Lots of Fun! French Buns at Firestone Creek!

Firestone Creek now has French angora RABBITS!

I'm a creativity junkie. I love being creative. I've always had an interest in fiber arts, and a few months back, we were thinking about purchasing a couple of alpacas (and we might still do that). I've also always LOVED the angora rabbits--all of them. I'm two shoes in for anything "fluffy," most of the time. 

Instead of diving into a sea of alpacas, we decided to start small with a few French angoras, and we've been having so much fun with this fiber and all of the fluffy snuggles and kisses from these guys. We added 7 (2 males and 5 females) and lost one female within 2 days due to some illness, probably brought on by stress and bad nutrition from the previous owner. I treated everyone else with my herbal immune building formulation, began a new diet of high protein pellets, timothy, alfalfa, and crudities, and everyone else is fine and doing well. In fact, they are producing lots of fine hair and having babies! 

When we got these buns, they were matted and looking pretty rough. The lady actually admitted she had NEVER brushed them! I was in shock. As you can see in some of the photos, they do still have a few underbody mats, and two of the adults are moulting now, too. I've been working on the mats, but since it is winter, I don't want to begin shaving/clipping huge areas of hair away from their bodies, so I have to do it slowly--a little at a time. In the photo to the right, one of our males (Sebastian--middle) is visiting with two of the girls (one is hiding behind him). We also have a REW buck, but we bred Sebastian to everyone. So far, he was bred to our chocolate tort and produced two self blacks, two whites (not sure if they are BEW or REW because the eyes haven't opened yet), and one black tort (from what I can tell). He also bred our black tort and she delivered four little buns-- one that looks like it is a blue or lilac point, and the others are all blue/black torts.


It looks like we are going to have quite a few babies for sale, so we are now taking reservations. Currently, one of the self-blacks and most of the torts will be available for $45 each without papers. These will make wonderful little fiber fluffs to add some color to your fiber projects. The whites (whether blue eyed or red eyed) are also available as is the adult REW male we have. Since we are already getting REW out of our girls, we want to find him a good home. If interested, contact us via the farm site.

** I See Stars! **

Congrats are in order! :) These are the official numbers for 2014. Keep in mind I dried off a few early due to my carpal tunnel flaring up, but beyond that, everyone did really well, especially with me working and not always being able to milk on schedule as necessary. I had one doe that was .10 off from getting a star. If I would have realized she was that close, I would have kept milking her. Oh well... :( Everyone else got theirs! I am thrilled. :)

NC PromisedLand Z Bella 2*M (AGS pending)
NC PROMISEDLAND Z BELLA               
D1518506       2*M       
PTA           34M    1F    1P       
DEV            0     0     0
PTA$                 4     4        
PTA%  11R 12/14   -.05   .00       
DHIR AGE  DIM  MILK   %  FAT   %  PRT DCR TTP
     4-00  271   840  5.4  45  4.0  34  101  20
  LIFE       271   840  5.4  45  4.0  34


On Firestone Creek P Palisade 2*M 5*D  (earned her Superior Genetics this year)
SG ON FIRESTONE CREEK P PALISADE         
D1524330       2*M    SG PTI 37 -5
 03-04 89 VVEE
PTA           23M    2F    1P  -.20T
DEV          113     7     7
PTA$                 4     6     35R
PTA%  45R 12/14    .06   .03  11/14
DHIR AGE  DIM  MILK   %  FAT   %  PRT DCR TTP
     2-00   68   240  7.1  17  3.8   9   62  20
     3-01  208   580  5.3  31  4.1  24   95  20
     4-01  226   680  5.4  37  3.8  26   99  20
  LIFE       502  1500  5.7  85  3.9  59


