The Goatherd Experience

Fair Report 2005

2005-09-04T13:59:00.000-04:00

Well, the fair has one more day. While I'm home, I might as well give my report. Wednesday afternoon was Open Class. The judge was impressed with both of Clover's kids. Surprisingly however, it was Diddely Squat who was queen for the day. She took Junior Grand Champion Alpine, and Junior Grand Champion over all the other breeds. Ellie got a blue ribbon in her class. I also won the mother, daughter class showing Clover and Diddy.

Friday was the 4-H show. I took second place in the Senior showmanship class. Clover and Annabelle both took 5th in their classes in the show. Lewis and Clark performed horribly!

In a nutshell that's pretty much it. I've now added another thing to my list of pages to add on the site... an Awards page. urgh. I'll have to get to it. anyway that's all from now. Oh wait!

Sirius and Cabrito both had to stay home from the fair because there was no room to take them. While here, they've developed a rather interesting bond and now they think they are chickens! Okay. Now I really think that's it! More later.

Preparing for Fair 2005

2005-08-28T22:47:00.000-04:00

I've been so busy getting ready for fair the last couple of weeks, I haven't been able to post. This afternoon, Dad, Grandpa, and I went over to the fair grounds today. They set up the camper while I set up the goat pens. I have four and so I'm putting two goats in each. Here's the lineup of who's together:

Lewis and Clark (no brainer)
Clover and Ebbie
Diddely Squat and Annabelle (clover's kids)
Ellie and Samson

Open class is Weds. after the market goat show sometime
4-H show is Fri. @ 10am

so yeah. I move goats in tomorrow. Dad is staying at the fair Friday and Sat. Night. I'm hoping that he'll bring the digital camera from work so I can take fair 2005 pictures and put them on the site.

I had a thought the other day. I'm not going to go into too much detail but Personally, I think it's a good idea and so I'm going to talk to my parents about it. If they are okay with it, I'll give you more information when the time is right...

Crying Over Spilt Milk...

2005-08-15T16:58:00.000-04:00

So every day when I milk usually one or two goats manages to get through the gate that separates them from the milking room. They squeeze through the bottom of the gate where it opens a bit. So today Clover's kids found out that they could get in. I stopped milking and hauled them out. A few minutes later, they got in again and I grabbed one and while I was hauling her out Clover kicked the milk bucket and spilled milk all over the stinking stand. I was furious but I thought that we might be able to use the rest of the milk, so I continued to milk Clover. The kids kept getting in while I was doing it. I was still frustrated and so when it was Ellie's turn, I forgot what I was doing and didn't put the first few squirts of milk in the strip cup. So I basically contaminated the rest of the milk. AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!! I cannot milk in that room if the goats continue to get in!

Working Hard

2005-08-13T18:52:00.000-04:00

Mom and I messed with the new harnesses today. We figured out that they are indeed two separate harnesses and they're much better than my old harness. We hitched both Lewis and Clark up and they both pulled the cart really well.

We went over to the fair to drop off my entry papers for open class. I'm showing all the does in that class.

I milked as usual. Not much exciting there...

Package

2005-08-08T17:17:00.000-04:00

Mom and I ordered a package from Hoegger goat supply. It came today. among other things, we ordered a stainless steel bucket for milking, and a team harness for the boys. Mom wants me to get out the old harness and wash it and fix it, but that may not be necessary because it seems that it's two single harnesses that have the equipment to hook them together. So I may be able to work with that.

Samson got Disbudded, Dehorned, and tattooed the other day. Now he will hardly let me near him. *sigh* I'm going to train him for either pack or harness since he's so big. I have to sell Sirius and Cabrito before the fair, if anyone wants a goat just as a pet, leave me a note.

Goat Time...

2005-07-22T22:27:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so I milked and then spent time holding Cabrito, Sirius, and the new little buck who I've dubbed Samson. I think it's mainly because he's so big which is due to the fact that he was the only kid. Anyway, it seems to fit him. I love sitting out in the barnyard. It's so relaxing to have a goat on your lap and watch the other goats and the chickens. Ah... Bliss...

Milk Stand and a Miracle

2005-07-20T18:00:00.000-04:00

The question of whether Ellie is pregnant or not has finally been answered. I was milking Ebbie and I heard little bleatings. I figured it was just her little boys. Since she was separated from them. As I was about to let her out of the gate that separates the milking area from the goat yard, I glanced into the barn and there was a strange kid. It took me a minute to realize that this kid belonged to Ellie. So that's the amazing thing for the day. I wish I had a picture of dad's expression when I told him. It was really funny. Mom looked at the kid and is pretty sure it's another buck which is rather frustrating. But ah well...

