We had a blast !!!

I took Wimberly her daughter 6 month old Grace and Classy,,, I did 8 mini presentations for about 400 total 3rd & 4th graders. they were all interested, asked lots of goat questions, and petted Classy who took it all in like a regular lap dog, she really enjoyed the children... I think the most favorit part of the prestentation for the kids was when the goats POOPED....

I had purchased 2 does from California fall of 08 and i was really excited to be adding them to my breeding program... they never came into heat, was beginning to wonder if something was wrong. I tried flushing them to encourage heat, i put them in a pen with the buck of choice long term to see if something would happen.. the girls were all the while "NO WAY BUCKO"

So i contacted the owner to find out that they goat sat a neighbors cute little pgmy buck...OOPS....Of course i was upset but what can i do other then wait... Feb 16 Bell kidded with 2 adorable blue eyed bucks and on the 18 Pippin kidded with the cutes bucks i'd ever seen, it is a good thing they weren't does that reduced the temptation to keep them...... All of them found good homes so all is well!!

I have had a roller coster year.. some good and some bad times to share.. I hope to be able to sit down soon and write a summary.

Kidding season is about to happen here on PlayRite Farm, the girls are getting irritable, each wanting a bit more personal space, and those not at the top of the pecking order get bossed around pretty hard. Now is the time to separate those that are  due first, to protect the unborn. they have all had thier shots of CDT, Vit B, Selenium E, and wormer. they have had the hooves trimmed and their udders dairy clipped. I think I'm more excited then they are.

Spring has sprung and i felt like my web site needed an overhaul. A brand new look, and I hope all new pictures before summes end. I hope all my visiters will be patient with me and excuss the mess!!  I am working on this almost constantly, it has even taken priority over my house work,, <grr>

One of my favorite bucks passed away today at the tender age of 3. For some reason he just never thrived here at the beginning of winter he lost a lot of weight, even after separating him and feeding him extra plus all the meds I could possibly think of. He still had a hard time maintaining body weight. Finally I thought we made a break through after another series of meds he seemed to gain a bit of weight and started to act bucky again. I was once again hopeful of his making it though this awful winter of 09..  March 11, 09 on my way to do morning chores, I noticed he had given up during the night.... I am soo saddened by this, I feel so defeated.

Thank God he did pass on his wonderful geneitc into my herd through his sons and daughters most of them retained in my herd.

PlayRite Farm has been invited to give a presentation about goats. We are excited about his great opportunity!!

We will give this presentation to about 400+ 2nd and 3rd grade students from Madison Co. Nebraska. I will load up a few goats and of course kids for show and tell. We will include a milk stand, a quart of milk, a cheese sample to touch and see. Also hay, grain, mineral. and some of the objects that I  use to care for my goats. I am hoping one of my local goat friends will send me a sample of fiber for the kids to feel and touch. I  can't wait.

For the last couple of days, I have been spending time trying to give my web site an updated look. With a bit more order. and hopefully more eye appeal. Thanks Agian to Freewebs as it really makes having a web site easy

Jan 16 & 18,09 I recieved my first kids of the year. It seems as I purchased 2 Nigerian Dwarf does from a gal that had an oops breeding with a pygmy buck. We were blessed with 2 sets of twin bucks. Something was different with this kidding. I had one littel buck born with no hooves on his hind legs. But Praise God, we have found a home for him. someone that will provide special care and tiny boots for his little feet.

He is a goo getter. bounces around like anyother kids. acts like the stumps don't bother him. I think he will make a wonderful therapy animal to visit childrens hospitals etc.

I was rather surprised that finding homes for all of my pups was so quick, I did have one person not show up, so I kept him an extra 3 weeks. It was hard to part with him as he was alot of fun, and they are easy to get attached too. But I'm confident that he will have a wonderful happy home in SD. 

Now I'd like to find my adult male a new home, as I would really like to keep his daugher. I have Chosen to name her Ziva, which mean brilliant. And i believe she is the smartest one of the bunch.  Finding a new home for the male would open the idea of finding a non related male and perhaps become an LGD breeder. These thoughts are not solid as I may still have both females altered.