On Firestone Creek H Jody Girl  1*M 1*D (pending)
Jody was doing really well this year. I think she might have a chance at breed leader for next year! This year, production dropped due to a move and my carpal tunnel. Milk machine is on order! 
ON FIRESTONE CREEK H JODY GIRL        
D1541837       1*M       
PTA            5M    0F    1P       
DEV          113     0     8
PTA$                 0     3        
PTA%  21R 12/14   -.03   .06       
DHIR AGE  DIM  MILK   %  FAT   %  PRT DCR TTP
     4-01  266   910  4.4  40  4.4  40  -  20
  LIFE       266   910  4.4  40  4.4  40

On Firestone Creek R Minnie Me 3*M 6*D(pending)  Owned/Tested by John Bane  (Way to go, Minnie!)
ON FIRESTONE CREEK R MINNIE ME        
D1571217       3*M       PTI 2 -11
 03-00 88 VVVE
PTA           11M    0F    1P  -.10T
DEV          -50    -5    -3
PTA$                 1     2     30R
PTA%  30R 12/14   -.02   .02  11/14
DHIR AGE  DIM  MILK   %  FAT   %  PRT DCR TTP
     2-08      296   730  5.2  38    4.4  32  102  20
     LIFE       296   730  5.2  38  4.4  32

On Firestone Creek R Palabra 3*M   (Sold) 
ON FIRESTONE CREEK R PALABRA          
D1571221       3*M       
PTA           14M    1F    1P       
DEV          -24    -1    -3
PTA$                 2     3        
PTA%  30R 12/14    .01   .01       
DHIR AGE  DIM  MILK   %  FAT   %  PRT DCR TTP
     2-09      210   490  5.5  27  4.1    20   96  20
    LIFE       210   490  5.5  27  4.1  20


On Firestone Creek Sunnee Day will be earning her stars, too, but I don't have the official data yet. I will post it when I have it! :) 

By the way, congrats are in order to John Bane and Robin Tupper, who were in my group for testing. John (Run Joey Run) earned the following and is responsible for milking Jody Girl during the majority of her lactation, thus earning her her star:

• On Firestone Creek R Minnie Me 3*M 6*D(pending)  (See above)

• Congrats to Mia, who is a first freshener out of On Firestone Creek UP Sonic Boom *S and  ON FIRESTONE CREEK H JODY GIRL D1541837 1*M. 

RUN JOEY RUN SB MIA                   
D1644279       2*M       
 01-01 83 VVV+
PTA                            -.50T
PTA$                      26R
PTA%                          11/14
DHIR AGE  DIM  MILK   %  FAT   %  PRT DCR TTP
     0-09  289   500  5.6  28  4.0  20  -  20
  LIFE       289   500  5.6  28  4.0  20 

• Congrats to Bayby...

PROCTOR HILL FARM BAYBY RUTH                   Pretty sure, Bayby should be a *M, too and the files just haven't updated yet.   She met                                                                            all amounts, I do believe.
D1625888                 PTI 9 -78
 02-01 85 +VE+
PTA           24M    2F    1P  -.70T
DEV           23    11    -1
PTA$                 5     5     29R
PTA%  28R 12/14    .09  -.01  11/14


Congrats to Robin Tupper, too, at Weeds 'n Whimsy farm. Her doe,ONE WILLOW BC LA LIGHT - D001680353 , also earned her stars. :) 

It was a good year--2014. Thanks, Robin and John, for participating, and I am looking forward to this year! 

Time for Kudos and Applause for the girls!

 

www.freewebs.com/firestone-creek-farms

I have to share news and congrats on a few of our lovely girls. First, we'll start with some of our 'firsts' here at Firestone Creek. 

First fresh udder Jody

On Firestone Creek HWD Jody Girl, has now earned both of her stars-- AGS and ADGA and is actually in line for possibly meeting top 10 requirements (holding my breath!) for protein and for production for 2014. Hoping she can hold her own and make it to the top. She deserves it for all of the work she's been doing! 

Palisade

Next, our 'star' doe--On Firestone Creek Palisade has surprised us by becoming our first Superior Genetics doe here at Firestone Creek! We were thrilled to receive the notice in the mail saying she had reached that designation as a SG doe. We have several of her daughters and a granddaughter here, so we hope to continue following that path with production, quality, and transmitting ability.

