she was drinking. To get her up, we offered her food and she was very reluctant, but we kept on insisting. There was a lot of blood that she was laying in and we had to get her clean and dry. On top of everything else, she delivered on one of the coldest days. Carl had already set up a heat lamp and a heater for the new arrivals. My next concern was that her hip might be broke or she was hemorrhaging. However, she began to move more and the drainage at this point didn't seem to be that extreme. In the past, when we have a doe in any type of stressful situation, we give probios. It promotes natural digestion in a goat and helps them be able to get through the stressful event.  My second call to the vet was to make sure she could be started on the antibiotic that we already had on hand.  At any point, that you reach into a goat and assist with a delivery, you introduce bacteria. So we started her on Tetracycline SQ 3 doses total every other day. This particular antibiotic is not usually recommended because it can stain teeth and affect bone growth in kids (human and animal). However, I have used it in the past and had it on hand.

Buckling (Brown and White), Doeling (Black and White)
Sire: Blessed Assurance Pacino

I was so glad that my husband took a vacation day and stayed home. He and the kids monitored bottle baby all day, while I slept and got enough rest to go back to work that night. The new goat kids are eating good and bottle baby is continuing to get stronger. .

New milk testing and kids on the way

2012-01-14T00:08:00.000-08:00

     We are so excited to announce that our farm is going to start participating in milk testing called DHI (Dairy Herd Information). Some people do not understand the concept and we are learning as we go. Today, we participated in a class with a company based out of Columbus, OH. They certified our milk testers. We will have someone come to the farm and test our milk either by doing a one day test or a yearly test on your doe's milk. Why does this really matter? Well first of all, it is a great ideal to know what values are in your milk. For example: how much butter fat, protein etc. In cow production, this would determine how much the farmer would get paid by his milk. At this time, we are not Grade A certified. However, this is an option in the future. We will talk more about testing in the future, when we get started.

     Also, we are excited that next week we have three doe's due to kid. They are: Little Maple Farm Rosie, Twin Creek DG Scandal and Sycamore Springs Farm Bambi. Our doelings will range fron $325.00 to $500.00, depending on quality for showing and milking.  We are currently taking deposits on the kids. If a deposit is put down on them before kidding we charge $50.00, if after they have kidded, we charge $100.00.  Our goats have been used for 4H, Pets and Milking.

     We do have three doe's that are currently for sale. Creekside Farm Dorie, Sycamore Springs Farm Star and Creekside Farm Honey Suckle. We will bred them for the purchase price if interested.  Our doe in milk is Creekside Farm Dorie and she is priced for $275.00. We get about 5 to 6 cups per day,

Sycamore Springs Farm: Welcome Surprise

2011-12-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Welcome Surprise: Today, we had a surprise. As we were building the pig shelter our daughter was yelling babies. Well my first thought was that she...

Welcome Surprise

2011-12-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

     Today, we had a surprise. As we were building the pig shelter our daughter was yelling babies. Well my first thought was that she was saying, daisy our goat. However, when I see her arms flapping and no daisy around, my mind goes to "oh no". As I am speaking out loud to the wind, who in the world kidded? It's too early for any of them to have kids. My face went to dread at the sight I was about to see. As I enter the barn, my mind hears my daughter say it's here. All I can think is oh no not this pen. This pen is the adult pen that holds fifteen adult goats.

     When I look in the pen there is a little white and brown goat nursing on its mother. To be honest, I was really surprised. Of all the goats it ended up being "Black Beauty". She had been exposed to the bucks for a full two years and never got pregnant. So we had pretty much given up on the ideal that she would ever get pregnant. I remember putting her with our new buck this past fall, but she didn't seem too interested so it became a past thought. Well apparently it wasn't a past thought and she got pregnant. So we now have a new buckling that will become our new wether (fixed) for our herd. Here is his picture:

Buckling

We almost got the pig pen finished. It has a large front door that will allow for us to get in and out of the pen. The side will have a small door that the pigs can go in and out. The yard that they will have is on a hill that goes down to the bottom under some trees for shade. They will also have a small pool at the bottom of the hill for them to cool off. This is a picture of the shelter. It has a wood frame and will have a wood side with a metal roof.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Pig Shelter and Doe's to Kid

2011-12-29T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today, we pulled wood apart from the old cabin and got it ready for the new pig shelter. It will be a nice shelter that has three doors. One door will open from the back of the shelter, one that goes into the yard of the shelter and the other door will open during the day and close up at night.

The pigs will have a shelter area that goes down a hill and under some trees for shade. Our plan is to dig a round hole and put a kiddy pool in it for the pigs to be able to cool off.

On another note, the goats enjoyed being outside today. We have several that are pregnant in the next two weeks. Here are some pics of them.

Twin Creeks DJ Scandal

Scandal is due in January is one of our most expensive goats. She not only has been Grand Champion, but has awesome milking lines that we are going to pass on to the herd.

Gypsy Moon J-Lo

J-Lo is another goat that is due in February. She has great milking lines that we look forward to adding in our herd. We are very fortunate to have both doe's.

At this time, we have twenty three goats. Currently, we have two definite for sale and one possibly for sale in February or March. If anybody is interested, we will send additional information. You can let us know.

Check out our web site at: www.sycamorespringsfarm.com

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Guinea Hogs

2011-12-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

     Our Guinea Hogs are settling in to their new environment. They are using a barn stall at this time. However, Carl is building a new shelter for them to use in late January. They are very docile and come to us like a pet. We are happy that we picked this hog because some can be very aggressive and mean.

     Food--People have different ideas about what Guinea Hogs should eat. Some people think that they should eat nothing, but scavenge for their food and offer hay. Guinea Hogs are known to be self sustainable. So we have decided to feed them cracked corn and hay in the winter months.

