When I first got goats, I knew I wanted to have a registered herd, however, I didn't trust myself as a goat mom and I had never raised any kind of livestock myself. I was worried that I would find that raising goats was not for me, so I didn't want to get really expensive registered does only to have to give up and sell them off. I started out with two sisters who were 1/2 Nigerian, 1/4 Lamancha, 1/4 Oberhasli and a little cutie who was some mix but mostly Nigerian. They were Padme, Leia and Starbuck. I approached learning how to care for goats like a college curriculum and I began to teach myself "goat courses".
So far I've passed:
-Goats 101(how to keep three goats alive over winter)
-Goats 102(maintenance: shots, hoof trimming, blood draws, worming)
-Goats 103(breeding, honestly, I didn't pass this, they passed it themselves)
-Goats 201(kidding, 13 kids my first year!)
-Goats 202(selling all the kids!)
-Goats 203(showing at an ADGA show)
-Goats 204(Linear Appraisal)
I'm studying up for:
-Goats 301(DHIA milk test)
-Goats 302(breed improvement)
-Goats 303(actually winning at a show, this one is hard :P )
-Goats 401(genetic experiment on Polled Intersex Syndrome)
So what happened to my unregistered gals? Well, I got them September 2015, and then found out I was pregnant with my daughter in October. I kept them for 7 months until it was very apparent that I didn't have a plan for how to deal with them post-baby. I had to let them go. I basically gave them away with all their stuff to a lovely lady and her daughter. I bet they are having the time of their lives! But starting out with them gave me the confidence to keep going, I think I got bit by the goat bug hard, and I started back up in the Spring of 2017 with registered Nigerians.
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