On another note, I needed a milk stand so I could milk the two does by myself without having to get someone to hold them. So my grandpa had the renter who is renting the house between my cousins' and mine. Built one. I was surprised that he had it done as quickly as he did because he isn't known for his speed. Anyway, it turned out really nice and since I had to paint it, it's a bunch of funky colors because that was what color paint we had lying around. When I get a chance, I'll take a picture and post it on my website.

Urgh...So Busy!

2005-07-02T14:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I went to canada for a week, and the day before we came back, dad called. Ebbie had kidded. Two little bucks. One all black with white face, ears, and socks. The other has brow and black and is really rather pretty however, he is runty. The black one has been dubbed Sirius after Sirius Black in the Harry Potter books. (my friend who is obsessed with those books named him and it just kind of stuck.)You can see a picture of my dad holding him
Here.
The brown one I have dubbed Cabrito a kind of spanish form of "little goat" you can see his picture, again with my dad, Here.

So that's that. I was going to sell both of them, but mom has convinced me to keep Sirius and train him for pack. Great, another thing to read up on. Ah well.

I've been working at my cousins' this week. They've gone to canada and I've been taking care of their sheep, llamas, dogs, cats, and ferrets. Yesterday I took Sirius with me. He's rather wild because I've been so busy I haven't had time to get him used to me. After camp which is next week, things will get easier.

Something I forgot...

2005-06-10T11:22:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot, The other morning I believe it was Tuesday, I went out to the barn to do the chores. Dad had let the chickens out before going to work. I went to open the gate and there were Lewis and Clark. Clark was standing and Lewis was laying down and here's what was classic, perched on Lewis' back were two chickens. I wished I had a camera! It was a classic Kodak moment!

Ebbie

2005-06-10T10:59:00.000-04:00

Well, Ebbie is huge. Yesterday, she was waddling around. Today, she has a yellow discharge! which means. Dum dah dum.... She's going to kid soon. I'm hoping today because tomorrow morning I'm leaving for Canada for a week and I really want to see the kids before I go. She's not actually in labor yet... Hopefully soon and hopefully there's no trouble with the birth. Gee, this is rather stressful!

Fun with goats

2005-04-19T23:06:00.000-04:00

The weather's nice and so I've been letting the goats out to graze about every day. The first day I let all the goats out of the barnyard except Clover and the kids. I let them into the barnyard. I gave that up quickly though because the kids kept getting through the holes in the fence and Clover would freak out. So now I just let them all out. Mom held Clover yesterday while I attempted to milk her. We don't have good supplies so we can drink the milk yet but it was interesting to milk her anyway. We didn't milk her all out either.

It's so much fun to let all seven of the goats out because I truly feel like a goat herder!

Kids!!!

2005-04-11T22:29:00.000-04:00

Okay so we were pretty sure that Clover was pregnant. The same with Ellie and Ebbie. I got home from driving school and dad told me mom said we had to go down to the barn to see if Elliie's udder was filling to see if she was pregnant. After a bit of grumbling (it's cold and dark after all) I consented and we trooped our way down. The first thing I noticed was that Clover was missing. "dad, Clover's gone." I had Ellie and I handed her to him "could you hold her for a second." I gazed around the goat pen and didn't see her. I then tried to see if Ellie was pregnant but she kept squirming around. Finally I was like "just let her go. I can't tell" I was worried about Clover. I was wondering if we'd have to go looking for her in the dark. Finally I looked in the other goat pen that we hadn't been using and there she was! I thought it was kind of odd that she was in there and what's more is that someone appeared to have put her there on purpose. Dad asked "do you want to make sure she's okay?" I said sure and he opened the gate. I walked in and was petting her. I moved around to her other side and stopped. There was something in the straw! At first I thought it was a cat because the pen was dark and the thing was curled up in the straw. All of a sudden I realized what it was. But that was impossible! We didn't think Clover was due until late may! "Daddy...I think she had kids!" Ah the joy and wonder of seeing those kids for the first time is indescribable! They're so soft and small! It's just the neatest thing in the world! We are officially Centerbrook Farm! The kids have come!

P.s. We think Ellie will be due soon and we're pretty sure Ebbie is preggers too!

More Goats!

2004-12-27T18:11:00.000-05:00

So, Clover spent a month at my cousins' and came home a lot fatter. My family thought she was pregnant. (preggers as my dad told one person) but she went into heat a week or so later. It was all rather inconvientient because the weather was bad that day so we couldn't take her back over, and now we have to wait until next month which means that she'll have a June kid.

Harness goat news it that I haven't been working Clark. Before the snow fell however, I found an old sled next to the barn. It's perfect for attatching traces to and having Lewis pull. On Thanksgiving he pulled my two younger cousins around and today he hauld garbarge to the dumpster (we share with our neighbors so it's a bit of a walk.)

