The Hunt Is Over -- At Last

There are 22 new bales of hay in my barn right now. Bales that were not there yesterday.

As I've mentioned to y'all, I've been having a hard time finding hay this month, and the steadily dwindling number of bales in my barn were proof positive of that. My search seemed futile. Everything I found was either too expensive, or they wouldn't deliver, or I had to buy at least five tons, or it wasn't good quality... Ugh. But I needed something, so I was getting ready to spend $245 on a ton of hay that was an hour away from me. I had really hoped to stay in the $150 to $160 range, but there just wasn't anything available!

Then a friend e-mailed me, saying there was a pretty good hay dealer 30 minutes away, and their prices were good, somewhere around $8 per bale. I was intrigued, and called the hay people immediately. 

Less than five minutes later, I had bought myself a ton of clover mix hay. I hadn't even seen it, hadn't run any of my tests by it yet, but I bought it. The gal I spoke with was very confident that I would like it, and I appreciated the fact that she stood behind their hay quality. The fact that the hay was organically grown was the cherry on top. I took her word for the hay's quality, and said I would see them in my barn the next day (Friday).

Unfortunately, it rained on Friday, and the hay people said they would prefer to wait until the next day. I still had hay from my last batch, so I was fine with that.

This morning came, and along with it came my load of hay. 

Hot dawg, I found my permanent hay supplier! 

The hay was just as good as they said it was, and the goats went absolutely berserk trying to get to it, despite their overflowing hay manger full of their breakfast. The husband and wife who own the hay farm were very friendly, and their prices really couldn't be beat. I paid $150 for this stuff, and they delivered and stacked it neatly for me. I'm easy to impress. ;) 

We talked about hay, cattle and goats for awhile, and then they hit the road again. But I'm saving their phone number for sure. I've been hunting for a supplier like them for five years; now I hope to buy from them for at least another five. 

This video is of the girl's third helping of the new hay. Normally all hay goes into the manger, but said manger was still full of their breakfast! So I figured they could go ONE day with eating snack on the ground. LOL. 

It Made A Difference To That One

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
A boy picking up something and gently throwing it back into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked "What are you doing?"
The Youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up, and the tide is going out.
If I don't throw them back, they will die."

"Son", the man said, "Do you realize that there are miles and miles of beach
And hundreds of starfish? You cannot make a difference."
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish
And threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said
"I made a difference to that one!"

~Loren Aisley

Just a little something for us all to mull over today. :) I know I always get so bogged down, thinking that I can't possibly make a difference in life. I'm just one small person in this huge world. But this story always reminds me that I'm not out to make a difference in the world. My job is to make a difference in the lives of those around me. That's what matters.

Cast Down -- Again

I came inside from making soap today, and my eyes fell upon a thin magazine that came in the mail earlier in the afternoon. It was my January/February copy of my beloved Dairy Goat Journal. All of life stopped for one fleeting moment as I slowly reached to pick up that little stack of colored papers.

My eyes scanned the front cover, reading teaser titles. Upon not seeing what I wanted, I wrenched the first pages open and eagerly searched the index. I read through the list fervently, and then read through it again a second time.

What I was searching for, wasn't there. Again.

I sent in an article submission to DGJ back in December, and I had so hoped to see that article in this go 'round's copy. But it wasn't. [big sigh]

Perhaps in the March/April copy, I will find my little article. It is discouraging sometimes, sending off articles that I have thrown myself into, and then not hearing anything about it. I know the editors are busy, I know they don't know me from Jane, but it would sure mean a lot to this simple country girl to one day see her own words in a published magazine. I'll probably write up another article soon, and send it to SGJ. If at first you fail your deed, try again 'til you succeed. Maybe someday... Someday I'll eagerly open the front cover to my latest magazine, and there in the index will be something written by me. Sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it... :)

Method To The Madness

Kiwi sold today.

And I'm filled with mixed feelings about it. I feel a twinge of regret selling her, and I wonder at my own madness in selling such a promising milker. But I also feel good about where she went to. She is now with a couple who already have a few dairy goats of their own, so they know what they're doing; I have "first right of refusal" (meaning if they ever want to sell her, they have to ask me first if I want her back), and I always have the offer of buying some of her offspring in the future. And of course, now Kiwi is spared from Heidi's fury.

As I posted Kiwi for sale, I couldn't help but wonder why I was choosing to sell HER. If there was any goat to sell in my herd, it should have been Heidi. A grumpy, bad tempered (towards other goats anyway) crossbred who gives awful tasting milk and is getting too old to be bred. Really, what's the point in keeping her, and selling the promising doeling who will have a butterfat score of 7%???? Where's the method to the madness here!?