   Here is a updated picture of our Guinea Hogs:

Our goats are very pregnant. We have several due to kid in January. Our goats have really been enjoying the weather outside. It has been such an unusual winter with temperatures higher than usual.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

New Guinea Hogs

2011-12-20T06:49:00.000-08:00

     The New Guinea hogs are here. We purchased a boar male (for breeding) and two (barrow's) which are fixed males for meat. They will be slaughtered next November. Our gilt (female) for breeding will be born in January. So we will get her in March. It takes time to start your breeding stock. The gilt has to be at least 8 months or older for breeding. They are pregnant for three months and then you have to grow up the meat till they are around 11 months and up. Depending on how much meat you want. So it is a slow process, but will be worth it.

     The official name for our boar is (Clyde) and the gilt will be (Bonnie). The two barrows are sausage and pork chop. Our family decided to name them.

     The hogs don't get any bigger than 250lb. So far they are very docile and seem to enjoy you coming around. This will be our first animal that our farm has really grown for meat. So we are hoping that we will learn as we go. My husband grew up on a pig and dairy farm. He has a lot of experience dealing with pigs and this will be a great benefit.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Guinea Hogs

2011-12-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

Well our farm is getting ready to start another major adventure. We have decided to raise Guinea Hogs. Many people do not know much about them because they are a rare small homestead hog. Average weight at maturity is between 150-250 lb. They are thought to be from Africa and used by small homesteads for meat. Since, there was no refrigerator at that time, they could kill their meat and eat it right away.

Guinea Hogs

     Our family does eat some meat and this will be one way to raise our own meat without antibiotics etc. We will keep one sow and one boar. Then once there piglets are around eight months, we will sell them for meat or breeding. One benefit is that the meat is priced very reasonable.

      Some additional information: they are very intelligent, docile, people friendly, excellent mothers; usually have 4 to 8 in a liter and much more.  This weekend we are going to visit another farm that has these types of hogs. It should be very interesting and informational.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Buckling new home

2011-12-04T03:17:00.000-08:00

     This week our little buckling went to a new home. So we are down to two little doelings that we are keeping. Today, a man came and reserved two doelings for the spring kidding season. He brought his two little granddaughters and they got to see the different goat colors. It was cute. We are now down to twenty-three goats and my hope is to be around twenty, but things always change.

     We had water problems under the house this week. Apparently, the sun pump was not plugged in and it filled with water every time it rained. However, at this point I think that we have it under control. The barn water is still working great and we don't have to carry 5 gallons of water back and forth like last winter. That was rough. :)

     It was a hope to put our low tunnels out this fall, but time seemed to get away from us. Hopefully, we can get plants started early in the greenhouse and put them out early this spring. We would like to plant Broccoli, Tomatoes, Cabbage, etc. This year we will have a bigger garden and freeze a lot more stuff for next year. We are still trying to decide what meat we want to grow on the farm. Some of the choices have been beef, but need better fencing. Turkey was an option, but it's hard to keep them from flying off. Pig was an option, but I want to do a smaller version that is rare called "Guinea Hogs"; however Carl would rather do the regular size hog because you would get more meat. There size is 100-300 pounds. Another option is sheep. This may be a possibility. All I know is that we need to come up with something. I hate wasting land that can be used for something and paying the prices for meat that local grocery stores charge. You never know where your meat came from and later you hear that it had some disease and had to be recalled. It's really scary.

     The chickens are laying eggs again. I think that it is because the weather has been warmer. We got around five eggs today. The bucks have been wild. They are both in rut and have fought hitting heads. We had to separate them to prevent damage, because they will continue to fight. The doe's have even been fighting because all of the goats are now together except the three teenagers and two kids (babies). They head butt to determine who is at the top of the chain. It's interesting to watch them because you want to say are you crazy. :)

~We are taking reservations on our spring kids, if interested. They are filling up fast~

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

On the farm

2011-11-28T01:07:00.000-08:00

Well the holidays are over. We have had some nice weather the past couple of days. The goats got to get out and run around. Our bottle baby is four weeks old and finally has a name. We are going to name her Double Durango Bunny. She jumps around like a tiny bunny rabbit and thinks that Joseph is her mom. He has been feeding her the bottle twice a day and she has really took up with him. She has some awesome genetics that will be added to our herd. Bunny will be one of our show goats.

Double Durango Bunny

We have been stocking the barn loft with mixed hay. The goats like it so much better than alfalfa, but we might still get some in the future. We have several goats due in January, February and March. It will be a very busy time. A new thing that we are now using is called fight bac. It's a spray that kills bacteria and prevents mastitis on the goats. We spray it on after milking. Another breeder recommended it. It will take a while for them to get used to being sprayed.

We are interested in getting a milking machine. Of course, they are not cheap. The one that I actually saw being used is called a Capralite milking machine. This breeder has used it for two years and it is still running good. He had over 100 goats and uses it often. They run around $1,500. In the long run it would pay off, but an expense up front. We should have around 12-18 goats due to kid. So life around the farm is going to get really busy. Our kids will run from $100.00 up to $500.00 depending on the genetics. Some are an average milkier and others come from great show quality with a large amount of milk production.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Learning Day

2011-11-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

     Yesterday was a learning day. I was able to spend some time with other Nigerian Dwarf goat breeders that have a lot of experience. It was really neat to watch each herd. At one point, I thought I had died and went to heaven. The one farm had 100 goats at least. Many of the goats ranged from all aspects of color and personality. It was evident that this breeder was producing for show and breeding. This is one thing that our farm will be concentrating on in the future. My son would love to show goats and we got a little experience this past summer. So we are hoping to go to some of the bigger shows this next year.

     Also, we learned about medications that include: dewormers and preventatives. I knew about some of them, but not as detailed. So this will help the health of our future herd. It's sad that I learned an important lesson, but even if you are totally experienced at goats you still have goats die. Sometimes, you can do everything you know and the goat still will die. Since we started our goat journey, we have lost two bucklings. Both got worms even though they were treated. Some goats die from kidding and others die from being attacked by another animal.