EXCITNG NEWS!! A couple of weeks ago, the people we bought Clover from left a message on our machine. Their daughter wants to get out of the goat business and is selling. My Christmas present this year is two more does! one of them, Ellie, is older and is Clover's mom. The other, Ebbie, is about Clover's age. Mom, Dad, and I are going to go pick them up tonight! YEAH!

Breeding

2004-11-06T18:34:00.000-05:00

Dad and I took Clover to my cousin's house. She'll be back in probably a week or so. Hopefully, she'll be pregnant. The buck she is being bred to is an Alpine named Elmo. Dad and I were building Clover a stall but I might have mono so I may not be helping much, We'll have to see...

Fencing and Breeding

2004-11-03T17:45:00.000-05:00

the goats knocked down a fence and were running around all day. Mom helped me use twine to tie it up until it can be fixed better. I don't know how long it will hold up though. We can't tell when/if Clover goes into heat so this month we are going to take her to my cousin's. They have a couple of alpine bucks. Hopefully we'll have a kid or two in april.

Distant Cousins

2004-10-03T16:10:00.000-04:00

So my cousin and her family (husband and two children) came to visit from Texas for the weekend. The kids wanted to see the goats and chickens. They also of course wanted to take a ride in the goat cart. Well, as you may have guessed, by the lack of posts, I haven't been working them because I've been really busy with band and school in general. (Two foreing languages this year! Hooray!) So Yesterday was the first time we got Lewis out in a couple of weeks and he had pretty much gone wild so dad had to catch him and then we had to get him all harnessed up.

It was great. Not only did he pull the two little kids while they sat in the cart's basket, he aslo pulled them while they were sitting on their dad's lap. That in itself was an interesting experience because of the weight. Dad had Lewis on the lead just incase he decided to bolt. I still think it was unneccesary because I was driving from the back of the cart. After everyone else had gone back to the house, dad and I drove Lewis around and through some reflectors that were in the yard. (We use the back of my aunt and uncle's house because it's a big, open, grassy field) I've started researching how to hook the boys up in tandem but I haven't found any resources. If you know of any, send me an e-mail at sign_language2000@yahoo.com
Thanks. I'll keep updating on what I find.

Sick goats

2004-09-23T17:58:00.000-04:00

Lewis and Clover are sick. They caught something at the fair. I only have a couple minutes to write because of band. I'm going to have to watch them for a few days. They had each recieved a shot of penicilin and that was supposed to help them but they're sick.

Post-Fair Report

2004-09-06T21:34:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm about faired out. I'm absolutly sick of it, and the good news is that I don't have to sit around the goat barn for a whole year!! YAY! First thing I did when I got back was take a nice, long, hot shower! Dad's about to go get his. So... You're probably wondering what happened. Well here's the rundown in case you don't want to read anymore:

Clover- 4th place showmanship; 7th place show; dead last open class
Clark- Champion, Harness Class
Lewis- Champion, Harness Class

That's the basics but there are a lot more details. We got to the fair and got everybody settled in. Now, just a warning, my days are all running together in my head so The time isn't too clear. The second day, I worked both boyes. I didn't ride with Clark because that is how I was going to show him. He didn't do too well. After that, I worked Lewis. (I rode with him) He worked really well and went exactly where I wanted him to go. It was great. The show was going to be fine. Or so I thought.

As the week progressed, the boys gradually switched roles. Lewis became increasingly more difficult to drive, and Clark got better. As you can imagine, this was disturbing to me.

Wednesday was open class. That is where you pay a fee and you can enter a doe or does into one class or several. It's good for getting your name out. So Mom had signed up clover (except it was accidentally under her name) I was kind of excited because I know Clover is a good looking goat and I was hoping she would do well. She was in the Yearling class. She didn't meet expectations which really disturbed me. My last goat, Chelsea, was too small and she just wasn't up to dairy standards so I had to sell her. So it really bothered me. I realized though that Clover at least has a reason for being small. She was a late kid, born on June 28th of last year. I think once she's bred and has kidded she'll do better. I'll just have to wait until next year and see.

Friday was the big show. On Thursday, I decided that since Lewis wasn't getting up to expectations, I would try riding with Clark and maybe just ride with him in the show. BIG MISTAKE! Almost as soon as I gave the "walk on" command, Clark was off. Now I had that little accident with Lewis before and since then, I've learned how to stop a goat. You just need to pull hard enough. Clark however, wasn't stopping for anything! He made straight for the goat barn. I pulled as hard as I could but he wouldn't stop. I realized that the cart was hitting the back of his hocks and making him even more nervous than he already was. I didn't know what was going to happen. Thankfully, up ahead was my cousin Carrie and her husband Ron. Ron grabbed the shaft of the cart and managed to stop Clark. I was very grateful because I don't know what would've happened if he hadn't stopped that cart.

