Thank you for your interest in our husbandry practices. Please note that we are managing our herd in a way that works well for us. Every farmer has the ability to implement a program that is tailored to their own needs.
OUR HERD
We have a modest sized herd of mostly Alpines and we take pride in the individualized care we can provide for our goats. Our stock comes from outstanding and diverse genetics including: Mamm-Key, Lazy-Lady-Farm, Roeburn, Redwood Hills, Soldier Mountain and Kickapoo Valley. Building this dynamic herd has been years in the making and quite an investment.
DISEASE TESTING
All of our animals are tested negative for CAE (Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis), CL (Caseous Lymphadenitis), and Johne's through Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. We have nine years of negative testing on our herd. Prior to that, our foundation stock came from disease free herds, and tested negative for CAE through the University of New Hampshire. Vermont is a TB (tuberculosis) free state.
PARASITE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM / PARASITE RESISTANCE
We breed for parasite resistance. This means something different to each farmer. For us, this means that we want to procreate animals who resist becoming infected with parasites, because they are likely to pass on that resistance to their offspring. Additionally, we want to breed animals who maintain condition even if they inadvertently become infected with parasites despite our management plan.
Our management plan involves intensive pasture rotation. Again, the details of this are different on each farm. For us it means that the herd is given just enough pasture for ONE DAY. They are contained in electric net fencing on one "lot" of land for 12 hours to consume what they wish. The next day, they are moved to the next lot in succession. The lot they depart from gets mowed quite short. This cycle continues, and it is greater than 30 days before the herd re-enters the first lot of pasture. We do this for two reasons: 1.) We feel that this breaks the life cycle for most parasites. 2.) This allows for optimum growth of vegetation.
In our experience, goats avoid eating grass that is less than 5 inches in height because instinctively they know that is the area most heavily populated by parasite eggs. Our pasture management plan doesn't force the goats to go against their instincts, and it's better for the land. Our practice seems to be working. How do we know? Read on...
We check our goats' mucous membranes daily for any sign of anemia. This system of checking their eyelid color is called the FAMACHA system.
In addition to this, we perform routine fecal analysis in house on the farm. I guess you could say that this is one of the perks of having been a certified veterinary technician. By knowing which parasites an animal has, we can directly target how to treat the problem. In this way, we do not need to rely on chemical dewormers. We use herbs to treat any parasitism and we cull heavily for repeatedly infected, affected animals.
We send fecal samples to Mid-America Ag Research Lab for qualitative and quantitative analysis each year, or more often if we suspect a particular animal is having difficulty.
HOLISTIC HUSBANDRY PRACTICES
We implement holistic husbandry practices which include herbs and homeopathy for nutritional support and medicinal remedies. We're happy to speak with seriously interested buyers about our practices.
VACCINATION
We do not vaccinate our herd. For anything. Period.
We are proactive with our prevention program in other ways.
FEED
Our goats are fed organically. Goats are browsers, not grazers and we treat them as such by providing a variety of feed stuffs for optimum health including: black oil sunflower seeds, flax seeds, Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds, plus much more. Many vitamins and minerals can be provided via whole food choices as opposed to chemicals and we prefer these because they do not build up to toxic levels in the body. We use Golden Blend loose mineral free choice. We offer organic kelp at a rate of 1/4 c. per goat per day. We also provide a Himalayan salt block free choice.
TRAINING
All of our animals are trained to electric net fencing. They are also usually leash trained, and trained to follow the herd for off leash browsing walks. We begin teaching goat kids about hoof trimming at 2 weeks of age, and it's done monthly thereafter. By the time the goat kids are 6 months old, they are standing agreeably for hoof trimming. This is well worth the time to have a cooperative goat.
BREEDING
Alpines are seasonal breeders. This means that they are in heat and receptive to breeding in the fall. We follow this cycle naturally and hand breed each doe, using one of our stellar bucks. We do NOT use lutalyse or any other chemical means of inducing heat cycles. Goats' gestation is approximately 5 months (145-155 days) and by hand breeding we know a more approximate due date (or window) than if we were to just house the buck with the does for 30 days. This allows us to be present for each birth and assist if necessary. It also allows us to be able to watch for any complications and prevent any problems.