We do have a Palisade daughter (in milk) available for sale-- Palabra, in addition to a doeling out of the Palisade X NC PromisedLand Bolero cross available for sale. See website or contact for more information.

Minnie Me

Additionally, it looks like Palisade's daughter, Minnie, will also be earning her stars, and so far NC PromisedLand Z Bella has

Bella

earned her star with AGS and should have it soon with ADGA. Beyond that, I have my fingers crossed that a few others will earn theirs, too. 

PS Other News: 
It looks like Pistachio and Joy may be bred

Joy:
Palisade X Rosasharn TL Challenger

for late Nov/Dec. Joy is a Palisade daughter. Joy's would not have been an intentional breeding, and I will be doing DNA on all kids if she does freshen. I had no clue she was in heat, and the only hint I have now is that she hasn't had a heat and is getting a little chubby. If she is pregnant, the kids could belong to either Jacub, Sol, or Rumor. I will be doing DNA if she happens to kid.

Jacub

Rumor

CG Sol

I do separate boys from the girls at a little over 2 months, but this time, we had to finish their pasture first, and before it was completed, I had a few partially extending. I witnessed Sol breeding Pistachio. At first, I thought it was just 'practice.' Bucklings do this all of the time. However, I feel that at that point he did fully extend, and I do believe he is now breeding

M Pistachio

successfully, so with that said, Pistachio could be bred, too, by no one else except my spoiled rotten Sol or 'sun.' I like this breeding; those will be some gorgeous babies-- type-wise AND color-wise, pulling in Rosasharn, NC PromisedLand, and Firestone Creek genetics. I know, I know... blue eyes? moonspots? But yes, possible moonspots AND blue eyes, even though I didn't breed for them on purpose. Sometimes things just happen. By the way, Pistachio is a daughter of Nutmeg, niece of Acorn, and niece of Jody Girl (see above). Mesa was her father. 

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. 

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!

Goat's Milk Clam Chowder-- summer or winter treat

As I meandered down the crowded aisles of the grocery store yesterday evening, gathering supplies for the meals for the rest of the week, I found myself forced to go down one aisle that I always dread--the soup aisle. Why? I, like many people, have a horrible allergy to anything with MSG, yeast extract, hydrolyzed soy or animal proteins, and many of the hazardous 'spices' and 'spice extracts' now found in so many of the soups and pre-packaged soup starters. I have to avoid most of the broths available, either making my own from scratch or paying more for one that is organic and 'extract free.' So, as I walked down the soup aisle, remembering the taste of many of the soups I enjoyed in my childhood that I can no longer have, my eyes settled on a can of New England Clam Chowder. My mouth watered, and I could almost taste cream and potatoes. My son noticed my frown, and asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"

There was nothing else I could do at this point beyond saying, "Mom is going to have to be creative and see if she can create her own version of clam chowder." 

"What's that?"

"You'll see."

Of course, with so much goat's milk sitting in the fridge, it was the perfect opportunity to use some of it! My walk down the soup aisle turned into a good thing after all.

Goat's Milk Clam Chowder

You will need:

2 tsp fresh goat's butter

1-2 tsp additional butter (to taste)

3 green onions, chop, or 1 small onion, chop

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stick, diced

5-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 8oz bottle All Natural clam juice

1 can (6.5 oz) clams (BumbleBee is what I used)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp fresh, chopped parsley (or dry flakes)

1 tbsp corn starch

6 cups fresh whole goat's milk

In a heavy pot, add 2 tsp fresh goat's butter. Heat over medium heat until melted and bubbling. Next, Add the green onions or onion. Cook 1 minute, and then add celery and garlic. Stir fry until onions are translucent. Don't burn the garlic! 

Next, add chicken broth and clam juice to pot, in addition to the potatoes, pepper, and parsley. Cook until potatoes and celery are soft and tender--about 10-15 minutes over medium heat. 