     It hit me today that we will be milking sixteen goats starting in February if they have all settled. What in the world was I thinking? At this point, we are milking six in the morning and four in the evening. Can you actually believe that I was complaining? I think it is time to consider a milking machine. I am very thankful that a machine was recommended by these two respected breeders. It was neat to actually see the set up in use. The machine is a Capralite milking machine. In the long run, it will allow us to milk the sixteen goats in 30 minutes or less. Needless to say, we should have plenty of milk for drinking and making cheese.

     We are very excited to add some awesome genetics to our herd. The genetics that are included are: Rosasharn Sequoia, Rosasharn Sassafras, Rosasharn Tiger, and many more. Joseph has been bottle feeding one of our doelings. In the past, we have never had a bottle baby. She is really cute and a new challenge for Joseph and Megan.

     Our little buckling of Lily's has sold. He will be leaving in the next couple of weeks. At this point, we only have one doeling for sale (Star) and a doe (Black Beauty) for sale. New kids are due to arrive at the end of January and we are taking deposits.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

New Nigerian Dwarf Goat

2011-11-06T23:17:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to announce our new goat. Her name is Twin Creeks DJ Scandal. She has won very high awards in the goat world that include: ARMCH, Grand Champion and 3*D VG. Scandal is due to kid in January. The kids sire is Rosasharn Pegasus. We are thrilled to add these genetics to our herd for high milk production and show quality.

ARMCH / CH Twin Creeks DJ Scandal 3*D VG
**Photo Courtesy of Deborah Niemann-Boehle**

On another note, we still have Sycamore Springs Farm Lily's buckling for sale. He is polled (naturally dehorned) and has great markings. He would make an awesome herd sire. We are asking $200.00.

We want to start our cold tunnels in the next couple of weeks. It would allow for cold vegetables to grow and be ready to harvest sometime in February. Hopefully, we will get this done. We will post new information about this endeavor in the future.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Around the Farm

2011-10-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

     It has been very busy around the farm, but things are starting to slow down. All our goat kids have been born until the end of January. We currently have one doeling that we are going to retain and a buckling that is for sale. Also, check out our breeding schedule for goat kids due in the spring. We are currently taking reservations.

     Our buckling is from Lily and Pacino. Pacino is polled (naturally dehorned) and you can breed him with a horned goat. There is a 50% chance that you will get polled kids and not have to dehorn them. Pacino was added to our herd for that purpose, not to mention his good genetics. Lily has Rosasharn genetics and we expect her to be a great milker like her mother Daisy. Daisy is our goat that has the creamiest milk.

Lily's Polled Buckling $250.00

We have been working very steady getting our farm done for the winter. The new hay loft and goat fencing is complete. All we have left is electrical wiring, dividing two stalls and insulating the barn a little more. Our new farm sign has been put up out front and really looks good. In the spring, we are hoping to put fencing up around the farm.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

New Additions to the Farm

2011-10-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

We have new additions to the farm. Lily kidded with a single buckling. He is for sale and will make good milk and breeding quality. Dam: Sycamore Springs Farm Lily and Sire: Blessed Assurance Pacino. This is a picture:

Lily's Nigerian Dwarf Buckling

Daisy's Nigerian Dwarf Doeling

Dam: Creekside Farm Daisy

Sire: Creekside Farm Irish Spring

Sycamore Springs Farm Lily is the first goat that has been breed and born on our farm with the Sycamore Springs Farm name. We are not expecting any more kids until January.

Life around our farm has been very busy. We have continued to renovate our farm and barn. Before we purchased our farm it was set up as a horse barn. So there were many things that needed to be done before the winter comes.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Chickens and more renovations

2011-09-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

     Well the dreaded day finally came this week. We had 10 meat chickens that needed killed. Our neighbor and our son had the chore of killing the chickens and defeathering them. His wife and I had the chore of cutting and dressing the chickens. Well being a nurse, it really didn't bother me, because I had seen a lot worse things. However, the biggest issue was they just weren't good meat chickens. So after three, I decided that they will make better laying hens. So we will go from 31 chickens to 38 chickens. It is still our desire to grow our own meat and be self sustaining. However, we realize that it will take some time. At this time, we only have hens. My husband mentioned tonight that he wants a rooster. I am really hoping that he will change his mind.

     All our goat kids go to new homes Sunday. We had them out yesterday in the warm sunshine and they loved it. Here is a couple of pictures of them:

.Older Goats on one side of the fence and the goat kids on the other.

Violets Blue Eyed Doeling

We have continued our farm renovations. All the goat stalls are finished. The hayloft is finished in four stalls with two left to go and the goat fencing is finished. We have all worked hard getting things done before the cold weather hits. Here are a couple of pictures:

Goat fencing with individual yards for the adults, kids and bucks.

Double barn stall for the older goats.

Another Day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Barn Loft and New Goats

2011-09-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

We are just about finished with our new barn loft. My husband and son have done such a good job. They have worked consistently on building the hay loft. We were blessed in purchasing wood from a farmer that goes to our church. The wood is Sycamore tree and is great for inside building. It is very durable and seasoned. We are hoping to have pictures to follow.

Today we have adopted two Nigerian Dwarf goats from a local lady that couldn't keep them. They are both very pretty and have blue eyes. One is black and white and the other is tan and white. Both are around 8 months old. They will go into the teenager pen. So far they have enjoyed being with the other goats.

Another Day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Renovations on the Farm

2011-09-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

Today was farm renovation day. We started early this morning and got so much done. The old chicken coop is gone, which makes more space for the goats. The goats love it, but the chickens don't. The chickens will get their new area later. Here are some pictures:

Before

After the coop is torn down

This is the new gravel driveway done today. Last winter, we got stuck several times in the mud. So this will be so nice and handy.