Friday came and mom and I got the goats ready for show. I did better than I thought I would in Showmanship. Taking a fourth place. Pretty good considering the fact that I didn't really practice. Following that was the actual show. Clover took seventh. Again, I think it was because of her small size. Well see about next year though! Next came Clark. He actually did the better of the two boys. Lewis came last and I rode in the cart. It was interesting because he wouldn't quite go where I asked him to. The judge told me I did a really good job and she said I was more advanced than some projects she'd seen. She told me that next year I should work on an obstacle course and having the boys pull in tandem. That means they pull in a line.

Oh and by now you may be wondering about Sara, the other girl doing a harness project. She couldn't do it. She had ordered a harness from Hoegger Goat Supply. They're really backordered at the moment. She didn't get her harness in time for the fair so she's working on it for next year.

There was a man I met who was looking for a dairy goat to keep at his house and eat poison ivy. I told him I would give him a call when Clover kids. I also met some people from the llama barn who did a harness goat just for fun. They gave us some tips and we're going to have to buy a new harness. I can't give details right now because I start school tomorrow and Mom wants me to get off the computer. I'll probably be adding little things here and there over the next couple of days. Such as this: The goats are freaking out now that we're home because they're used to being petted and talked to all the time.

Two more things before I go. Look for some new pages up on my website soon. I'll probably write something about training. I've also started collecting some new links. If you don't have the URL, it's over there on the right. --------->

The final thing is this; I got some interesting looks and some interesting comments about my harness goats. Here are somethings people said or asked during the fair:

"Can I have a ride?"
"Is that a donkey?"
"It's a baby llama!" (actually about Clover)
"Is that a deer?"
"You need a stick and a carrot" (several variations of this comment)
"You're NOT allowed to drive south of the horse barns" (that from the officials it really restricted my driving range!)
"It's a camel!" (come on people!)

Maybe starting tomorrow, I'll talk about my plans for the coming year.

It's TIME!

2004-08-30T15:45:00.000-04:00

Okay, I only have a couple minutes to post because I have to get ready and go to band. But... I took the goats over to the fair and got them settled in then we came back home and got the cart (Me, Grandpa, Grandma and Aleta) took that over to the fair and worked both the boys for a little bit. Lewis did really well and Clark did okay but only after he acted up. That's about all for now. I may be posting again this week or I may not post again until after the fair. We'll have to see.

Three days?

2004-08-26T21:52:00.000-04:00

That's right, We start moving stuff to the fair in three days (That would be Sunday right?) So today was dedicated to shaving and hoof trimming. Clover went first. I did all of the shaving on her myself. (okay tiny little help from Mom) She took the longest and when I got done with her, she looked completly different. She went from being brown, black and a little white to being mostly black with a little brown and white. I should really take a picture. I don't think I like her that color. The reason she is black by the way is because the top of her hair was brown and the bottom was black.

Next was Lewis who seemed to go really fast. Mom helped shave him and we had trouble doing his face and head because he doesn't like being touched there. This is due to the fact that we keep having to cut horns off him and pull out scurs.

Clark went last and seemed to take the longest. Though he really was pretty short. Mom did all of the shaving on him and once more we had trouble with his face, head and neck. The same reason as his brother. Lewis and Clark both look a little patchy but it's okay because they don't have to look as good as Clover because they aren't dairy goats.

Later my cousin person who isn't really my cousin unless you count marriage because he was married to one of Mom's cousins back a long time ago and...Well you get the idea. From here on out, he will be refered to as Jim. So Jim came to the house to tatto Lewis because he was never tatooed. *Point* We had asked Jim to tatoo Lewis when he tattoed Clark last year, but he wouldn't do it.*End Point* I'm not real sure how that went because I was in the house getting the goat hair off me. Which I don't think was too successful because I still feel itchy. Mom however said that it went real well and that Lewis seemed to handle it well. I hope so because if he is not happy at the fair I'll blame Jim and Mom. I didn't want Lewis tattoed this close to the fair but NO...no one listens to me even though it's MY GOAT!!

Okay, I'm done now. Tomorrow, I'll be working the boys and then I'll probably be doing some cleaning of buckets and feed pans. Oh and I forgot one more thing. After the shaving was done, I let all three of the 'kids' out to graze. It was pretty fun because Clover would leap around and then I would leap around and give chase and then the boys would leap and cavort. It was all great fun. After that, We went back to the barnyard for some "quality scratch time." By scratch time I mean: I scratch Lewis and Clover while Clark rubs his head on me. I love my goats!

