BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! If you aren't aware of cattle breeds, then think dogs. German shepherd, collie, boston terrier, great dane, golden retriever, etc. Yes, there are many goat breeds.

Airianna, the breed is spelled "kiko". We have/have had boers, a kiko, nubians, lamanchas, alpines, saanens, and a few crossbred toggenburgs. Most of them are crossbred, actually, but we have and have had a few fullbloods and purebreds (there's a difference, for those of you who aren't goat people). Someday I'd like to have a myotonic (Tennessee fainting goat).

~Aisha

There's a difference between fullbloods and purebreeds? *is curious*

My Great Grandparents used to have goats... but I don't think any of their goat knowledge was passed on to me.

"Fullblood" always means 100%, whether you are talking meat goats or dairy goats, but the dairy goat people do not prefer the term. In the dairy goat world, "purebred" also means 100%, but in the meat goat world, "purebred" means 97%+.

~Aisha

I knew cows had breeds. I come from two lines of dairy farmers. But I know zippydo about goats, except we had a baby one once and it died.

*nods like she understands all of that*

I think I understand what you mean.

*nods as well* Very interesting...

eru

*didn't check the spelling * *shrugs *

We had mostly papered goats, so we kept our stock to the two breeds we wanted, instead of having all the cross breeds and so forth.

So, since you have boars, you must live in the drier climates, like Texas, right?


Yeah, the whole paper thing is ridiculous. ADGA and AKGA should standardize stuff. I mean, AKGA required follicle testing on Caesar and Red(primary Kiko breeding bucks), but ADGA didn't require follicle testing on Gunner, Scout, or Samson (primary Nubian breeding bucks). *shrugs * Oh well. The joys of being in the business. You have to do what the associations say.

The annoying thing about associations is that it's more convenient to have a single registry, but if there is only one it becomes a monopoly and has nothing to stop it from going bad . . . Interesting.

Yeah, I guess we live in "the drier climates". Not quite that dry, though, I don't think. It's too bad that American breeders have corrupted the boer goat so much. The South Africans knew what they were doing, and the boer used to be the best. Some day I want to have SA boers. Did you know that "boer" just means "goat" in the SA language (whatever that is)?

~Aisha

[offtopic]That is interesting! So the Boer War was really the Goat War. [/offtopic]

*nods * I've met lots of Goat people, some of which do work in Africa. Boers work great over there, and they can work well in the dry climate here in the US, but they are a horrible pain in the neck for my area. The Kikos are great. They are from the wetter climates of New Zealand, so they work well where Boers don't thrive. Also, their bloodlines are still very pure and unadulterated by the American influence. *rolls eyes * We always try to beef something up and end up ruining breeds.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the original SA boers imported to the US were very parasite hardy. It's the show breeders especially and "pet" breeders that do the damage. *Sigh* Well, it's fun to work at improving the genetics we personally own.

~Aisha

Oh dear... pardon how late I am in welcoming you.

But welcome to Holy Worlds, all the same.

Gah! I'm late as well, but better late than never! Welcome to Holy Worlds, Aisha; it's great to have you here.

I'll join the line of late welcomers .


WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!

It's good to have you!! Visit the Chat sometime, though, to warn you, it get's loud and crazy there. You want to see something to back me up, click this! http://holyworlds.org/forum/viewtopic.p ... 28&start=0

*smiles and gives you a gallon of icecream* I hope you like it!

Agreed, Aisha. The original Boer goats, I believe, were much hardier when they first came over to America. Then breeders messed with their strong bloodlines. *rolls eyes * Oh well. Water under the bridge.

Do you have other animals?

Oh man. I think it's been several weeks since I've been able to visit HolyWorlds. We've had quite a bit of work and stuff to do. Thank you, everybody!

Yes, we do have other animals. Besides the goats, we also have chickens (about 120 right now), a dog, cats, a llama, pigs, guineas (their numbers are dwidling currently because the owls keep eating them and the last few years of keets [baby guineas] have all failed). I think we're down to four guineas . . . . Oh, well. Life is great, especially with faith in God, biblical vision, an awesome family, good friends, and the lifestyle God designed you to enjoy.

ANNOUNCEMENT: My sisters on HolyWorlds have finally discovered who I am. I wondered how long it would take. *Waves to sisters*

~Aisha

Welcome welcome welcome to HW!

Awesome is right. Love that spirit, Aisha!

I wondered too, Aisha. *chuckles *

Wow! That's a lot of animals you guys have!

Meaning . . . (a) that you are one of the people that reviewed my registration application and saw my referral information (b) that, based on what I have said, you wondered how long it would take before whoever I knew on HolyWorlds found out (c) that, based on what I have said, you knew it was family on HolyWorlds (d) other . . . ? Haha, I like to know what people mean by what they say.

~Aisha

*chuckles * Well, A was the first reason. Then I asked you about it when I pmd you when you first got here, and you mentioned you had sisters on here. So I wondered how long till they figured it out.

I didn't remember saying that in a pm. Lol! I like you, Airianna.

~Aisha (a.k.a. Erica)

*chuckles * Well I'd hate to not be liked.

By the way, are you guys heading into kidding time, Aisha? Do you guys stick with a rotational breeding?

No, we've finished kidding season. Our first kids of the season were born in December, and the last were born in the middle of last month. They were very spread out this year, for some odd reason.

What exactly are to referring to by "rotational breeding"?

~Aisha

Well, if you don't know what I'm talking about, then you obviously are not familiar with it.

In dairy farms, it has become popular to manage the doe's cycles in such a way that you breed them during different seasons, instead of just their natural season, thus allowing you to have milk year round, sustain your own family and customers with a constant milk supply. We used a rotational breeding, and other than the one year when we had a drought which affected milk production, we had milk all year round for us and our customers. It worked well, and it also kept up from bottle feeding as many kids at once.

Not necessarily true as people are often familiar with something of which they have never heard a name. In this case, however, although I had considered the benefits of a similar system as thought of by our family and being aware of aseasonal breeding in both the dairy and meat goat industries, have not been more than semi-conscious of its existence and entirely oblivious of the name. We practice hand breeding almost exclusively with only one full season of pasture breeding in our dairy goats only and a few "catch the last ones" pasture breedings plus a few "accidents".

~Aisha

*nods * It works well. We liked rotating our goats through like that.