 As I thought about this some more, I had to sheepishly admit that I'm keeping Heidi simply because I like her. In all of her grumpy glory, there's something in her that makes me laugh. I recently finished Jon Katz's book titled, "The Dogs of Bedlam Farm", and in that book Jon describes one of his Border Collies named Homer. Homer seemed like the perfect dog. No bad habits, well behaved at all times, quiet, loved kids, etc. etc... And then their was Jon's other Border Collie named Orson. Wild to the point of being maniacal, aggressive, spastic, loud, bad habits galore... Yet Jon sold Homer, and kept Orson. 

There was simply something in Orson that Jon liked.

 Kiwi was my "Homer". She was perfect. Quiet, had a stellar pedigree, a promising milking lineage, she went into heat like clockwork, led and stacked (i.e. "posed") with no fuss, never bossed any of the goats around, ate like a lady, never once tried to escape. What more could a goat owner ask for? But maybe that was it: She was too perfect... Since she was never escaping, misbehaving, or in your face, you simply noticed her last. In Heidi, I see a mirror of myself, and I know that's no compliment. We're both left-brained, grumpy extroverts who always somehow manage to get in trouble. Heidi knows my hot buttons. She knows exactly what makes me mad, and she also knows what look to pull when trying to seem innocent. I love that goat to pieces....

So my perfect goat left today, and I'm left with the shaggy delinquent of a Saanen/ La Mancha doe. She's earned her status as a permanent herd matriarch here. :)

But there was another reason why I sold Kiwi. I need to prioritize things this year, and increase my number of good quality breeding stock. In Kiwi's absence, there will be a new goat soon. I have my eye on one in particular, but it's yet to be decided if she's the one I will go with. I had to tell myself over and over again this morning that I HAVE to stick to my goals. I'll never reach them if I get sidetracked and buy every cute goat out there. I need to be firm with myself and do first things first. I want my herd to closely resemble the goats in the following herds:

• Lakshore Farms
• Saada Dairy Goats
• Blissberry Nubians
• Jacob's Pride
• Alize Dairy
• Remuda Nubians
• Hoanbu Dairy goats
• Kastdemur's (Kastdemur's website is currently down, but their animals are gorgeous!)

When my herd looks like any of the above mentioned, then I'll relax and get back into the Guernseys. I miss 'em already...

For Sale

I can't believe I'm doing this, but after a couple weeks of thought, I have decided to put Kiwi up for sale.

I need to prioritize right now, and that means getting my herd of Nubians at a stable level, before starting another breed. Someday I'll get into Guernseys again, but first things first. 

Kiwi is 10 months old right now, and still going into heat quite regularly. So there's still time to get her bred!

Her dam is milking an average of 10 lbs. per day (1 gallon = 8 lbs.), and has a butterfat score of 7%.

Her paternal granddam has done really well both at shows, and in the milk pail.

Kiwi is tested and negative for both CAE and CL. She's a sweetheart. Very quiet (except when she's in heat!), and she tends to be at the bottom of pecking order.

I feel like Kiwi might be better off at a different home. Somewhere where her potential as a milker will be appreciated and put to good use. She's too good to be just a brush goat. I think it would also be better for her to be elsewhere so she won't have to be bullied by Heidi anymore... That ornery gal likes to push her around and often won't let Kiwi have access to hay. 

Kiwi's conformation is nice. She's still young, so it's hard to say what she will mature to, but overall she looks promising. The main fault I see in her is that she has loose shoulders (imagine a cat walking, and how their shoulders move. That's what "loose shoulders" means). 

Below is a picture of Kiwi's dam, Rubystar Garnet. 

Kiwi's sire: Rubystar KLK MAJ Cheveyo. You can view his pedigree HERE.

And Kiwi's paternal granddam. I love this gal!

I'm asking $200 for Kiwi.

I live in the Willamette Valley, in OR. About an hour south of Portland. If you would like to come out and see Kiwi, or if you have questions, please e-mail me HERE. 

The Strength Tree

The Ash tree. 

Fraxinus Ornus is its Latin handle.

Revered in the medieval ages for its seemingly "magic" powers, peasants never felled an Ash tree, fearing it would bring a curse upon them. Instead these trees were allowed to die a natural death. When the trees did finally die, they were not burned; their famously hard wood was used to make things such as bows, eating utensils, and shepherds crooks. To burn an Ash tree was considered bad luck.

Also known as the Rowan tree -- which is what I like to call them -- these hardwood sentinels were planted next to barns and front doors, to protect the buildings from lighting, and supposedly witches (I'm still not sure how those two correlate.. Maybe it has something to do with changing eras). 

The Rowan is a youthful tree. Slender in form, with graceful leaves called "keys". These keys are highly sought after by animals (goats mostly), and their cheerfully red berries are a winter staple for birds. 