After potatoes are soft, add the corn starch and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes. 

When two minutes have passed, add the clams and slowly stir in your goat's milk.  

Cook an additional 25-30 minutes over low heat, being careful not to boil and curdle the milk.

You only want it to reduce and thicken, not boil. Have a taste and add butter and salt (if necessary) to your own taste. 

Garnish with parsley, fresh if you have it, and serve!

The end result is delicious creaminess with lots of potatoes and chunky clams! And no MSG!

I intend to freeze some for later. It should freeze well.

Mmmmmmilk! What to do with it...

So now that Firestone Creek has several girls in milk, it's time to come up with extra things to do with it all. On the website, anyone can find several recipes for using the milk in addition to those found in books and online. Of course, it's good to try the recipes yourself and make adjustments, sometimes combining various parts of recipes when it suits needs. The following recipe can be used to make cajetas--both syrup and candy--and sweetened condensed milk.

Mexican Cajeta

One treat that's always wonderful is Mexican cajeta. It can be made at any stage of goat lactation and can be cooked to various consistencies. It is extremely versatile and yummy!  

The following recipe was taken from Rikki Carroll's book Home Cheese Making. I have made a few modifications, including the addition of real vanilla and the option of cinnamon or chocolate. 

You will need:

2 tbsp cornstarch 

   1/4 tsp baking soda

3 quarts whole goat's milk

3 cups sugar      

    1 tsp vanilla   

 1 tsp cinnamon (if desired)

chocolate chips (if desired)

Utensils:

a tall pot (preferable with copper bottom)

a wooden spoon (for stirring)

a brush for washing the sides of the pot

wax paper / jars

To begin, dissolve the first two ingredients in a cup of the goat's milk and stir to remove any lumps. Any you find can be flattened with a spoon and whisked a bit to make sure the three have blended properly. Next,add the remaining milk to the pot along with the dissolved ingredients above and the sugar.

CONTINUE TO STIR as you bring mixture to a boil. 

NOTE: When you reach boiling, the mixture will foam quickly and may breach the top of the pot, making a huge mess and possibly burning someone. BE CAREFUL! It is boiling! Remove from heat temporarily if necessary to avoid boiling over.

Lower the heat just enough to keep a steady boil going, but continue to stir. The mixture will continue to reduce as it boils. This does take some time, but it is worth the wait! After an hour, the mixture should look something like this photo. For a darker cajeta, use brown sugar (light or dark) instead of white sugar. Dark would be more traditional Mexican since it is much more like piloncillo. The brown sugars lend a richer, deeper taste, while the white sugar tastes more like what one would find in commercial cajeta candy. 

When the mixture has reduced enough to thicken  to a dense liquid (as seen in video below), slowly add the additional vanilla.

At this point, it can be saved in jars for several weeks in the refrigerator and used in place of sweetened condensed milk in many recipes for pasteles like dulce de leche. 

To make traditional cajeta, continue to stir and thicken the mixture until it is the consistency of caramel. If cinnamon is desired, it may be added at this point. One could also melt chocolate chips into the mixture, giving it a chocolate-caramel taste.  Allow it to cool slightly and pour carefully into warmed jars (place them in a hot water bath to avoid cracking when pouring the cajeta into them). 

One can continue cooking the cajeta past this point to make candy. 

 Cooked to the firm ball stage, 245-250 degrees (use a candy thermometer), one will have lovely cajeta caramels. Simply spread the mixture out onto greased foil to cool, and then they can be easily cut into sections, shaped, and rolled up in wax paper for easy servings.

One can also make taffy by cooking a little longer or even lollipops by taking the mixture to hard crack stage. To avoid crystalization, add some butter, cream of tartar, or corn syrup when you add the initial ingredients. Wash down the sides of the pot frequently with a brush, too. Both of these will help keep the 'graininess' out of the candy.

Hint, hint!