This is the before and after stalls. Our barn was actually already a horse barn. However, with goats there are changes that were needed to be done. The doors either had chain link or tall wood. So it wasn’t easy to see the goats or kids through the stalls. During kidding time, this will help tremendously.

Before

After

Although, we have more to do in the future it was nice to know that things are getting done.

Another Day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Yesterday on the farm

2011-09-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

   I guess you could say that yesterday was one of those farm days. It started out when we walked into the barn to milk; we found Dorie and her three kids out of the pen. They were very happy and bouncing around. I was very thankful that we had all the food up. Goats are the funniest little creatures. There like the saying, "the grass is greener on the other side". Well that is Dories’ saying. She saw the hay on the other side of her pen and became an escape artist.

     Well the next event, was hearing a weird noise while we were milking. My son jumps up and says the one word, I have always dreaded with having chickens. "Snoopy". No, not coyote. Worse! It's our beagle that thinks he runs the farm and we have to keep him chained up because it doesn't matter if the fence is chain linked or barb wired where there is a will, there is a way. As I jump up to follow him, I hear Joseph say he has killed three chickens. Well bless Joseph's heart. He is just like his mother. If there is a crisis, it doesn't matter how big it really is, it's going to be big. So as he is grabbing the dog, I am looking around for the three dead chickens. Amazingly, there are no chickens dead, just some lose feathers on the ground. Feeling a lot better after all the chickens were accounted for, I took a deep breath. Well in our family that is a mistake. As I look up, there stands our 1000 lb. paint horse by the fence. The only problem was that she was on the wrong side of the fence with no halter on. So I'm screaming Joseph, because that's his horse. After what seemed like forever, we got the dog and horse put up and settled. I worked my way back into the barn to finish the milking task and up next was Dorie. Yes, the escape artist. Dorie is built a lot stronger and stocky. Especially, since she just had kids. She doesn't walk up the milking stand; she takes a flying leap and catches herself. So I am in the process of milking her and she is doing the usual tap dancing, but this time she decides to tap dance off the milking stand. Well the only problem is that her head is still in the milking device and her body is hanging off the side. Well what I have learned over the past couple of years with the goats and being a nurse is not to panic. So I am flying over the milking stand and pushing her rear up so that she won't break her neck. She was fine, but my mouth was hanging open and all I managed to say was "why did I get out of the bed this morning". Dorie didn't get hurt and I was very thankful! Dorie has been setting records on her milking capacity.

     Future Kids--Daisy (Dories’ 1/2 sister) has completely dried off before kidding. She is due in less than three weeks and is bred to Pacino (naturally dehorned). I am really excited and hope that I will be able to keep one of their doelings if polled. So we shall see. Also, Lily (Daisy's daughter) is due to kid about a week before Daisy. Both of the doe's carry the Rosasharn farm genetics for milk production, which is great and improving with each breeding. This will be Lily's first kidding. So if you are looking for good genetics, then these two will be great.

Another Day at Sycamore Springs

Farm Changes

2011-08-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

     The latest news is that we closed on the farm. So Sycamore Springs Farm is official. We are very excited because it started out as a dream with many obstacles, but in the end our dream became reality.

     We are trying to decide what changes that we would like to make to the farm. The goal is to be ready for winter this year. We are planning on painting the barn, building a hay loft, making more stalls, (at least one bigger stall for the goats to socialize), and a water faucet that is freeze proof. After last winter and the pipe busting, we decided that this is a must! So hopefully we can show pics as we go through the many changes.

     In addition to the above, we want to make the pastures outside bigger for the chickens and goats. We plan on putting additional fencing in the back, on the side down to the road and around and make another paddock for "Gypsy" our horse. It will be nice to rotate her between both of them. Evidentially, we will put a gate for entrance etc. So the list goes on, but we will take one project at a time.

     Our next goat that is due is Sycamore Springs Farm Lily. She will be due in October and is bred to Blessed Assurance Pacino. Her Dam is Creekside Farm Daisy. Daisy is known for her great milking genetics. She has Rosasharn's milking genetics and is our top milk producing goat. Also, Daisy is due in October to Blessed Assurance Pacino. Pacino is polled and will add nicely to the herd kids.

Sycamore Springs Farm Lily

Creekside Farm Daisy

First Day Outside

2011-08-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day Violet had her four kids outside. It was so funny watching them. Violet wasn't to thrilled with trying to keep up with four young kids. The kids only wanted mom and didn't like that they were in a new environment. It was good for them to get fresh sunshine. Of course, all they wanted was milk.
The buck Pacino was watching them all through the fence. Violet didn't seem to happy that he was that close. He looked curious, but showed no desire of being friendly. Here are some pictures of their first day:

Another Day at Sycamore Springs Farm

New Buck Next Week

2011-08-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

     Well we have set the record today with chicken eggs. We got 17 eggs in one day. What in the world are we going to do with that many eggs? Well believe me, I will try and find out.

     Tonight, the barn was full of energy. Dorie decided that instead of moving to another pen for the night, she was going to run through the barn. As I turn around, Joseph has a hold of her collar and she is pulling him all over the barn. In a frustrated voice, I heard him say "stupid goat". I had to chuckle under my breathe. Anybody that knows him knows he absolutely loves the goats. Dorie has a very stubborn streak, but you have to love her. One thing that I love about the farm is that the kids learn so many life lessons. Living on a farm isn't better than the city, but a different way of life with the same goals.

     My daughter really doesn't like the farm as much. However, I have seen changes in her that make me very proud. She has learned a different side of life and has experienced life and death. I think that she has discovered that life is gift and you have to live every day, one day at a time. She is discovering what true friends are and what really matters in life. Plus: not to mention the fact of plainly learning to cook, grow vegetables, harvest them, plan and execute future food, goats etc. **Her next request is to own a dirt bike** Yes, our daughter. So that might be in the future.

