More babies and another update to the Sniff Test!

Panama and her new babies

Hi all! So we have more babies this morning! Kuka kidded with twin bucklings, and then Panama followed about 10 minutes behind her with triplets. I was racing from one pen to the next, trying to help out. Lots of fun!! And now I can update The Sniff Test further, and the results aren't looking too great, everyone. See the new additions to the chart below.

To summarize the current results in the table, we are having a 'buck' year so far--lots of 'blue.' Out of 8 kids, we only have 2 doelings so far. We are finished kidding until mid-March when Palabra and Sunnee deliver first, and then we will be waiting again until early summer for Palisade to kid. At this moment though, it seems that the sniff test is not a reliable way to predict kidding. Actually, the results seem to be about 50/50; Acorn's smell was correct, as was Panama's. However, Bella and Kuka's results were contrary to their 'smell.' I'd say that so far the Sniff Test works half of the time. I guess we'll see if the results continue to fit this percentage as the season progresses. 

Table 1. The Sniff Chart

Doe (Dam)	Buck (Sire)	Smell / Gestation time	# of doelings/bucklings
Muddy Creek B2 Panama	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	Panama's head smells 'bucky' on 2/14; she is due on 2/21. She is pregnant with multiples--looks like three or more. She has a history of having bucklings, so maybe there is a doeling or two in there.	1/2 Kidded on Feb 24th with one small doeling and two bucklings, one on the big side! She did have a bucky smell, so I'd say this one was a 'positive.'
On Firestone Creek HWD Acorn	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	Acorn smelled like hay on 2/14; she is due on 2/15. She has a history of having doelings. She looks like she may be pregnant with one or two kids.	Well, she smelled like hay, and she had one doeling, so we are at 100% right now! :)
NC PromisedLand Z Bella	On Firestone Creek HWD Bo Peeps	Bella smelled like hay on 2/14; she is due on 2/15. She has a history of having doelings.	Bella kidded 2/22 with TWO bucklings. So this is 100% contrary to how she smelled, which was like hay with no bucky smell at all! I'd say this is -100%
On Firestone Creek Palisade 2*M 5*D	*B NC PromisedLand RB Bolero *S	On 2/14 Palisade smelled a little bucky. She is not due until 5/15. She has a history of twins and triplets; the triplets are usually bucklings and doelings.
On Firestone Creek BJ Kukarabisha	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	On 2/14 Kuka smelled like hay. She is due on 2/20.	Argh! Kuka smelled like hay but delivered two healthy bucklings on 2/24. This result is another negative--strong one, just like Bella.
On Firestone Creek R Palabra	Proctor Hill Farm B Cuervo Gold *S	On 2/14, Palabra smelled a little bucky. Due on 3/13.
On Firestone Creek UP Sunnee Day	Proctor Hill Farm B Cuervo Gold *S	Will smell again next week. She could tell I was up to something and didn't want to be sniffed. Perhaps she thought I was going to nibble her or make her wear deodorant. Who knows! :)

Sniff test update! Bella kidded

Well, just a quick post to update the sniff test. Before today, we were at 100% correct when it came to 'hay' smell, but now we are 200% to the contrary. Actually it's more like 1:2 I guess since Bella kidded with two bucklings about an hour ago. She smelled like hay, too! Does this prove the theory wrong? It would seem so, but we'll gather all results just to see what happens. 