After one has so much cajeta, what does one do with it? One muy delicioso way to eat cajeta is over vanilla ice cream. Make fresh ice cream or ice milk from your own goat's milk (of course) or buy some. Warm the cajeta syrup in the microwave until smooth and flowing, and then pour this over the ice cream. Top that off with a few sprinkles of flaked sea salt and oooohhh... delicioso!

Una sorpresa bonita (a pretty surprise) and sales

Ever receive a huge box in the mail? Automatically, you think there's something enormous inside--maybe even more than one thing! It's a little disappointing to open the box and only find something small, isn't it? However, I guess it depends on the value of what's hiding behind the four cardboard walls and all in the way that you look at it.

Bella side udder 4 days fresh

NC Promisedland Z Bella, huge as she was, only kidded with one single doeling. I was certain, as were quite a few other people, that she was going to have a minimum of triplets as huge as she was, but no! To our surprise, she only had one girl and then actually regained her girlish figure immediately afterwards. She could still fit in her bikini if she wanted! Yes, I checked; there were no more hiding in there somewhere, and no, she could not have had them anywhere else with one or two evading my sight. She was penned, so it's one baby girl--no more.

Bella and Bonita

Her name is On Firestone Creek SB Bonita (On Firestone Creek UP Sonic Boom *S X NC Promisedland Z Bella); that means "pretty" to anyone who does not have a background in Spanish. I'm sorry to everyone who was on the waiting list, but Bonita is retained. If you want, I can put in a request for more kids next time, but I am not sure she will comply. All I can say is that Bonita is adorable with a great personality, and Bella's udder is very nice for a first freshener, giving me almost 2.5 cups of milk a day while also nursing Bonita, so I am satisfied. Oddly, I actually wanted a buck out of this breeding, but I will take what I got and smile about it. How Bella went from all baby belly to nada, I will never figure out, but it's all good--regardless. I like what I found in the package when it was opened even if it was quite a surprise! Bella's udder has good attachments and seems strong in all of the other areas, too. She is easy to milk, and I may just put her back in the show ring this fall. 

On Firestone Creek R Hazel Nut

Milked out in this photo

I have decided to sell Chapilene's mom, Hazel Nut, due to her small size. She has a decent size udder for a first freshener, but I have decided not to milk her because Chap is so small. I know some people like 'tiny' goats, and she is a small goat that produces small kids. On Monday, I took Chap, Butternut, and Pistachio to Third Street Veterinary Clinic  in Siler City, NC, to be disbudded. Chap only weighed 2.5 lbs at 9 days of age while Butternut weighed almost 9 lbs at 2 weeks old. Big difference there! So On Firestone Creek R Hazel Nut is available for $350 in milk. She is small with nice length of body, dairy neck, sharp withers, good legs, wide escutcheon, and a nice udder (shown above) with good attachments and plumb teats. She would be a great addition as a pet (to a home with other goats) or to a zoo or park. She is super friendly and loves attention, and she is a good mom. *BONUS: Mention that you saw her on my blog, and I will give you a reduction in price. :)

In closing, I want to say congrats to Firestone Creek PAL Palisade who is doing quite well at Proctor Hill Farm. Her newest udder pics are taken--third freshening and three years old--and they are completely AWESOME!

Palisade
 Photo courtesy Addie Pepoli

I have to say I am definitely one proud mama of my Pali girl and waiting to see what future generations out of her will produce. I'm hoping she gets in the show ring soon and that she earns her star on test this year. From the looks of this udder, I don't think she'll have any problems! Both of her daughters ( here and at Run Joey Run farm) have similar looking udders on their first freshenings. 

Palindrome

Next up to kid are Sunnee (Rosasharn cross) and Palindrome, who looks like she is going to pop soon with twins, maybe? Both are developing nice FF udders with plumb teats and good attachments. I have to say that I am very happy with the kids this year so far, including all of the does! Please see our for sale page because we do still have some does and doelings (bucks, too) for sale and possibly more in the future.