     Next week, we will be picking up a new buck. His name is Mardi Gras and he will be a companion to our polled buck Pacino. He is three years old and has blue eyes. So we will be introducing him into our herd. His genetics are out of this world and we are very excited to have him. Thanks to Antiquity Oaks Farm for helping our herd continue to improve our genetics. This is his picture:

Lost Valley Z Mardi Gras

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Chicken Eggs

2011-08-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

     Today, we got 14 chicken eggs in one day. It's really neat to get that many. We have a total of 31 chickens. They love to roam all over as pretty much free range. We give them chicken food, scraps and oyster shell. One of our cats even thinks that he is a chicken. He eats with them, drinks with them and lies around with them. It's funny!

     Our biggest news is that we are finally closing on our farm. It has been over a year and a half. We have really struggled, because our other house didn't sell. However, we are going to do a lease option or rent it out. Our dream is to own a farm and be as self sufficient as possible. We have around 15 goats and 7 kids. There will be many changes around the farm. We are going to put up fencing around the property, add gates and paddocks here and there, put in a barn loft to store the hay, gravel our driveway around the barn, (so this winter we won't get stuck), add more lighting, electrical boxes, etc. One of the first things we are doing is putting up a sign that says "Sycamore Springs Farm" with a goat on it. Carl is already planning on the colors and design. He reminds me that it could take up to two years for all the designs that we want to do. It will look like a totally different farm when we are done. Carl will get a tool section in the garage with insulated doors and a special little room for the two dogs that don't come inside the house.

     Our recent quints will have new homes. However, we are going to keep one of them. Joseph has picked the brown doeling with a white head and blue eyes. She is one of the bigger kids. Violet is doing really good. She takes care of all of them and they are growing.

     Next week, we will be making a trip to Illinois. Our next purchase is a blue eyed buck named "Lost Valley Mardi Gras". He has great genetics that we want to add to our farm. He will also be a companion for "Pacino" our only buck. He is polled, but no blue eyes. So hopefully we can add both into the herd.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

First Set Of Quints at Sycamore Springs Farm

2011-08-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

     Last night, Violet had quints. She had one buckling and four doelings. Unfortunately, one doeling didn't make it. The other four are very healthy and eating well. All have blue eyes, but one of the doelings. They are so cute jumping around and talking with mom.

     Violet did great! There was some worry, because two of the kids came out breach, two were trying to come out sideways and the last one decided to come out normal. Usually, a goat is born with two hoofs and the head coming out. I want to say that I am very proud of my son. He delivered all the kids. We might have a vet in the future. :)

     We have already sold the buckling, but the three girls are for sale. Violet and Irish Spring have given these kids such beautiful spots. Irish Spring is registered, but Violet is not because the paperwork was messed up before we purchased her. Here is a picture of the kids:

Doeling with Blue Eyes

Doeling

Blue Eyed Buckling *Sold*

Doeling with Blue Eyes

Another Day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Lessons Learned on the Farm

2011-08-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

     I have discovered many things this week. About the time, I think that I know everything, something happens. One of my friends shared a story with me about another goat breeder. The farm is a very known farm that has taken pride in showing, breeding and milk production. This week, they had a doe that was going to kid and had been watching her nonstop. During the evening, they went out for a short amount of time and came home to find out that the doe kidded. She had two bucks that lived, but the doeling did not. Before we had a farm, I would have wondered why they didn't stay with the goat. However, let me say when you have a goat kidding you are there all the time. It is usually at least a full five day process and it can be extremely draining. There are times, when you have done your best. My heart goes out to this person because we have all been there one time or another.

     Our new kids are growing strong and are so cute. It's amazing how quick they can grow. This Saturday will be two weeks that they were born. So we will take them away at night from their mother and put them back with the mother in the morning. This is how they learn to be more independent. Coral has been teaching them to eat grain and hay. It's really cute. I have noticed that the buckling is always the one to eat grain and hay first. My thought is that they have to be the most dominating and this is God's way of starting them out on the right track.

     "Violet" has not kidded yet, however she is in her own kidding pen. Today makes the 145 days out of 150 day window. So we are watching her for signs of labor such as: nesting, more drainage, affectionate or avoiding us, yawning, stretching out, etc. It is not unusual for a doe to have white mucous several days before kidding. So we have to look for other signs. As usual my family all predicts when she is going to have them. It was a good thing that I was right about our last kids being born. We were there from the beginning. So at this time, I haven't estimated yet. The only declaration that I have made is it won't be tonight. My husband and kids haven't predicted yet, but we probably will tomorrow.

     Tonight, we were looking at "Rosie" and she has that structure that tells me she could be pregnant. When you put her in with the buck, there is no guarantee. However, it is possible but not a definite.

     The chickens are laying more eggs. We still have the thirty-one chickens that range from five months to four years old. On average, we are getting six to eight eggs per day. We sell some of the eggs and use the other eggs for cakes, brownies, omelet’s etc. So they are doing pretty good.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Farm Design

2011-08-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

     Although this is only August, we have much to get done before winter. Our barn was originally set up for horses. It has four 10 X 12 stalls and one 12 X 24 stall. Plus: the open areas and another area that will be turned into additional stalls. We have different ages of goats and have divided accordingly. Many people usually put all their goats together and we will eventually. At this time, we have five milking goats. However, in the next two weeks we will be milking seven goats twice a day.

     The large stall--I love the larger stall because we can put several in one area. It should hold up to ten goats without having too much confinement. The large stall has a hay manger that the goats can eat on both sides. Carl plans on changing the hay manger to a feeding table. This will allow the goats to put their heads inside and eat off of the table. It is suppose to cut down on wasted hay. However, this is a project in the future. Here is a picture of the current hay manger:

Hay Manger

     Tonight, we put "Violet" in the birthing pen. She is less than a week away from giving birth. She is one of two non-registered Nigerian Dwarf goats that we own. Violets paperwork was messed up before we purchased her. She is a purebred Nigerian Dwarf goat with blue eyes and moon spots. Violets doelings are $200.00, bucklings (for breeding) $150.00 and a wether $75.00.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Dorie Kidded and the farm

2011-08-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

Dorie's doeling born last

Dorie finally kidded this past Saturday afternoon. We have two doelings (girls) and 1 buckling (boy). They are very healthy, however, it is funny. All three look different. One of the girls is white and tan (like the doe), the other girl is white and black (like the buck) and the little buckling is white, black and brown. They are really cute and have already sold. However, we will have more kids in the next couple of weeks by "Violet".