Corrected table below. Kuka is in the kidding pen, so more results shortly. :) 

Table 1. The Sniff Chart

Doe (Dam)	Buck (Sire)	Smell / Gestation time	# of doelings/bucklings
Muddy Creek B2 Panama	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	Panama's head smells 'bucky' on 2/14; she is due on 2/21. She is pregnant with multiples--looks like three or more. She has a history of having bucklings, so maybe there is a doeling or two in there.
On Firestone Creek HWD Acorn	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	Acorn smelled like hay on 2/14; she is due on 2/15. She has a history of having doelings. She looks like she may be pregnant with one or two kids.	Well, she smelled like hay, and she had one doeling, so we are at 100% right now! :)
NC PromisedLand Z Bella	On Firestone Creek HWD Bo Peeps	Bella smelled like hay on 2/14; she is due on 2/15. She has a history of having doelings.	Bella kidded 2/22 with TWO bucklings. So this is 100% contrary to how she smelled, which was like hay with no bucky smell at all! I'd say this is -100%
On Firestone Creek Palisade 2*M 5*D	*B NC PromisedLand RB Bolero *S	On 2/14 Palisade smelled a little bucky. She is not due until 5/15. She has a history of twins and triplets; the triplets are usually bucklings and doelings.
On Firestone Creek BJ Kukarabisha	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	On 2/14 Kuka smelled like hay. She is due on 2/20.
On Firestone Creek R Palabra	Proctor Hill Farm B Cuervo Gold *S	On 2/14, Palabra smelled a little bucky. Due on 3/13.
On Firestone Creek UP Sunnee Day	Proctor Hill Farm B Cuervo Gold *S	Will smell again next week. She could tell I was up to something and didn't want to be sniffed. Perhaps she thought I was going to nibble her or make her wear deodorant. Who knows! :)

Standlee Alfalfa... GMO or Non-GMO? Which do you prefer?

When you want this...

to make this... 

Do you prefer non-GMO (no genetic modification) to GMO? I belong to a group on Facebook that uses only natural products, and of course, a conversation struck up recently about GMO (genetically modified) and non-GMO products for goats, including alfalfa, which is a staple for people with dairy goats. Alfalfa offers extra protein and fiber and helps to boost milk production in does. It is a necessity.

I usually purchase my alfalfa pellets and compressed hay from Standlee Forage until I realized they were selling GMO alfalfa. I would prefer to find another source OR in this case, encourage Standlee to return to non-GMO or at least offer non-GMO products. Genetically modified products require engineering, so this cost is passed on to the customer. I just want natural products to feed to my animals, minus the extra cost and who knows what side effects to my animals. :) How about you? 

Want to share your opinion?

Someone on the Totally Natural Goats forum added the following info, and so as many people as possible can vote on this, I decided to pass it on:

Standlee has created a Forage/Feed Survey and would like your feedback regarding what animals you feed, what products you feed and your standpoint regarding feeding GMO (genetically-modified) products. 

Please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/standleefeedsurvey to start the short survey.

We thank you for your time and appreciate your input.

So everyone, please dive in and vote! (PS and we shouldn't have to pay more for a 'natural' product than one that has been engineered.)

On Firestone Creek HWD Acorn kids with a single doeling: SNIFF CHART UPDATE

DRUMROLL, PLEASE!!!

15 minutes old

The Kidding Season is Underway! 

Acorn kidded with a beautiful doeling that is black with extensive white overlay. She has blue eyes like mom, and she looks like she is wearing eye liner--adorable! Her name is Karuka. As of right now, she is being retained, but if you are interested, contact me. As the kidding season progresses, I may be persuaded to sell her. I can't keep them all even if I want to!


Update to The Sniff Chart! :) 

