In the Beginning

I have always loved animals. I brought kittens and puppies home. I saved baby bunnies that the cat brought as live presents to our doorstep. Fell in love with horses, one of the most magnificent animals every young girl hopes to one day own. But goats? Never. Just what good are they? They could not be very interesting and who in their right mind would actually want to own a goat.

A friend and I rented a small farm with an old chicken house on and a small pasture for our horses. Made stalls, a tack and feed rooms appeared in the chicken house after hours of interesting labor on our parts ( Interesting because we had no clue as how to proceed but just winged it!) We added a few barn cats and our dogs visited the place to run and exercise.

How could one little goat who lived under the old wood heater we installed one winter change my mind? Well, he did. Named “Mr. Pea Leg Q C Stone”. He was so cute when he was small and so funny as he grew and so smart ( or maybe so stupid) when he matured. Goat have to be the clowns of the animal world. Nothing else can describe them.

A few goats here and there, then I married a farm boy in 1979 and a business opportunity came our way when we found that stinky old “Billy” goats that no one wanted in their pastures were worth good money when they were sent to Miami to the ethnic groups that were locating in the area. Each week we would meet the buyer with what we had gathered. Very good money then and I am sure the buyer made good money when he got them there.

We had a few kids but never tried to raise them, just buy and resell them for a while until…… I saw my first Boer goat! Our adventure begins!

Is Bigger Better? Sustainable Farming Practices

How big is too big? As the search for grass and feed continues, as prices continue to rise for hay, gas and diesel, producers need to start thinking about your cow and goat size. Is bigger better? Are 1,000-pound cows better than 1,300-pound cows? How big is a good cow? Are 200 pound goats better than 150 pound goats?

The simple answer is that one size does not fit all operations. Just how big are the animals you are turning out to pasture is the real question.

My herds are probably not unique for the southeast. Cows are a combination of Angus and Angus cross breeding; my goats are predominantly Boer and Boer crosses with the lighter-weights showing the influence of Georgia native composite breeding.

Heat, humidity and drought in the southeast means the livestock that works best for my farm must be a moderate frame size for feed efficiency. Droughts, hay shortage, high feed costs require that our animals excel in feed efficiency and raise a calf or kid with less input. We try to keep what profit the cows and goats generate on the farm rather than give it to the feed stores.

While sorting does and kids, cows and calves for spring and summer pasture, one needs to make sure your plans for stocking rates are compatible with your area and biology. This is especially important in dry areas.

The quantity and quality of daily intake is a factor and the amount an individual animal eats is influenced by total body weight. Overstocking of total body weight is a serious concern for pasture and browse managers.

Every producer needs to know the weight of the animals that are turned out to graze and browse. Your decision making requires knowledge. Size and weight is one of the crucial pieces of information needed for good management. Don’t guess; know your animals’ weights. Monitor weight and adjust the stocking rate based on weight, age, nutritional requirements and pasture quality and forage availability.

Preparing Your Farm and Animals for Disasters

Are you ready for:
Blackouts, Chemical Emergencies, Drought, Earthquakes, Fires, Floods, Heat Waves, Hurricanes, Mudslides, Terrorism, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Tsunami, Volcanoes, Wildfires, Winter Storms….
“It is vital that animal facilities prepare for disasters, not only for the animals housed inside, but so that the facility will be viable in the aftermath. These facilities will include animal shelters, kennels, veterinary clinics and hospitals, pet shops, horse stables and other facilities where animals are routinely housed. The following guidelines are appropriate for all and will help determine which disasters and dangers a facility may be vulnerable to, and what plans they can make now to mitigate damage and downtime.” taken from the Information Resources for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees 1985-1999 report.

This article was buried deep in the national UDSA government website. It is an excellent report that includes the following topics of interest, tips and resources on proactive disaster planning for all types of farms:
• Evaluate your Animal Facility
• Insurance
• Set Priorities
• Create a Pyramid of Employee Release
• Specific Preparations
---1. Evacuation
---2. Sheltering
---3. Human Evacuation
---4. Special Considerations
• Final Securing of Premises
• Returning after the Disaster
• On-Going Planning

Link to the whole articlehttp://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/IACUC/dis.htm

Link to the American Red Cross(information on each type of disaster, what to expect and how to plan and prepare for each type of emergency.)http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_253_,00.html

Link to your printable copy of the “Farm Disaster Plan Quick Check List”
1.Pdf format…http://georgiaboer.com/DisasterPlanQuickCheckList.pdf
2.Microsoft Word format…http://georgiaboer.com/DisasterPlanQuickCheckList.doc