We confirm all our pregnancies with a whole blood sample sent to the University of New Hampshire BioPryn laboratory.
DAM RAISING
All of our goat kids are dam raised unless there is a medical reason that they cannot be. We feel this provides the absolute best start for all our animals and prevents undue stress to both the kid and dam. Babies thrive on their dam's raw colostrum and milk, packed full of nutrients. This also gives our goats the opportunity to learn herd hierarchy. It is possible to dam raise goats who are friendly with humans, especially with the socialization we provide.
Goat kids may be sold at two weeks old and continue to be bottle fed at their new farms. But, keep in mind that a bottle raised goat doesn't often know how to behave in a herd and can easily become humanized.
Alternately, we can continue to dam raise kids until natural weaning (3-6 months of age) for an additional monthly fee.
MILKING
We hand milk all of our does. We milk into glass, not plastic, in order to assist with the freshest tasting milk. Our milking pitchers are sterilized and then pre-frozen for milking. We strain our milk into sterilized and pre-frozen mason jars, and then they are placed into an ice water bath. This helps cool the milk quickly and prevent unwanted bacteria growth. Our milk is chilled to less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit in less than an hour. We house our does separately from our bucks, and we keep our stalls extremely clean (no manure pack system here) to ensure that odors do not taint the flavor of our milk.
One more important point to mention is the idea of 'milking through' which means instead of breeding each fall, we will typically milk a doe through the fall/winter/spring/summer. This gives her a year off from carrying a pregnancy and it continues to provide us with milk without the need of creating/selling additional babies. It's healthier for the doe and more conscientious for the ecology of the goat world. There are too many unwanted babies, of all species, in the world.
BIOSECURITY
This is term we take very seriously. We do not allow farm visits without prior approval and an appointment. Our herd's health is of utmost importance to us. Thank you for your understanding.
MEMBERSHIPS
We are proud members of the American Dairy Goat Association.
We are proud members of the Vermont Sheep & Goat Association.
Reserve early for spring 2023 kids! Check out our breeding page!
OUR HERD
We have a modest sized herd of mostly Alpines and we take pride in the individualized care we can provide for our goats. Our stock comes from outstanding and diverse genetics including: Mamm-Key, Lazy-Lady-Farm, Roeburn, Redwood Hills, Soldier Mountain and Kickapoo Valley. Building this dynamic herd has been years in the making and quite an investment.
DISEASE TESTING
All of our animals are tested negative for CAE (Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis), CL (Caseous Lymphadenitis), and Johne's through Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. We have nine years of negative testing on our herd. Prior to that, our foundation stock came from disease free herds, and tested negative for CAE through the University of New Hampshire. Vermont is a TB (tuberculosis) free state.
PARASITE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM / PARASITE RESISTANCE
We breed for parasite resistance. This means something different to each farmer. For us, this means that we want to procreate animals who resist becoming infected with parasites, because they are likely to pass on that resistance to their offspring. Additionally, we want to breed animals who maintain condition even if they inadvertently become infected with parasites despite our management plan.
Our management plan involves intensive pasture rotation. Again, the details of this are different on each farm. For us it means that the herd is given just enough pasture for ONE DAY. They are contained in electric net fencing on one "lot" of land for 12 hours to consume what they wish. The next day, they are moved to the next lot in succession. The lot they depart from gets mowed quite short. This cycle continues, and it is greater than 30 days before the herd re-enters the first lot of pasture. We do this for two reasons: 1.) We feel that this breaks the life cycle for most parasites. 2.) This allows for optimum growth of vegetation.
In our experience, goats avoid eating grass that is less than 5 inches in height because instinctively they know that is the area most heavily populated by parasite eggs. Our pasture management plan doesn't force the goats to go against their instincts, and it's better for the land. Our practice seems to be working. How do we know? Read on...
We check our goats' mucous membranes daily for any sign of anemia. This system of checking their eyelid color is called the FAMACHA system.