Table 1. The Sniff Chart

Doe (Dam)	Buck (Sire)	Smell / Gestation time	# of doelings/bucklings
Muddy Creek B2 Panama	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	Panama's head smells 'bucky' on 2/14; she is due on 2/21. She is pregnant with multiples--looks like three or more. She has a history of having bucklings, so maybe there is a doeling or two in there.
On Firestone Creek HWD Acorn	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	Acorn smelled like hay on 2/14; she is due on 2/15. She has a history of having doelings. She looks like she may be pregnant with one or two kids.	Well, she smelled like hay, and she had one doeling, so we are at 100% right now! :)
NC PromisedLand Z Bella	On Firestone Creek HWD Bo Peeps	Bella smelled like hay on 2/14; she is due on 2/15. She has a history of having doelings.
On Firestone Creek Palisade 2*M 5*D	*B NC PromisedLand RB Bolero *S	On 2/14 Palisade smelled a little bucky. She is not due until 5/15. She has a history of twins and triplets; the triplets are usually bucklings and doelings.
On Firestone Creek BJ Kukarabisha	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	On 2/14 Kuka smelled like hay. She is due on 2/20.
On Firestone Creek R Palabra	Proctor Hill Farm B Cuervo Gold *S	On 2/14, Palabra smelled a little bucky. Due on 3/13.
On Firestone Creek UP Sunnee Day	Proctor Hill Farm B Cuervo Gold *S	Will smell again next week. She could tell I was up to something and didn't want to be sniffed. Perhaps she thought I was going to nibble her or make her wear deodorant. Who knows! :)

Copyright 2014

Silkichins -- Hatching eggs now available for reservation!

Blue Silkichin with splash, black and white chicks

It's Chick Time

Spring is on its way, and our hens are laying quite a few eggs now even with the cold weather persisting. We are now taking reservations for shipping hatching eggs. At this time, we do not ship chicks, but we do ship eggs, so now is the best time to reserve some for the incubator. I will begin shipping as soon as the weather is warm enough to not 'chill' eggs and kill chicks. Keep in mind that I do not ship when it gets super hot either because that can start baking the chicks early and cause developmental problems. 

Hatch rate on my chicks is usually about 99.5%. Generally all eggs hatch, but occasionally, I end up with one that semi-hatches or doesn't hatch. I take special care with storage of eggs and ship eggs that are as fresh as possible. I also pack eggs very carefully in material that allows them to 'breathe' but that still cushions them well. Believe it or not, I've never had a broken egg. In any case, I usually send a few extras if they are available. 

Colors 

I do not sort eggs. You may receive any of the following:

• blue
• lavender
• splash
• black
• partridge
• splash split to partridge

Most will be bearded; I prefer these and cull for them. There are some that are non-bearded occasionally, so I cannot guarantee that they will all be bearded or colors that you will receive.

If you are interested in Silkichin eggs for hatching, you can contact me via our website or on our Silkichin page of Facebook: Silkichins on Facebook for pricing. 

Best Homestead Chicken, Blossom, and Veggie Quiche EVER!

Best Quiche EVER!

So I am a big quiche fan, and I have had lots of quiche over the years, but this quiche is absolutely the best quiche you will ever put into your mouth or serve to friends and family. I've never had a bad review with this--nothing but clean plates. It's loaded full of fresh goodies. One feature flavor here is the squash blossom, and that's a wonderful addition to so many dishes if you have the blossoms in your garden in the spring and summer, sometimes even into the fall. Feel free to substitute and experiment if you need to. You can add mushrooms if you like, but I haven't done so here. You can even change this to a vegetarian only dish if you like (omit the chicken). Simply prep, bake, and have some yum fun!

Ingredients (very important)--the fresher, the better!

2 tablespoons butter (fresh goat's milk butter would be great!)

3 chopped green onions (or 1 small minced onion)

1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic

1 cup fresh chopped broccoli

1/2 cup fresh chopped red/orange/yellow sweet peppers  

1/2 cup fresh, cleaned and chopped, squash and/or pumpkin blossoms

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

3/4 cup fresh goat's milk mozzarella

3/4 cup cheddar (fresh if you have it!)

1/2 cup fresh panir (paneer) *See my blog or website if you need the recipe

4-7 farm fresh eggs (large eggs work well, so if they are small eggs, you will need more)

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup grilled chicken breast

1 1/2 cups fresh goat milk

1 tsp pink sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp parsley

1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Prepare all veggies by chopping, mincing, etc. For squash blossoms, remove stems and stamens. Wash petals well. Chop the petals. 

3. Next, over medium-low heat, melt butter in a large saucepan.Add onions, garlic, peppers, squash blossoms, broccoli, and paneer. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. 