Violet blue eyed and moon spots

Life around the farm has been really busy. In Kentucky, we have been dealing with 90 degree + weather. It has really been hard on the animals and us. We haven't been able to get as much done as hoped, but we are continuing to work on it. Our garden is growing and in desperate need of picking beans, which I hope to do sometime before this weekend. However, we did get the grass cut today. Tomorrow we are going to take a break and go swimming with a friend to the local swimming hole. It's kind of funny, because we both have swimming pools and we go somewhere new. Tomorrow is suppose to be another hot day. We are constantly checking the animals in the barn and filling up their water buckets. It's nice to have the little barn doors that the goats can go out if they want or they can stay inside if they want.  It allows air to pass through the barn. We have two industrial size fans that run. One is in the big pen and the other one is in with Dorie and the kids. Plus: each stall has it's own box fan.

     We have been making plans to get the barn ready for winter. Our goal is to build a solid ceiling/loft so that we can put hay up above the stalls. We purchase two types of hay: Alfalfa and Timothy.  Alfalfa is for the doe's in milk and pregnant. Timothy is for the buck, little kids and doe's not pregnant or milking. It will be very helpful to stock up before winter comes this year. Here are the other two kids:

Dorie's buckling born second

Dorie's doeling born first

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Sycamore Springs Farm Wins 1st place in Dairy Divi...

2011-07-26T02:05:00.001-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Sycamore Springs Farm Wins 1st place in Dairy Divi...: " Sycamore Springs Farm wins 1st place in the Dairy Division. Last night, Heidi Wren wins. She is one of our newer goats and came ready..."

Sycamore Springs Farm Wins 1st place in Dairy Division

2011-07-26T02:05:00.000-07:00

     Sycamore Springs Farm wins 1st place in the Dairy Division. Last night, Heidi Wren wins. She is one of our newer goats and came ready to win the first place purple ribbon. Heidi is a year old, blue eyes and moon spots. Her personality is laid back and is very pleasing. Heidi will be bred with Pacino in October for Spring polled kids. We are excited to see what comes from this terrific pair.

     On another note, Dorie has not kidded. She is continuing to get bigger, so we are being patient. There have been signs of early labor, but it hasn't progressed. So patience is the key.

Another Day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Dorie in labor

2011-07-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Dorie in labor: "Well we have finally reached the day that Dorie is in labor. Although, we have had numerous kids, my human side was a nervous wreck. What go..."

Dorie in labor

2011-07-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well we have finally reached the day that Dorie is in labor. Although, we have had numerous kids, my human side was a nervous wreck. What goat people call a goat window is they will deliver with 145-150 days. So Dorie's was 150 days was yesterday. After talking with my other goat friends and the vet, it became clear that we had to wait. The vet will not induce, unless stress and sitting up eating, is not stress. One of my friends had one of her Nigerian goats to have goats at 155 days. So I guess it's a matter of being patient. Dorie has a history of having four at a time. Unfortunately, not all of them have made it. So as I sit her in the barn, my hope is they will all make it. We have taken every precaution as possible. So fate will determine.

Another day at sycamore springs farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Pregnant goat and other goats

2011-07-15T20:54:00.001-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Pregnant goat and other goats: " Well all I can say is, why do all my high risk pregnant goats wait until I have to go to work to kid? Dorie is at her 147th..."

Pregnant goat and other goats

2011-07-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

     Well all I can say is, why do all my high risk pregnant goats wait until I have to go to work to kid? Dorie is at her 147th day and she seems to be in early labor. She has a history of having quads and usually at least one dies. I hate that conclusion, but that's farm life.  All the supplies are ready and we are checking frequent.

     On another note, I went into the barn tonight and found our youngest two goat kids playing on the milking stand. Yes, they escaped from their pen.  I had to laugh because I hope that they like to be milked. :)

     Since, we are going into the fall season; we will have many goats due in the next three months. We are taking deposits. This helps us know who wants which sire and dam.  Each goat has specific good qualities about them. Check out our web site for additional information. Some people may want to show their goat in 4h, some may just want a pet and others may want them for milking.

So I have decided to talk about some of the different goats on our farm:

Top Milkier **these goats will have a chance to earn their milking stars with the American Goat Society in the future**

1. Creekside Farm Daisy--Double Registered. She is the oldest goat that we have on the farm. Her genetic milking lines go back to having one of the top 10 AGS winners from Rosasharn Farm. She produces the creamiest milk and is easy to milk.  She is a 1/2 sister to Coral "Rosie". Daisy is not the prettiest show goat, so I wouldn't recommend her for being a show goat.

2. Creekside Farm Coral "Rosie"--AGS Registered. She is one of our top milk producing goats that we have on the farm. Her genetic milking lines go back to Gay-Mor Farm. She is a 1/2 sister to Daisy. I would have to say that she is my favorite goat and our first goat.  Her personality is funny and she can be stubborn at times.

3. Creekside Farm Dorie--AGS Registered. She is newer to our farm and is Coral "Rosie's" full sister.  Dorie has more tan markings than white.  Her udder is a nice size and we anticipate that she will milk as much as her sister's. She has a sweet personality and isn't intimidated by any of the other goats. Dorie has fit nice into our herd.

