Hello "K" Girls !

"2015 Doeling Crop"

The "K" girls

The kidding season at High Meadows this year was a very difficult time. The does began to kid in mid February just as the snow began to fall and temperatures plunged. Two weeks of below zero nights and deep snows made for a real test of Kiko hardiness. The goat owners were tested as well. Those cold cruel days are mostly forgotten now as the strong and healthy doelings come running through the tall grass.

"Loving the Tall Grass"

The doelings are all different colors and are growing very well. Recently separated from their dams they are forming their own little herd. Pecking order is being worked out as they explore their new pasture. Large guard dog 'Sparky" is ever watchful and seems to really enjoy the baby girls. He is very dignified but does enjoy an occasional brushing.

"Sparky Gets a Little Extra Attention"

"Away In A Manger"

The days are gray and cold  in the gentle hills of East Tennessee. The stockpiled fescue is picked thin and all of the forage within reach is long gone. It's hay feeding season at High Meadows. Several different methods of feeding hay have been tried at the farm. Hay mangers and square bales seems to work the best with the least amount of waste and squabbling.

"Mangers spread out helps to minimize fighting"

"Six weeks out from kidding and the does are getting plump"

"Looking for one last persimmon"

"Helga tries over the top method"

"On The Road Again"

"Full House"

High Meadows operates on several off farm sites which means frequent "road trips" are a way of life. It was time to move this years doeling crop to their winter home. The "must haves" for a doeling pasture are shelter, quality forage, and distance from the bucks. The doelings load easily since they have done this before and seem to anticipate good things to come. The guard dogs are always up for a ride and get excited when they see the trailer.

"Anticipating"

"Guard Dogs running perimeter"

"Everybody Off"

The guard dogs are always first off the trailer and do a quick trip around the field before the goats are unloaded. Then it is every goat for herself as they head out into the new spot to check out the forage. The doelings were pleased to find lots of honeysuckle and other favorites. This very colorful group of girls will stay in this spot through most of the winter until kidding is done at the farm. Some of these girls will be headed to NKR sales next year and a select few will be incorporated into High Meadows breeding program.

"Headed For the Good Stuff"

"Yummy"

"Freya says "All Clear"

"Wishing and Hoping"

The nights are a little cooler and the days a tad shorter here in the gentle hills of Tennessee. At High Meadows the bucks are beginning to wonder where the girls are. They walk the fields with heads held high hoping to catch a glimpse or a scent in the air. The breeding does are far away filling their bellies with late summer browse and napping in the warm September sun. Soon, they too will feel the pull of mother nature and begin to jostle one another and wonder where the boys are. The young does are blissfully unaware of things to come but will soon be swept up in the amazing dance that is fall rut season.

"O Henry" GU2626

"O Henry" is our senior buck and this will be his third breeding season. We were very pleased with his kid crop this year and plan to cross him on the young does as well.

"Wishing and Hoping"

"I think I smell a girl!" HMK Issac

"Old Guard"

"Old Guard"

Freya is a ten year old Anatolian Shepherd who has worked her whole life at High Meadows. She has borne and raised three litters of puppies, fought off black bears, cleared pastures of skunks, groundhogs and coyotes. She remains a loyal and steadfast friend. She loves to greet the evening shadows with a mournful "bark...bark...it's getting dark" sung from a special place high on the ridge so her song rolls down thru the gulley with the cooling temperatures. Age has brought a slight tremor to her hind leg if she stands to long and she is missing a front canine tooth from a groundhog fight.When it is time to change fields she is the first to get on the trailer and loves to run the perimeter of a new field. High Meadows has never lost a goat to predators even though the Cherokee National Forest is our boundary on the back of the farm. Freya has in the past shown a fairly strong desire to guard more than the pasture she is in. All in all she has been a very good guardian along with her full sister, Heidi. Still keeping her nose lifted to the wind....ever alert to danger...guard on old gal.

"Halcyon Days"

"Uncle Sparky Hangs Out With His Girls"

 There is a sense of calm these days at High Meadows. The trying days of weaning are past. No more crying in the night. Moms have gone to far away pastures to recuperate from the rigors of kidding and nursing.The doelings have bonded into a new little herd under the watchful eye of "Uncle Sparky." Their days are filled with browsing... and drowsing in the sun. They know nothing of bucks or breeding.

 The long summer days are filled with the humming of bees and bubbling bluebird songs. Late afternoons bring nap time and chewing cud in the shade.
There is one yearling  mixed in with this years doelings. Her name is Isabella and she will be going to the Appalachian Kiko sale in September. Having a big sister around is handy since she is taller and can bring down the branches for her little sisters. All of the bucklings are in a field across the ridge far away from the girls.

"Walk It Down Big Sister"

"Joy Doubled"

"Twice As Nice"

This beautiful set of doelings arrived at High Meadows just eight weeks ago. HMK Joy and  HMK Jolie are the very colorful result of a cross between GU2626 (O Henry) and HMK Gazelle. This breeding produced the hoped for combination of size and color. Birthweights were 9.5 and 7.6.  O Henry brings Generator and Heslington Sting while Gazelle adds Goldmine, Moneymaker and Generator genetics to the mix.

"HMK Joy"

"HMK Jolie"

"Jill"

"Introducing HMK Jill at seven weeks"

"A little color to keep it interesting

" The nice long back"

High Meadows Jill is a good example of what we are striving for in our breeding program. She is the product of  a cross between a really fine doe and a buck with color and a good pedigree. Jill was born on April 2 and weighed over nine pounds. Her dam carries Confederate, Generator, Goldmine and Goatex Goliath in her pedigree. Her granddam was TNT Keeper a line which  produces longbacked does with lots of size. Jill's sire is a Goats Unlimited buck we call "O Henry". He throws lots of color and is a Goatex Generator grandson. All in all this big gal is the complete package with both size and color.

"Spots...Dots and Blue Eyes"

"Silver and Black HMK 300"

"Gazelle with her beautiful multi-colored twin doelings"

 The variety of color at High Meadows this spring is amazing. We have spots,dots, stripes and even blue eyes. O Henry (GU2626) is throwing lots of color but of course several of our does also have color in their pedigree. The blue eyes were really not to much of a surprise since the buckling has several blue-eyed ancestors in his pedigree.
     Kidding season is always a joy and full of excitement as the babies begin to leave mom's side a little more. Gangs form with games of tag, king of the mountain and the ever popular "show me your horns." We are pleased with birth weights and over all look of the kids. As always there are some that stand out in the crowd, grow faster or just seem to have an extra" personality" gene. The time is here to start walking the fence lines every evening at sunset to make sure none of our little rascals are stuck in the fence. Their little horns are getting long enough now to let them slip thru but not back out. We have seen a black bear in a neighboring field and we hear the coyotes howling at night...so bed check seems prudent even with the guard dogs ever present. Weaning days are not far off but that's another story...sleep peacefully little ones and dream of days to come.

"Darla's Blue-eyed Buck at five days"

"and Every Shade of Brown"

"HMK Jemimah"

"More Spots and Dots"

"Oh Henry ! "

High Meadows bred for color this year and we were not disapointed. We are using a Goats Unlimited buck with an impressive pedigree that includes plenty of  the old Kiko lines. GU2626...or "O Henry" as we call him also throws color.

 We are pleased to see the kid size remaining fairly consistent with most averaging seven to nine pounds. The doe/buck ratio has been tipped towards the doe side which is ok with us.We are very pleased with the 2014 kid crop and are enjoying the antics of lots of very colorful kids.

"King of the Mountain"

"Color Galore !"