4. When veggie and paneer mix is softened, toss in grilled chicken. It's best to pre-grill the chicken and then just warm it with the vegetables before adding it to the crust.

At this point, if you want a vegetarian dish, simply skip the chicken.

5. Prepare pie crust according to instructions on package. When crust is ready and vegetable mix is tender, spoon mix into the crust and sprinkle with cheeses and grilled chicken breast.

6. Combine eggs and milk into a mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir in melted butter. 

7. Pour egg mixture over the vegetable, chicken, and cheese blend.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 30-50 minutes (depends on your oven), or until center has set. Check the center with a fork to see when it has set.

Enjoy!

This quiche goes great with homemade goat's milk potato soup. That recipe coming soon! :) 

*Note: This recipe calls for goat milk products. If you do not have these, that is fine. You may substitute cow's milk or butter. You can make paneer with cow's milk, as well, but be sure the milk is not ultra pasteurized. See my website (http://www.freewebs.com/firestone-creek-farms ) for a paneer recipe.

Smelling Pink or Blue? Could it be True? The Sniff Chart! Join in on the fun!

Left to right: Acorn, Panama, Pistachio, Joy, Palabra, Palmella, Bella, and Palisade grazing and browsing in the new pasture.

Hi all! While we are on babywatch here at Firestone Creek (with six does due to kid between now and mid-March, and then just one more to go after that in late spring), I have decided to test a theory that some of us in the goat community were 'testing' a few years back. At the time, it seemed to hold mostly true, so I wanted to test it out again, for accuracy this time, while also recording my results. Join in if you like, and share your results.


Background

All dairy farmers want to 'see pink'; they want the majority of the kids born in a season to be does (female). Does can be retained to the herd, and since the main goal of most dairy farmers and homesteaders is to produce milk, more does means increased milk production. However, sometimes we have what we refer to as a 'buck year,' which simply means that the percentage of bucks born that season was much higher than that of the does born. Is that a bad thing? It certainly can be. For instance, if there is a large percentage of bucks born to a group of first fresheners (first time the doe has had babies), more than likely all of those will be wethered (castrated or not left intact as males). Wethers do not bring in a lot of income, and let's face it, dairy farming is not a cheap business; we have to make money somewhere to show profit that enables us to buy feed and hay, pay for vet fees, medications, shows, milk test, and beyond that, to pave the way for general costs such as upkeep, new equipment, and additional stock. If bucklings are born to second or third fresheners, especially those who have nice udders, good production, and excellent conformation, then those bucklings can be sold for a higher price as intact males; it is beneficial to pass those genetics on to other herds or to keep them in your own herd. However, if the doe hasn't fully developed, and the breeder has no clue how well her production, etc, will be, most good breeders will simply wether (as we usually do). How much do wethers usually cost? Generally, anywhere from $75-125, disbudded and wethered. While this is a little money to help pay for things around the farm, it certainly doesn't add up to much overall unless you have a lot of wethers, but if that happens, then we have another problem.

What's the other problem? Does are where the real money is, and this is where the milk is, too! If a breeding seems promising, does will always sell at a higher price since may do quite well as  breeding or show stock. Like the buckling, the cost of a doeling from a first freshener (unless she is from proven bloodlines--parentage or has already earned show wins) will generally be lower than that of one from an experienced doe with a proven quality of production (amount of milk produced over a specific lactation period) and type (conformation). Most breeders will sell these doelings, but they may retain one or two, dependent on the bloodline and the specific parentage of the breeding. If the mother produces well through her first lactation and is retained for another, doelings maybe be retained in latter breedings if the doe continues to improve with lactations. We want to improve our lines and keep as many of our own animals as possible. When we show, we want to show animals with our own farm name, not the farm name of others, so that we get the recognition for the hard work and research we've put into our scheduled breedings. We also keep as many doelings as we can for the following season, not only for showing, but to give us milk year round and to continue to improve our breeding program. Those we do decide to part with, usually because we have to keep our numbers down, are the bread and butter of the dairy farm, helping us pay for all of the essentials during the coming year. Do we want to see pink? You better bet we do--and lots of it! It's the way we survive.