4. Sycamore Springs Farm Violet--Nonregistered, blue eyed and moon spotted. Violet should have been registered, but the paperwork was messed up before we purchased her. She is a full Nigerian Dwarf goat. Each time that she has kidded we have noticed an increase in her milk. Her last kidding produced triplets and she was able to nurse them without any difficulty. Also, her kid Grace is our farm mascot.

**More information about the goats in the future**

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Heat and the farm animals

2011-07-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Heat and the farm animals: " We have been struggling with the heat on the farm. It's not as hot as other states, but we have had temperatures in the 90's with a he..."

Heat and the farm animals

2011-07-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

     We have been struggling with the heat on the farm. It's not as hot as other states, but we have had temperatures in the 90's with a heat index over 100 degrees. The chickens are hiding under their coop and the goats are hibernating inside the barn with fans. It's so important to stay on top of making sure they are cool enough. Each of our stalls has individual fans. We have learned that it is so important to offer fresh changed water every day and fill it up often. In the heat, goats need cool water to cool off. In the cold, they need warm water to stay warm. Also, we make sure that goat doors, barn and chicken doors are all open first thing in the morning.  Plus: we have one huge fan that runs in the front of the barn to keep air circulating throughout. When we see a goat panting, we immediately wipe them down with water. Another helpful thing that we do is shave them at the beginning of spring. We do not shave them down to where they will sunburn, but enough to rid their hair of lice from the winter and make them cooler for the summer.

     Yesterday, our chickens laid ten eggs. Our newer chickens have just started laying. Today, we only got four eggs. So the temperature affects all livestock.  It was nice to share eggs with my niece and our great neighbor. Today, we cleaned out the chicken coop, put down mite dust and added pine mulch to the coop. Straw is good, but we only use it in the nesting boxes.  Pine mulch will actually soak up any wetness etc. Also, we put golf balls in the nesting boxes in case a snake would come to visit.  At this point in time, we have not had a problem.

     On to the goats, well as usual there is always something going on. Dorie has not kidded, but has a huge bag. No milk flow. Her official five day window is tomorrow through Monday. So we will see what happens. Things are ready for the delivery and she has been building a nest in her stall. She is enjoying her alfalfa hay and minerals.

     Our next goat, Violet is due around August 8th. She has a large udder and milk. She is not registered, but a very good mother and milkier. Violet has kidded twice. Once with one doeling and another time with two doelings and one buckling. We have had more customers wanting to buy her kids than any other goat. The reason: Violet is moon spotted and blue eyed. This is a picture of her doeling Grace. Grace has blue eyes and will be bred for kids in the spring of 2012.

"GRACE" Dam: "Violet" and Sire: "Irish Spring"

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Around the Farm

2011-07-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Around the Farm: " The farm has been busy. We cleaned the birthing pen and put down DE (Diatomaceous Earth), which is a food grade multipurpo..."

Around the Farm

2011-07-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

     The farm has been busy. We cleaned the birthing pen and put down DE (Diatomaceous Earth), which is a food grade multipurpose natural substance.  Check out their website at: http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html  this was recommended by a friend and I have heard good things about it. As for worming our goats, we use safeguard and the quest (recommended by our vet). It is an equine dewormer, but has Moxidectin in it.  After losing our little buckling due to a barber worm, we decided to be more aggressive in getting rid of worms. **Please note that Safeguard by itself was not enough for our little buckling** each wormer kills a certain type of worm. Some farms believe in checking eyelids and then treating worms if there is evidence of worms. However, our buckling had no signs of worms. So I guess that it is a personal choice.
     Two of our goats went to new homes this week. One of the goats we were boarding for breeding and the other was her wethered son "Pedro".  Kaleidoscope and Pedro will be really happy together.  We are now down to 15 goats.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Dorie pregnant

2011-07-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Dorie pregnant: " Tonight, on July 4th, Dorie our pregnant Nigerian Dwarf goat is looking very due. Her bag is looking full and she had a tiny bit..."

Dorie pregnant

2011-07-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

     Tonight, on July 4th, Dorie our pregnant Nigerian Dwarf goat is looking very due. Her bag is looking full and she had a tiny bit of mucous. Dorie will most likely have four kids.  We are taking deposits on Dorie and the other goats. The next one to kid is Violet. She is due in August. http://www.sycamorespringsfarm.com/

     Things I like to have on hand for delivery: towels, nutri drench, colostrum gel (emergency), nasal aspirator, (what you use on infants), bucket with warm water/maple syrup, gloves, trash bags, etc.

     Garden looks great. We have corn two feet high and tomatoes plants, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, etc.  We are putting in our chicken order, because we are going to kill 10 chickens and freeze them. Our neighbor is going in on 1/2 of them so we are excited. It ought to be an interesting to learn from the beginning to the end. :)

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Chicken Eggs

2011-06-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Chicken Eggs: " We got the biggest chicken egg that we have ever seen. It measured 3 inches tall and 2 inches wide. The egg favored a turkey eg..."

Chicken Eggs

2011-06-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

We got the biggest chicken egg that we have ever seen. It measured 3 inches tall and 2 inches wide. The egg favored a turkey egg. In the next, two to four weeks we should have an abundance of eggs. Our chicken’s free range and we put them up at night. This protects them from predators. We are going to start selling our eggs for $3.00 a dozen. Here is the egg:

Our "Huge chicken egg

We had a farm crisis yesterday. Our buckling developed pink eye and it progressed extremely fast. When a goat develops pink eye, it turns blue. He was pitiful and couldn't see out of his eye. Houdini is now on an eye dilator, eye gel and pain shots. The eye looks better, but you still can't see his full pupil. The vet thinks that he may have some eye damage, but we won't know till time runs its course.

One lesson that we have learned is that there is always farm expenses. The vet came out last week to health check one of our goats (for the Madison Co. fair), gave dogs, cats and horse rabies shots. Plus: checked the dogs for heart worms.