Trouble

2004-08-24T18:08:00.000-04:00

So I'm having some trouble. Lewis and Clark too keep randomly stopping when I drive them. Mom suggested we use a switch and tickle their back legs and tail. That didn't work very well at all. The boys just kept on stopping and started again when they chose. So we devised a plan that is more sinister. Everytime they would stop, mom would go up behind them and pull their tail upwards while I gave the command. I promise, this isn't as cruel as it sounds. Let me tell you too, it works. Mom and I also decided that Clark wasn't cut out to be a harness goat. He's just not big enough. When we work him, He starts to pant and pant. Mom got real worried about him. Lewis though is somewhat larger and so when he pulls, he pants but not as hard.

One more thing. Then I have to go to band practice. On Thursday, my cousin person who I don't think I'm even really related to, is coming to tatto Lewis' ear. We wanted him to do it last year when he came to tatto Clark but he wouldn't then and so it has to be done now.

Extra Practice

2004-08-22T16:30:00.000-04:00

So yesterday dad helped me load up the cart and Lewis into our cousin's truck and proceeded to drive the 10 minutes to their house. It was an interesting experiance. When I started to hook Lewis up to the harness and cart, all the little kids wanted to be first and they wanted to know if they got to ride on the goat. It was really funny. One little girl kept calling Lewis a sheep and my one cousin Aleta who helps me with the boys sometimes explained that it was a goat. One woman said Lewis was the biggest goat she'd ever seen. The reason for that is because most people don't see wethers that are three years old. Most of them are used for market.

Well all the little kids got a turn riding and even some adults. I think that everyone had a good time. It was fun and it was really good practice for Lewis though he was really stressed out. I felt bad for him but he survived and he got good experiance with staying calm in all situations. He had a little kid toddle up to him, an electric scooter driven at him and a volleyball hit him. He was tired today so I gave him the day off. I did work Clark however and that was rather interesting. As you may already know, Clark is my 'problem child' he absolutly hates to be on the cart. Therefore I had an interesting time trying to get him to drive in a straight line. He did okay. Not great, just okay. Oh, I forgot. Lewis needs his ears tattoed before the fair. My one cousin person I'm not exactly sure how I'm related to him or even if I am, but he's coming to put the tatto in Lewis' ear. I hope he does it in the next couple of days. I don't want Lewis to feel bad during the fair.

One week, Two days

2004-08-20T14:41:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, I haven't been writing. What will my faithful readers do? *snorts and mumbles about having no faithful readers* Anyway, the fair is coming!!! look!

Fair Countdown: 1 week 2 days

The goats aren's ready. Just thought I'd tell you that now, maybe it'll save some time later. I've been working with them. Clark, well he's kind of interesting. You see, he hardly pulls at all. I haven't even been riding in the cart with him. He just doesn't seem to want to pull. Mom said last night after 4-H that if he doesn't shape up, I may have to sell him. That would make me sad because I'm kind of attached to him. He's such a big baby. Always wanting to be scratched and petted. Lewis, on the other hand, he pulls really well and when he actually pulls and doesn't decide to just stop and stand there looking stupid it's really fun and we look really good. (yes I am back to riding with him pulling me since our little accident) But yeah, it's actually pretty fun to ride. I had some of my out of state cousins come over last sunday afternoon and they rode in the cart while I walked behind them and drove. Lewis pulled of course.

I'm going to be doing that again tomorrow. Our church is having a pig roast tomorrow afternoon and I'm taking the boys and the cart to their house. It's going to be interesting, not the fact that I'll be giving the little kids rides, but the fact that I'll probably be giving rides to the kids in the youth group too. We're an interesting group of kids too. Let me tell you!

I'm not the only one in the county doing harness at the fair this year. Another girl named Sara is doing it too. Her dad called a couple of days ago. He wanted to know if we had a harness for sale. No offense to them, but I found it funny. They have a cart already and it's like two weeks before the fair when they call and ask about a harness. Mom took the call (I wasn't home) and gave him the name of Hoegger goat supply. It should be interesting to see what they've done when we get to the fair. AHHHH I'm Soooo excited. We live at the fair all week long. Sadly that means no access to a computer so I'll have to talk about my adventures when I get back. Though I'll most likely make at least one more post before then. We have to shave goats this week and we also have that thing on saturday. Therefore I'll probably get in two posts at least. I may be puttin up more pictures on the the site this weekend too. I'll see if dad brings home the digital camera from work this weekend. If you've read all of this, I thank you much. I'm gonna sign off for now. Ciao!

Runaway

2004-07-29T11:20:00.000-04:00

So we're working Lewis and everything is going fine and then mom goes to his head takes his collar and gets him to start moving. Lewis basically makes a run for the barn. I pulled back and tried to get him to stop but he just kept going. I didn't pull hard enough. I thought "well I know he'll stop when He gets to the gate of the pen" which he would've except that he didn't quite make that last turn before the gate. We flipped. It didn't really hurt. (We were on the grass and the cart mostly just dropped me nice and easy.) I jumped back up quickly though because I was worried about Lewis.Mom ran up then and together we unhitched Lewis, righted the cart, and got back in. The only problem is now I'm scared to have Lewis pull me without anyone. Tomorrow when we work him though I'll have to do it a little. Then hopefully I won't be scared anymore. I know that I have to pull a lot harder on the reins. It should be interesting.

