"Holiday Wishes and Goat Kisses"

      Merry Christmas from High Meadows Kikos



Bill, Lynda, Theresa, Luke and the "kids"



" Goat Kisses"

"Someone To Watch Over Me"



Sally keeping a look out

High Meadows Kikos currently employs the services of seven large guard dogs. They are deployed in several different fields with goats of varying ages. Our dogs are Anatolian and Anatolian/Pyrenees cross and are a vital part of our meatgoat operation. It takes pounds of dog food and a pretty good vet bill to support these guys but they really earn their keep. A hard working mature large guard dog is a joy to watch and worth all the anxious moments of puppyhood. 

Sally and Freya Looking Both Ways



Heidi Checks Out New Kid



Sparky Surveys His Kingdom

"Ahhh...Romance !"

HMK Farragut

Fall breeding season is in full swing at High Meadows. Senior buck HMK Farragut is busy courting the gals and by this time most of the does are bred. It is much quieter now and we are looking forward to the arrival of March kids.

"Emily Ann and Farragut"

"Checking"

"Just Checking"

Farragut visits with his does

"Shuffle"

"Large guard dogs Sally, Heidi and Freya waiting"

"Loading young doelings"

"2012 doelings arrive at their temporary home"

It is time to bring the breeding bucks and does home to High Meadows. First the dogs are loaded to await transfer to their next work assignment. Then the does to young for breeding are loaded to be moved far from the "action." Now to go get the "big boys"!

"Going Once...."




"Going once...."

 

"Going Twice........."

High Meadows recently consigned eight of our does at the Appalachian Kiko Invitational sale. The event was well attended with buyers from ten states. Our does sold well and went to farms in Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.


"Sold!....HMK Hilda....high selling doe"



"Boys Will Be Boys"



Sam Watching

 High Meadows has had several large guardian dogs over the years and they are  essential to our operation. The Anatolian cross puppy litters have produced several very fine stock dogs and a few that just did not make the grade. Sam and Badger are pups in training. They are working about ten acres with twenty six older does. Early in their training the does will teach them manners, correct ways to approach and how to move with the goats as they forage. Dogs are usually over a year old before they really begin to bond with and guard their goats.



Badger Watching



Sam and Badger Not Watching



More not watching

 Sometimes the warm summer days can stretch on forever and the guarding becomes boring. The urge to wrestle and play becomes overpowering and the goats are temporarily forgotten. The boys have learned it is ok to chew on each other and not the goats and so...boys will be boys...until they hear another dog or a hawk flys over and then it's back to work.

Girls! Girls! Girls!



2012 Doeling Crop

All of Highmeadows girls are now dispersed to other farms doing vegetative management. Rounds are made every day to check on welfare of does, feed guard dogs and fill water pans.

2011 Does


Several of our yearling does will be going soon to the Appalachian Kiko Invitational sale in September. Highmeadows is very pleased to offer a few of our "Champagne Ladies" for sale. They are primed and ready for their first dance!



"Working Moms"



"Goat Train  Passes By"

Our older does are working very hard to recoup after weaning off some very nice kids. The farm where they are working was overgrown with blackberries and honeysucke. This is the third year of rotation to this property and it is beginning to look like a hay field once again.



"Empty Nest"

  "Quiet Barn "

The barn stands silent and grass grows high in the empty barn lot. The play bridge is deserted and the root cellar roof holds no lounging goats. The goal of having most of the goats moved off the farm by weaning time has been reached and now the farm seems empty.

"Buck Wannabees"

"Empty Playground"

"Missing his girls"

 The does, worn out from months of "mamma" duty, found themselves in a land of plenty on a distant farm. There were headhigh wads of wonderful forages and acres of fresh forbes to help put meat back on their bones. The newly weaned doelings are in a ridge top meadow with waist high grasses and locust thickets for shade. The only goats at High Meadows are the few bucklings being watched for "buck" potential and our senior bucks in a field far away out of smelling distance. Chores these days consist of making the rounds to other farms to check on water pans, feed guard dogs,check fences and "eyeball" the girls.        

"Goat Together"

 One of the wonderful things about raising goats in the gentle hills of Tennessee is getting together with other folks who share common experiences and are willing to help their fellow farmers. Production data is critical in making management decisions and is much easier to gather with the help of some friends. Pictured are some folks helping High Meadows get 90 day weights on bucklings. Results are used in culling and breeding plans.

"Planning session"



"Looking them over"



"Collecting production data"



"What I would recommend..."

An important part of any "goat together" is the sharing of experience, knowledge and an opinion or two. There is always some teasing and maybe a joke or two which makes the hard work go quickly. Thanks to all the folks for helping out!

"Good advice and good natured joshing"

"Crying Time Again"

"Good Mom"





"Bucklings in the weaning lot"



"Where is my mom?"



High Meadows does are selected for strong maternal traits. A doe who neglects her kids in any way is subject to culling. These same traits make the weaning process somewhat traumatic for does and kids. It is not my favorite season but weaning decisions are an important part of herd management.

                                                                                    

"Perennial Problem"

"Goat Pruned Perennials"

Waking up to discover the backyard  full of goats is a pretty exciting way to start the day.We had a windstorm during the night last week and lost a maple tree. Of course it landed on the fence and provided a perfect exit ramp for several dozen does and their kids who made a beeline for my perennial flower beds.

"Clean up Crew"

"New Climbing Toys"

The goats were more than happy to help with clean up. Thank goodness they were in my yard eating flowers and not in the neighbors yard eating their bushes. If you own goats for any length of time you can bet this will happen to you. Never a dull moment at High Meadows.

"Round To Its"



"Fences to build"



"Hooves to trim"

Lists! There are always lists on the farm. Things to do today, things that should have been done yesterday, things we would like to do someday. Decisions need to be made about which buck  goes to which doe and so there are more lists. Who is going to the sale and who will stay home? More lists. Weaning and weighing, who and when....the lists go on and on. Just when you think you are making progress the unexpected happens...farm visitors...number 0161 is stuck in the fence..again...and don't forget to leave some time to just step out on the porch and watch the kids.                                                                                            

Relax.....

"Bill's Big Boy"

The goal of the breeding program at High Meadows is to produce kids with above average birth weights and excellent average daily weight gains. HMK Hilltopper weighed 11.56 at birth and 30.52 at thirty days.

"Bye-Bye Blackberries"

 The goats at High Meadows are involved in vegetative management on several different farms. Landowners have fields or woodlots they would liked cleaned up and the goats are in need of high quality browse. Everybody benefits. Set up is relatively easy with the use of electronet fence, a catchpen and a guard dog or two.The goal is to move all of our goats off the farm for the summer.


 




"Gathering up equipment"



"Putting catchpen together with help from Sally"



"Who booked this cruise?"

"Happy Goats!"