The Freckled Farm Soap Company

Tag: Goats

  • Fun Farm Facts Friday – October 30th

    Have you ever heard people talking about farm animals and been confused about the terminology they were using? With this week’s farm fact I’m here to help! Below you will find several terms used when describing the farm animals that we have. These are terms that you might see pop up from time to time on our blog.

    Goats:

    • Kid – Baby goat
    • Doe – Female goat
    • Doeling – A young female goat, generally under a year
    • Buck – Male goat
    • Buckling – Baby male goat, generally under a year
    • Wether – Castrated male
    • Billy – Older intact male
    • Dam – Mother goat
    • Sire – Father goat

    Chickens:

    • Chick – Baby chicken
    • Pullet – Female chicken until they are old enough to lay eggs
    • Hen – Female chicken of laying age
    • Rooster – Male chicken (also called cock or cockerel)

    Llamas:

    • Cria – Baby llama
    • Maiden – Female llama who has not been bred yet
    • Yearling – One year old llama
    • Dam – Mother goat
    • Sire – Father goat

  • Fun Farm Facts Friday October 9th

    Have you ever been on a goat farm during breeding season? If so, then you are familiar with the smell of a buck in rut… It’s a unique and distinct smell.

    During breeding season the male goats (bucks) go into rut. During this period the buck’s hormones are surging. They tend to act more aggressively and will eat very little if at all. In order to “attract” the does to them they will urinate all over themselves giving them a pungent odor. The girls love it, but let me tell you, it’s quite gross and it can be smelled from quite a distance. Being that it is breeding season here on the farm we are dealing with it right now!

  • Fun Farm Facts Friday October 2nd

    When you hear facts about when to breed goats you will likely get different answers from different farmers. Some farms like to breed their goats right when they reach sexual maturity, while others, like us, like to wait until they are 18 months old. The general rule of thumb is not to breed before 7 months and 77 pounds. This is the baseline for when it is safe to breed. Breeding a goat any smaller than this could cause serious complications for the dam. Some farmers decide to breed their goats right when they reach this size and age limit… and they have success doing it. However there are a few downsides to doing this. Some say that it stunts the goat’s growth. The farmers who breed early will insist this isn’t true, while others claim they have seen it first hand. I’m not sure there is any scientific proof to this. The reason most wait to breed is that it allows the goat to get some size on her and reduces the likelihood of potential compilations during kidding.

  • Fun Farm Fact Friday… September 11th

    Given that it is breeding season it’s time for another goat breeding fact!

    Goats generally have 21 day cycles, although this can vary depending on breed and the individual goat. They are in heat for 24-36 hours with only about 12 of those hours being considered optimal. If you are not allowing your bucks to run with the does you have to watch your herd closely for signs of heat.

  • Fun Farm Fact Friday… September 4th

    It’s September! Which means the girls will start going into heat and it will soon be breeding season! I can’t believe it’s already this time of year! So going with this theme the next several week’s facts will be about breeding…

    Many goat breeds, including Nubians, are seasonal breeders. These goats are generally bred in the months ending in ER (September, October, November, December). While it is possible to breed these goats at other times of year their heats are not as strong (or almost non-exisitant) and it can be very hard to tell when they are ready to be put with the buck. Breeding goats in the months ending in ER results in late winter to spring kids. The cooler weather keeps the parasites and flies at bay, helping prevent several issues that can cause major problems!

  • 2016 Kid Reservations

    It’s that time of year again! Breeding season will be starting very soon. Now is the time to make a reservation for a 2016 kid. We work on a first come first served bases. If you have a specific breeding you are interested in please indicate that when you make your reservation. You are welcome to come and visit the goats if you like.

    Because we have no way of knowing how many goats we will get and what genders they will be we take a limited number of reservations and under estimate what we think we will get based on past experience. This year we will take reservations for 6 does. There may be kids still available in the Spring once all reservations are filled. If you are interested in a kid and all reservations are filled you will be added to a wait list.

    All of our does this year will be bred to our herd sire Warner. We will have a mixture of Pure Bred Nubians and American Nubians. Pictures of all of your does can be found on the “Our Animals” section of the blog. For more information about purchasing a goat from us visit this blog post.

    2016 Breedings

    • Dam: Ruth – Pure Bred
    • Dam: Sonia – Pure Bred
    • Dam: Hillary – American
    • Dam: Tina – American
    • Dam: Chelsea – American
    • Dam: Eleanor – American
    • Dam: Elsie – American

    Goat Pricing:

    • Pure Bred Nubian Does – $250
    • American Nubian Does – $200
    • Pure Bred Nubian Bucks – $250
    • American Nubian Bucks – $150

  • Fun Farm Fact Friday… August 28th

    Have you ever wondered what farms do with all of the manure that their animals produce? Here on The Freckled Farm we use it for our compost and garden. Both goat and llama fecal matter has little to no odor and both can be added directly to your garden without having to be composted. It acts as an amazing fertilizer! It’s a great organic way to give your plants a boost.

  • Fun Farm Fact Friday… August 21st

    There is a growing trend of people using goats to clear land of brush and keep landscape from becoming overgrown. There are farmers who actually do this as a business… renting out their goats to people who need land cleared. It is more eco-friendly and in most cases costs the same, if not less, than having equipment brought in to do it. In fact Google uses rent-a-goats to clear weeds and maintain the grounds at their headquarters! Read about it here.

  • Fun Farm Fact Friday… August 14th

    Goats have a life expectancy that is similar to a large dog. Most breeds of goat live between 10-12 years, although under excellent care some goats can live up to 15 years!

  • Fun Farm Fact Friday… August 7th

    Did you know that goats burp? An adult goat can carry four to five gallons of plant matter in it’s rumen. The rumen breaks down the plants and acts as a fermentation vat. Gasses are created because of the fermentation causing the goat to burp!