Sprain

2004-07-28T13:20:00.000-04:00

The past couple days I haven't been really able to help walk and drive the goats because I sprained my foot. Yesterday, Mom and Grandpa walked Lewis and today, Mom and my cousin Aleta worked with them. Also, yesterday, Mom and Grandpa fixed some problems we were having with the harness. What happened is that the cart kept hitting whichever goat was pulling whenever they went downhill. So Mom talked to the man who made the cart for us and he gave mom a few suggestions. The problem has now been solved. With the help of some aluminum stop thingys which have been screwed to the shafts and also with help from *dum da dum* VELCRO! I think that there's hope that the boys will be ready for the fair.

Hoof Day

2004-07-16T19:46:00.000-04:00

Today was different. There was no pulling around a cart (or running away with me in the cart for that matter.) Today, Mom and I trimmed Hooves and clipped the long hair off the boys. Lewis went first because he is the hardest to work with. I got his two front hooves trimmed (eventually) but when it came time for the back legs Mom and I couldn't do it alone. Lewis is very skittish about his back legs so usually we it takes three people to trim those hooves. One person (Dad) Stands over Lewis' back and hold's his head. Another person (Mom) holds his leg, and the third person, (Me) trims the hooves. Sadly Dad wasn't home yet and mom and I couldn't do the back legs ourselves. After we got his hooves trimmed, I held his head and mom shaved the worst of his shaggy coat off. It was pretty much the same drill for Clark. When we got to Clover we were able to do all four hooves and she didn't need shaved.

The whole time Mom and I were holding one goat, the other two would get into trouble. We did all this work at on the porch so there was lots for the three to get into. Examples:

Eating Mom's flowers,
Uprooting Mom's plants
Pulling on the plastic plants
Eating the plastic plants
Trying to get into the garbage sitting on the porch

As you can tell we had a lot to clean up, though it was kind of funny. At one point, Clover was trying to eat a plastic plant. She pulled on it and the whole plant came out of the bucket where it was. Clover was startled and she literally jumped three feet into the air. So, despite the hard work it was pretty fun.

Ride On!

2004-07-15T09:44:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, we veered from routine a little. We worked Lewis first. We walked him a little and then we hitched him to the cart. (We had done this the day before.) After he pulled the cart a little ways, I got in the cart. Boy was it exciting. Grandpa helped hold Lewis and we just went right along. It's really a thrill! I can't wait to work with him more. After a while, Grandpa took the lead off Lewis to see if he would pull on his own. Unfortunetly, he laid down and scraped the harness off. Clark was next and he doesn't work well unless you have the lead on him. I rode in the cart with him a little, but we left the lead on. This is all very exciting! We worked Clover last. She sets up really nicely and I think no, I know she will do well at the fair.

Yesterday

2004-07-13T14:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Grandpa and I worked with the goats. It's become a usual thing. Clark first. Walking then hitch him to the cart and have him pull a little. Next Lewis, harness only. Finally Clover with showmanship practice. The only variation yesterday was the fact that Clark pulled the cart farther and he seemed less freaked out but maybe that was just my perception. Grandpa had to hold his head to keep him from running away with the cart. We just keep working everyday. Except that we have to go away next week. But when we get back, we just keep working.

Cart Action

2004-07-09T14:20:00.000-04:00

Well, we worked the goats this morning. (Mom Grandpa and I) We worked with each goat in turn. First came clark. We took him out of the pen and we put the harness on him. Mom drove him a little first and then I took over. He walked fairly well. After a while, We stopped him and pulled the cart all around him so he'd get used to it. Then the big moment came. We hitched him to the cart! Finally after months of waiting. Poor Clark was really freaked out. We managed to get him to walk a total of three steps. Although we stopped in between each step and petted Clark, gave him treats and told him what a good boy he was.

Lewis was next. Today I realized that he is bigger than Clark. We got him, and put the harness on him. He behaved really well when mom drove him but didn't work as well for me. Probably because I was gone for two weeks. Anyway, after we drove him, we pulled the cart all around him and let him smell it. It made him nervous. Then he went back in the barn.

Finally came Clover. I walked her around and practiced showmanship and setting her up for the dairy class. She's looking really nice and I'm thinking about maybe putting her in open class, kind of get our name out for when I breed her. (I may have to sell some kids) Not sure if I want to though.

All this happened this morning and In a half and hour I get to do it again. Such is the life of a Goatherd.