In addition to this, we perform routine fecal analysis in house on the farm. I guess you could say that this is one of the perks of having been a certified veterinary technician. By knowing which parasites an animal has, we can directly target how to treat the problem. In this way, we do not need to rely on chemical dewormers. We use herbs to treat any parasitism and we cull heavily for repeatedly infected, affected animals.
We send fecal samples to Mid-America Ag Research Lab for qualitative and quantitative analysis each year, or more often if we suspect a particular animal is having difficulty.
HOLISTIC HUSBANDRY PRACTICES
We implement holistic husbandry practices which include herbs and homeopathy for nutritional support and medicinal remedies. We're happy to speak with seriously interested buyers about our practices.
VACCINATION
We do not vaccinate our herd. For anything. Period.
We are proactive with our prevention program in other ways.
FEED
Our goats are fed organically. Goats are browsers, not grazers and we treat them as such by providing a variety of feed stuffs for optimum health including: black oil sunflower seeds, flax seeds, Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds, plus much more. Many vitamins and minerals can be provided via whole food choices as opposed to chemicals and we prefer these because they do not build up to toxic levels in the body. We use Golden Blend loose mineral free choice. We offer organic kelp at a rate of 1/4 c. per goat per day. We also provide a Himalayan salt block free choice.
TRAINING
All of our animals are trained to electric net fencing. They are also usually leash trained, and trained to follow the herd for off leash browsing walks. We begin teaching goat kids about hoof trimming at 2 weeks of age, and it's done monthly thereafter. By the time the goat kids are 6 months old, they are standing agreeably for hoof trimming. This is well worth the time to have a cooperative goat.
BREEDING
Alpines are seasonal breeders. This means that they are in heat and receptive to breeding in the fall. We follow this cycle naturally and hand breed each doe, using one of our stellar bucks. We do NOT use lutalyse or any other chemical means of inducing heat cycles. Goats' gestation is approximately 5 months (145-155 days) and by hand breeding we know a more approximate due date (or window) than if we were to just house the buck with the does for 30 days. This allows us to be present for each birth and assist if necessary. It also allows us to be able to watch for any complications and prevent any problems.
We confirm all our pregnancies with a whole blood sample sent to the University of New Hampshire BioPryn laboratory.
DAM RAISING
All of our goat kids are dam raised unless there is a medical reason that they cannot be. We feel this provides the absolute best start for all our animals and prevents undue stress to both the kid and dam. Babies thrive on their dam's raw colostrum and milk, packed full of nutrients. This also gives our goats the opportunity to learn herd hierarchy. It is possible to dam raise goats who are friendly with humans, especially with the socialization we provide.
Goat kids may be sold at two weeks old and continue to be bottle fed at their new farms. But, keep in mind that a bottle raised goat doesn't often know how to behave in a herd and can easily become humanized.
Alternately, we can continue to dam raise kids until natural weaning (3-6 months of age) for an additional monthly fee.
MILKING
We hand milk all of our does. We milk into glass, not plastic, in order to assist with the freshest tasting milk. Our milking pitchers are sterilized and then pre-frozen for milking. We strain our milk into sterilized and pre-frozen mason jars, and then they are placed into an ice water bath. This helps cool the milk quickly and prevent unwanted bacteria growth. Our milk is chilled to less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit in less than an hour. We house our does separately from our bucks, and we keep our stalls extremely clean (no manure pack system here) to ensure that odors do not taint the flavor of our milk.
One more important point to mention is the idea of 'milking through' which means instead of breeding each fall, we will typically milk a doe through the fall/winter/spring/summer. This gives her a year off from carrying a pregnancy and it continues to provide us with milk without the need of creating/selling additional babies. It's healthier for the doe and more conscientious for the ecology of the goat world. There are too many unwanted babies, of all species, in the world.
BIOSECURITY
This is term we take very seriously. We do not allow farm visits without prior approval and an appointment. Our herd's health is of utmost importance to us. Thank you for your understanding.
MEMBERSHIPS
We are proud members of the American Dairy Goat Association.
We are proud members of the Vermont Sheep & Goat Association.
Reserve early for spring 2023 kids! Check out our breeding page!