I am also waiting patiently for 1/2 breed kids to be born..................HUMMMMMMMMMMMM

Life is somewhat easier on a farm then the real world, often you can turn off the TV and radio and not listen to the terrible new that this world is facing on a daily basis. Life on a farm kinda takes you away from all of that, if only for a short while. But then we have children and no matter how hard we try  to direct where they go and what they do, they still have to spread their wings and fly.

My son disided to travel to Israel to be with what he believes is the girl for him. Right now in Israel there is friction between Gaza and the Nation of Israel, lots of military dispute.  My son is in a town North of Tel Aviv, in NaTanya and Gaza is south.

Map of Natanya, HaMerkaz IL

I do find this to be an amazing adventure. And I hope he will make the most of it. And Of course I pray for his safty. I also pray that the Lord will take this oportunity and really minister to his heart.

I have been working hard at communicating with people over the internet, trying to find good homes for my puppies,,, LGD's are amazing dogs. Not everyone knows what they are or what they do, and some don't appreciate their independent personalities.. They are livestock guard dogs. And get to be very large. Their responsibility is to guard our small Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats from predators in the area, as well as the other animals on our farm. They do a wonderful job. I have not lost a chicken since my dogs have lived here. They have been reported to fight bears, wolves, coyotes to keep them away of their charges. Unfortunately they do bark all night, that is to tell the predator, "don't come this way, I will get you". And I guess it works. However recently we were blessed with 8 puppies, and finding good homes in the country, preferably on a sheep/goat farm is what I hope for them, so they can do what they were bred to do for literally centuries. .It is important to me to find good country homes for my dogs, not just anyone. I prefer that they get to go to a sheep/goat farm with lots of space to patrol... And I believe I've been blessed today as I've found potential homes for all of them. They are amazing, and I'm very happy to have found them homes before they eat me out of house and home...LOL .... 2 of them eat well over $100 worth of dog food a month, can you imagine what 10 would do.  If your one of those that will be rehoming my pups, Thank You!!

Hummmm..................
 
On a farm that might look like selling some of the stock because of the unstable economy. To maybe be better prepared for the next year, and hopefully no unsuspecting illnesses for either human or beast.

The ground will stay frozen here until mid may, so nothing happens here to prepare the garden, I am  fascinated with the idea of a green house. That would be nice but the wind that  blows here would have it torn off in no time. So any garden preparations or early seed plantings would need to be done in the house, under grow lights.

My chickens are finally starting to lay again after a long rest (molt). It is a good thing, i have been really missing the fresh eggs. I

d'Uccle bantams also live on PlayRite Farm I am really fascinated with these yard flowers. They are so friendly, and the little roosters really strut their stuff. So cute. There are several different color patterns that i think i should have a few of them of other colors too.

We have added commercial rabbits to our farm, and i hope to start breeding them soon.  I do however hope to sell a few for 4H to the local kids.

The goats are all doing quite well, this year has been colder and more snow then in times past. It has been a real trial for me, being outside in negitive temps, and trying to carry 5 gal water bucket on ice to all the stock. 

I do have one buck from the deep south  that is having climate shock. He is having a terribly tuff time maintaining his body weight.

Finding homes for puppies is the first priority of 2009. So I'll just Thank God ahead of time for bringing the right people.

This list can go on and on as I sit and think about it.

Another very special year, we were blessed with our 7th grandchild a baby girls on the 24 of December in the early afternoon. Talking about Chirstmas Miricles!!!

People that is scary, I know not everyone can be a blessed as i am, not everyone can raise fresh farm milk. But i encourage you, to search out options, be educated. And unfortunately most often we don't find anything out until it is too late.   But if we have escaped the misfortune this time, now is the time to act. Search out small dairy farms, search out fresh vegi gardens, ...If you can't raise your own fresh milk and vegi. Then I urge you to  Support the small farms that works very hard to bring healthy food to their own tables and children.  Search them out, most of them are willing to share.

Goats' Milk Is More Beneficial To Health Than Cows' Milk, Study Suggests www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070730100229.htm