Lazy

2004-07-08T15:52:00.000-04:00

well, I'm back from a two week college tour I have a week at home and then I'm gone two weeks for a mission trip and church camp. This should be rather interesting because I'm going to have very little time to train. That cart is just sitting in the shed waiting to be pulled. Hopefully I'll have some time this week.

Finally!

2004-06-16T13:06:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been a while hasn't it? Not much has been happening with the goats. It took FOREVER to get the harness pieces we were missing. It took a month or two of waiting and several frustrated calls to Hoegger's before they finally shipped the reins and traces. The people at the company thought they had sent us the package but they hadn't anyway, we have it now.

Even though I haven't actually been working with the boys, that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. I got dad to borrow a digital camera from work and then I proceeded to take lots of pictures with it. I ended up with a bunch of random goat pictures. Some good and some bad. I've begun posting them on the website. If you are interested in what the boys look like (or even clover) feel free to take a look.

Ah one more thing mentioning Clover reminded me. She's in heat again. Unfortunatly I can't breed her until after the fair. She's been in heat twice since we got her. At first no one believed me but then mom said I was probably right.

Harness Pieces

2004-05-02T16:58:00.000-04:00

Alright. I haven't written in a while because I haven't worked much with the boys. I'll get to why in a second. Clover is settling in nicely. She is so friendly! It was funny because dad said he was feeding all three goats and she looked at him like she wanted to be hand fed. She has even gotten the boys to be friendlier. Clark hasn't been as skittish since Clover came. Neither has Lewis.

The reason I haven't had a chance to work with the boys is because we lost some pieces of the harness. Lewis and Clark a while back got in the tack room and scattered the harness all over. I went to work with the boys one day and realized that I was missing four harness pieces. Well, dad dug through the tack room and looked but only found two of the pieces. So mom was kind enough to call hoegger goat supply while I was at school she ordered the two pieces and they should be here in a couple of days.

Clover

2004-04-17T23:12:00.000-04:00

Dad drove, I sat in the middle, Mom on the other side. We drove to North Benton and picked up Clover. I rode in the back of the truck with her, on the way home. She is brown with a black stripe down her back. She has a white stomach and white on the top of her head and on two feet. Her mother was a grand champion.

We brought her home and put her in the barnyard with the boys. Right away they began picking on her. Butting at her. Especially Lewis which is very unlike him. It was odd though because even though they butted at her whenever they saw her, when I let just Lewis and Clark out to graze, they wouldn't leave the gate until I let her out too. I think that out of the three Clover will eventually come out on top. Goats seem to have a female that leads the herd. I noticed that with my cousin's goats.

Cart

2004-04-16T21:44:00.000-04:00

WHOOOO! ok. Grandpa and I walked the boys this afternoon. Clark acted up for Grandpa but walked fine with me. I'm extremely happy because the man who was making us a cart called and said that it was finished. Then he brought it over. It's really nice. It is really light and has good springs. I will be putting pictures up on my website when I get time to take them. Speaking of pictures, I'm adding a picture page to the site. Please check it out.

Mom talked to my cousins and they are letting us use their truck to bring Clover home tomorrow. We are going to get her at 10am. They people we are buying her from, spoil their goats. I wondered if they thought I don't know how to take care of goats. That's neither here nor there though I'll update you when we bring her home tomorrow.

Official

2004-04-14T20:14:00.000-04:00

It's official. Mom and Dad and I are going to get Clover the doe on Saturday. I'll have to work with her but thankfully she's tame, my other doe, Chelsea, wasn't. It was a real pain to work with her. Anyway. I'm very happy. I'm hoping to breed Clover after the fair.

Same Old Same Old

2004-04-12T18:44:00.000-04:00

Just the usual. Mom and I put halters on the boys and led them around for about an hour. As usual, Clark acted up and Lewis did really well. Dad's chickens were huddled up under a bush near the house. It was rather interesting. Even though I don't like the chickens. After we worked them, we let Lewis and Clark eat some fresh grass but didn't let them for long because it was raining and if goats eat too much wet grass they can get bloat and die.

I'm Back!

2004-04-11T14:24:00.000-04:00

I'm back from my little trip to NYC. I had a good time except I got sick. I decided I love New York and I would love to live there.

Mom said she and dad walked the boys once over the weekend. I'm not sure how well they behaved. We are planning on getting Clover the doe next weekend. That makes me very happy. I also have an update about the cart I needed to get for Lewis and Clark to pull. My family didn't want to have to order a cart online. So Mom and Grandpa asked around at several places. They found a man who makes miniature pony carts. He will make me a goat cart and I will have it by the end of the month. I'm soooo excited. Alright. More updates to come.