Theory

Several years ago, several members of the Goat Spot mentioned that their goats 'smelled' differently when they were pregnant with bucklings. For instance, someone hypothesized (sorry if I do not recall exactly who it was that did this) that if the doe was carrying bucklings, even one buckling and several doelings, that maybe the doe would smell a little 'bucky,' or like an intact adult buck. Those who have been around an intact buck know that he smells this way due to the hormones being secreted in the urine--the same hormones he uses to attract the doe during breeding season. Bucks urinate on their beards and legs, using the 'fragrance' like cologne to attract does. This smell can be extremely musky and pungent during the fall of the year; if you've ever been around a male in rut, you won't quickly forget the odor.

On the other hand, does generally do not have much of an odor. Instead, I always say they normally smell like hay. Because it is a known fact that hormones are excreted by kids during pregnancy (it is actually those same hormones that encourage contractions, full labor, and lactation, just as in a human birth), it seems quite possible that some smell --the buck smell -- might be present. Of course, even if it were possible to detect bucklings before birth, how would this be helpful (unless you were going to end pregnancies, and I certainly hope this isn't the case)? Knowing bucklings are on the way helps you plan. It can help you market your kids in advance. It can also help you market your adult bucks. How? First, if you have a buck who always delivers lots of does, he is an important buck! Most people will hang on to him or one of his offspring, hoping to pass on this trait of producing lots of daughters. Second, if you have a buck who is always producing sons, you may want to replace him with one of the bucklings that is on its way or with one from another farm --one that promises to help improve your lines.

 

 

Test

 

The horns of an animal help regulate body temperature, so is it possible that hormones could also be excreted through the skin in this area-- the head-- even in disbudded (animals with their horns removed) animals? Some believe so. In fact, this is what I am going to test, and if you want to join in, by all means do! I'd love to hear your results.

 

I've created a table below (Table 1: The Sniff Chart). All you need to do is 'sniff' the top of the head where the horns are/were, and then you can record your own data. Share if you like! I will update as the girls deliver their kids.

 

 

Table 1. The Sniff Chart

Doe (Dam)	Buck (Sire)	Smell / Gestation time	# of doelings/bucklings
Muddy Creek B2 Panama	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	Panama's head smells 'bucky' on 2/14; she is due on 2/21. She is pregnant with multiples--looks like three or more. She has a history of having bucklings, so maybe there is a doeling or two in there.
On Firestone Creek HWD Acorn	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	Acorn smelled like hay on 2/14; she is due on 2/15. She has a history of having doelings. She looks like she may be pregnant with one or two kids.
NC PromisedLand Z Bella	On Firestone Creek HWD Bo Peeps	Bella smelled like hay on 2/14; she is due on 2/15. She has a history of having doelings.
On Firestone Creek Palisade 2*M 5*D	*B NC PromisedLand RB Bolero *S	On 2/14 Palisade smelled a little bucky. She is not due until 5/15. She has a history of twins and triplets; the triplets are usually bucklings and doelings.
On Firestone Creek BJ Kukarabisha	On Firestone Creek AA Mesa (history of producing high % of doelings)	On 2/14 Kuka smelled like hay. She is due on 2/20.
On Firestone Creek R Palabra	Proctor Hill Farm B Cuervo Gold *S	On 2/14, Palabra smelled a little bucky. Due on 3/13.
On Firestone Creek UP Sunnee Day	Proctor Hill Farm B Cuervo Gold *S	Will smell again next week. She could tell I was up to something and didn't want to be sniffed. Perhaps she thought I was going to nibble her or make her wear deodorant. Who knows! :)

 

Happy deliveries, and think pink! I know I am!