We have a Rowan tree on our property... Planted next to what used to be the front door (as the house changed over the years, it became a side door). It's an old tree, although its slim figure is somewhat misleading. Sometimes I sit and wonder just who planted that tree... Who planted it next to the front door? Was it for protection against lighting and witches? Did the planter hope to one day have a wood source for his crooks and spoons? 

I guess I'll never know... But I think it would be neat to have my own shepherds crook made from it someday. :)

The Farmer's Holy Grail

My eyes are all bleary feeling... I've been staring at this computer screen for entirely too long. My computer mouse makes continuous clicking noises, as I clickety-click at Craigslist ads. And then click again to go back to the main list. I'm on the hunt for what every farm person seeks. It's our holy grail. We wheel and deal, plead and beg, hunt and skulk for what we are searching for. Some have it easier than others in this quest fraught with disappointments and dead ends. We keep the bottle of ibuprofen right beside us, and on pieces of ripped paper are phone numbers that have been crossed off.

 And what is this holy grail that we so intensely and doggedly track down? Ah, it could only be one thing... And if you are a livestock owner yourself, you may have an inkling of what it is.

It's hay.

Hay for our livestock.

We search for it until we feel we can't go on anymore. We sympathize with each other as we plunk down $19 per bale. We inspect test bales as if they were the key to life. We look at their color, feel the core temperature, smell it, taste it, crunch it in our hands, bend it, measure the length, test it for protein percentages,  walk around it, feel its weight. And then finally, we see if the animals like it, and if we can afford it. If those don't work, then it's back to the ol' drawing board. 

If there is one thing in life that I utterly hate, it's trying to find a good hay source. Many people assume that goats will eat anything, and therefore any cheap hay will do. Dear readers, 'tis not so... Goats are the pickiest creatures on this globe. Don't waste your money trying to give them what is classed as, "cow hay"; that's bedding to them. Horse hay is a step up, but they're still apt to turn their noses up at it. No, it's not easy for us goat people, as we find that our dairy goats will really only eat the best stuff out there. But YIKES! Prices are almost $400 per ton this year!! It is maddening when you've just gotten a ton of expensive hay that looks good to your eye, and then you watch those ornery goats pull out and trample 3/4's of it, and only eat one tiny fraction. World's most expensive bedding. 

 Goat hay is hard to find. It has to be green. It has to be soft. The length of the grasses can't be more than eight inches long. There can't be dust in it. Or twigs. They don't like fescue. And I can only spend $160, and that price has to include delivery. [bonks head on computer desk repeatedly]

 So there I am: scrolling through the Craigslist ads, trying to find my Holy Grail. Hay. That's all I want. Hay.

"Aha! Here's one!" I begin to think as I start perusing an ad of interest. "Good Orchard grass hay, very green and soft. Never been rained on. Good for horses and goats. $140 per ton." Then I see the bottom of the ad: "No delivery available." Sigh...

Next one up: "Excellent alfalfa hay. We've been doing business since 1987, and we repeatedly have the best hay around. $135 per ton and delivery is available for a nominal fee." The goats absolutely LOVE alfalfa hay! But I am yet again cast down, as I read their catch: You have to buy a minimum of 10 tons. Ouch.

I liked this one: "High quality Orchard grass hay. No weeds, no rain. Been stored in the barn. These are "lady sized" bales, weighing 55-60 lbs. each. $160 per ton; delivery available." I cracked up at the description of "lady sized" bales!! I actually would have contacted this person, but their Craigslist ad expired yesterday. Phooey.

 I read through countless other ads. Good hay, bad hay. Brown hay, green hay. Expensive hay, dirt cheap hay. Cow hay, goat hay. Clover hay, fescue hay. Hay, hay, hay. Hmm, that sounds like something from Dr. Seuss...

Out of all those leads, I think I might have two that might work. But it is always so nerve wracking when buying a ton of it! More than once, I have shown up at a farmer's place to be shown his "High quality, green alfalfa hay", and my eyes beheld a stack of hay that more or less resembled a bleached pile of bones, than it did "high quality, green, alfalfa hay. Or I get there, and find out the the fella' forgot that I was coming. Or I buy an entire ton, and then the person not only brings the wrong kind, but the inside of the bales are moldy!! ARGH!!! 

 Now, I know that making hay is not easy. My hat is off to all hay farmers, and I have great respect for them. They have the weather to contend with each year, and they dance to a finicky tune that can turn ugly at any moment. But all I want is a ton of green, soft hay. The hay doesn't have to be a brilliant green; a soft, summer shade will do me. But yellow and brown are not okay in my book. 

Despite the headaches and heartaches of hay hunting, there is nothing in life that fills me with more joy (I think it might even top newborn goat kids) than seeing a stack of hay in my own barn. It's passed all the tests, and now it's here. Perfuming the place with its intoxicating, floral scent, and sitting in a stack like an emperor on his throne. Hay is king here. 

 So my quest for the Holy Grail continues... I can't wait until it's over.