Slackers

2004-04-02T17:53:00.000-05:00

Walked the goats on halters and leads the other day. Lewis walked just beautifully but Clark really acted up! It was terrible. It snowed yesterday so I didn't get to walk them. I was hoping to get my doe this weekend but the parents say I can't until I clean my room. I'm working on them though. Maybe we can get her tomorrow and I can tell mom and dad I'll clean my room after New York. That reminds me. I will not be posting the seventh through tenth of this month because I'll be in New York City with our school's band. One more thing before I forget. I'll be getting goat pictures up on the website soon. Keep checking there and here!

Still Working

2004-03-23T21:13:00.000-05:00

Mom and I walked the boys again today. This time though we walked them two different directions. Then mom and I traded and walked the other one we hadn't walked before. I started out with Lewis and he put up a fight. He dislikes being separated from his brother. When I walked Clark, I didn't really have a problem with him. He just needed a memory check because he hadn't been worked for two days.

Doe

2004-03-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, My mom dad and I drove to North Benton to see some alpine does that a girl had for sale there. They had some nice looking does and I decided to buy one. I put a deposit on a doe named Clover. We will pay the rest when we go pick her up. She is an American Alpine so her coloring is brown and she looks almost like an Oberhasli. She has a little white on her head and neck. I can't wait until we pick her up!

Tummy Ache

2004-03-19T18:59:00.000-05:00

Remeber how I said that the boys got into the chicken coop yesterday? Well I think they ate too much. I found out that they ate a weeks worth of chicken food along with a paper bag and possibly some duct tape. I hope this doesn't kill them. I walked them though and they picked at some grass. Mom said that it was good I walked them because it will help their stomachs.

We went over to my cousin's to look at one of their does. She's a really good looking goat and they will sell her to us for $75. The only problem I have with her is that she isn't very tame. We are going to look at other goats tomorrow. Though we aren't going to bring one home until next week. Then I will make a decision about which goat I want to buy.

Progress, 4-H, and no Doe

2004-03-18T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I had to work with the goats by myself today because Mom had to work. I had one on each side and I dragged them along. The walked with me pretty well for a little while anyway. I felt kind of bad when I went down to the barn to work with the boys because they had gotten into the chicken coop and trashed the place. I found it funny but dad didn't. Maybe it's because I strongly dislike the chickens. After I walked the boys, I let them graze and spent a while watching them. I had a little thrill because Lewis let me scratch along his back and he's more skitish than Clark. I'm think about doing a double team thing for 4-H because I think Lewis and Clark would work better together.

Speaking of 4-H, We had a meeting tonight. I got the fair rules for the goats and I got my other project book. (creative writing) The meeting was pretty boring as usual though I am excited about going to the fair. We camped there last year and we are planning on doing it again this year.

An update on the doe we are going to buy: We aren't getting her Saturday because we had some unexpected expenses come up. We are going to still go see her and put a deposit on her. Then we will get her in a week or to.

That pretty much wraps up what's going on in goat land. Time to get back to the real world!

2004-03-16T17:39:00.000-05:00

Didn't work as much today because it's been snowing heavily half of last night and all of today. We did take the goats out of the barnyard though and walked them just a little ways. If nothing else they got some handling. I'm afraid this blog is going to get boring because we are doing the same thing with the boys for two weeks. Oh well.

The woman who had alpine does for sale called us back today. (Her name is Nancy.) She told mom and I about how they had three maybe four alpine yearlings and how since they had to sell some, they wanted them to go to a 4-H family. We talked to this Nancy lady for quite a while and mom got directions to their house. We are going to go look over the goats and buy one on Saturday. It will probably be $100 maybe less though. I want a yearling so that after the fair this year, I can breed her. Nancy told us they have really good show quality does. I can't wait until Saturday!

2004-03-15T22:18:00.000-05:00

Well, training has started. Mom helped me and we each took a goat and walked them using the commands we want them to learn. Mom started with Clark and I started with Lewis. We would then switch off every little bit. I walked infront with the goat I was walking and mom walked a little behind. This way both goats got used to being in front and back.

In other goat news, not really related to harness: I need to find a dairy doe to use for showmanship. I am partial to alpines and I don't really want another toggenburg because the colors are so similar I can't tell the boys apart except for their collars. I didn't want to have to deal with that with the doe I get. Mom called my 4-H advisor Mrs. Tinker and she gave us the name of another 4-H advisor to call. We did and found out that at this woman's 4-H there is a girl with five alpine yearlings. Which is exactly what I wanted. The advisor is going to call us back and tell us if the girl will sell us one. I'm very excited!

2004-03-14T17:36:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone! It starts tomorrow. I found a good training plan for the goats online so it's time to get them into shape for the fair. Since this is a new blog I'd better tell you a little about the goats. At the moment we have two wethers. Lewis and Clark are toggenburg brothers. I got them free from my cousin. This whole thing though should be an interesting experience. Wish me luck!