Update on the goats: Dorie is almost two weeks away from delivering kids. She has enjoyed eating Purina goat chow, alfalfa hay and fresh grass outside. We were able to feel some movement today. She is known to have quads, so it won't be a surprise if she has four. Tonight, we started looking at the older goats and they all look like they are pregnant. So it should be a busy season.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Around the Farm

2011-06-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Around the Farm: " Sorry it has taken so long to blog. Things at this time of the year are really busy. Our goats are doing well and enjoyin..."

Around the Farm

2011-06-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

     Sorry it has taken so long to blog. Things at this time of the year are really busy. Our goats are doing well and enjoying fresh alfalfa and timothy hay.  Two of our goats are really pregnant.  Dorie is due July 18th and has a history of having quads. Violet is due August 15th, but is huge. She has a history of triplets. So kids are on the way.

     Recently, we had our farm pictures taken by: Rhyan Sprague. She does such a great job! We will be adding new pictures on our web site at: www.sycamorespringsfarm.com if you need someone to take pictures, I definitely recommend her.

     A farm picture of one of our little farm visitors:

Heidi Wren (Nigerian Dwarf Goat)
By: Rhyan Sprague

Heidi Wren will be one of our goats to be shown in the 4H Madison County Fair (Richmond, KY) next month. This will be the first year for a Nigerian Dwarf goat to be entered. Plus: the first year for a dairy category. Sycamore Springs is very excited and honored.

We are currently taking $50.00 deposits on our fall kids, if interested. Check out our breeding schedule and let us know if you have any questions.

Our family has been enjoying around a gallon of milk a day and cheese. Our goats eat Purina goat chow, hay and graze. We recently started giving them free choice Sweetlix minerals. It is important because they can still be deficient in some necessary minerals and copper/selenium. So this is very important. The bucks and buckling will get Sweetlix minerals in a tub. They have to have a different type because you cannot feed them high protein. So no alfalfa hay or free choice Sweetlix minerals.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: New additions to the farm

2011-06-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: New additions to the farm: " Wow! This week has been extremely busy. We have added two new goats to the herd this week. Heidi Wren has is now here. S..."

New additions to the farm

2011-06-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! This week has been extremely busy. We have added two new goats to the herd this week.

Heidi Wren has is now here. She is one of the prettiest goats that we have on the farm. She has blue eyes and moon spots. These are very desirable traits in the goat world. Our goal is to breed Heidi Wren to our polled buck Pacino later this fall. Pacino is a buck skin.

Heidi Wren

Our other goat is named Little Maple Farm Rosie. She is actually co-owned with a friend of mine. We have added her to our milk production and has great potential.

Little Maple Farm Rosie

Many people have asked, "How many goats do you have?" We now have seventeen total goats:

Males:

1 Buck

1 Wether

1 Buckling

Females:

12 Doe's *one we are boarding*

2 Doeling's

We are currently milking seven goats, with the other goats due to kid in the next few months. Goats carry their kids for five months. So we dry our goats up the last two months of pregnancy. This allows them to use all there energy into growing healthy kids.

So life around the farm is hectic and fun.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: The Heat of the day

2011-06-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: The Heat of the day: " Today, was an extremely hot day. The goats had their doors open and fans on, but were extremely hot. We took a handful of water..."

The Heat of the day

2011-06-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today, was an extremely hot day. The goats had their doors open and fans on, but were extremely hot. We took a handful of water and wet their coats down. It did seem to help. Some breeders do not shave the goats coat in the summer. However, we do shave their coats. It makes them cooler and not as hot. We are very careful that it is not shaved to the point of sun burning.

We are currently, milking five goats and will be adding one more on Friday. Heidi Wren is a beautiful goat with blue eyes and new bloodlines. She recently gave birth to triplets and we have purchased her for milk. This is Heidi Wren:

Constant Joy Heidi Wren

My future goal is to buy a Nubian Dairy goat and mix it with a Nigerian Dwarf goat. They are called mini-Nubians. They produce a little more milk.

Here are some answers to some questions that I have been asked:

1. What are the advantages of Nigerian Dwarf goats? They eat less food, smaller in size makes it easier for someone to handle, and can produce kids all year long and can produce more kids at any given time. We have two goats that throw quads every time.

2. What are the Disadvantages of Nigerian Dwarf goats? They have less milk unless they come from good milk genetics.

3. Why in the world do you have goats? We drink their milk, make cheese and soap. In which, is a valuable to our farm. We try not to treat them like a pet, but at times it is hard. They count on you for many things and they are constantly having little antidotes that make it hard for you to not laugh.

4. How much time do you spend taking care of the goats? We milk twice a day, including: watering, and hay. Clean stalls (once a week), trim nails, shaving coats, giving medicines, plus: whatever else needs done. On average, we spend 15-20 hours a week. Sometimes, we spend more than that amount of time. It just depends on if we have kids due.

5. Why is it necessary to have more than one goat? Well because the goats are herd animals. They determine who is the boss and will group together, if they feel the herd is in danger. They need each other for companionship. If they don't have at least one other goat, they will get into things. For example: eating fences, standing on cars and much more. So it is always best to have at least two goats at one time.

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm

Sycamore Springs Farm: Goats to be born

2011-06-06T05:57:00.001-07:00

Sycamore Springs Farm: Goats to be born: " We are looking forward to having our new goat kids. Several goats are due in the next few months. However, Dorie is due in July. She..."

Goats to be born

2011-06-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

We are looking forward to having our new goat kids. Several goats are due in the next few months. However, Dorie is due in July. She has started waddling. Her markings are pretty and she has a history of throwing quads. Also, our herd consists of her other sister and 1/2 sister. This is Dorie and we are taking deposits.

Dorie 4 months pregnant

Carl and the kids got a lot done this weekend. The chickens are now all together. We now have 31 chickens from 12 weeks up to full grown. The plowed part of the garden has broccoli, cabbage, corn, green beans, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and much more.
http://www.sycamorespringsfarm.com/

Another day at Sycamore Springs Farm