Blessing's story is a short one. She comes from the same breeder as Sue and is a purebred Saanen. She is a half sister of Sue out of the same Buck and is approximately the same age. She however, unlike Sue was bred last spring and spent the summer on the mountain with her kids. She was not milked however. This year will be her second freshning but first milking. The breeder is looking to sell her since she is slightly skittish after being on the mountain (even though she was calm and tame before going up) and also she was accidently bred. The bucks apparently broke out of their pen and since the Boer buck is the dominant one the breeder is fairly sure that she's been bred to him. There is still a chance however that he was otherwise occupied and that it was Blessing's father that bred her.
Since I am enjoying Sue so much and want to expand my Saanen herd I have agreed to buy her and will pick her up as soon as the goat's new barn is finished (Hopefully by next week). She will have an unknown due date in late Jan/ early feb. So we will have kids and milk earlier than expected but I will be able to start training her before I am occupied with my own baby (in theory). The kids will of course be sold. Saanens (even grade without papers) and Saanen crosses can often be sold as pack animals since they are one of the strongest goat breeds. Hopefully the kids will get homes as pack animals or pets. If not they will probably end up going to the meat plant later next year. I have already had some interest in my Saanen kids this year from the guy who bought Buddy.
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Yeah, fresh milk! We're awaiting our freshening in April 2010. It's been a long dry spell, over a year now since we dried off our Jersey cow and our Dexter didn't take either of the two times we AI'ed her last Fall. So off to the bull this Spring and he seemed to do the job.
Have a blessed weekend.
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