"Graduates"

Graduates of "Uncle Sparky School for LGDs"

Badger doing bed checks

Perimeter Patrol

Sam and Badger are three year old large guard dogs who were born and raised at High Meadows. Both are the result of Anatolian and Pyrenees/Anatolian crosses. This past kidding season was the first time they were allowed to be in with expectant does. Both of the boys passed with flying colors..as they assisted with the birth process, learned to keep proper distance from moms and resisted the urge to run and play with the newborn kids. Kidding season can be a tricky time for guard dogs and the potential for damage is nerve wracking. These two did well and will be seasoned pros for kidding in 2014. Part of the reason for there success is the presence of "Sparky", a six year old guardian dog, who has been showing them the ropes since they were pups. Maintaining several large guard dogs is expensive but High Meadows has never lost a goat to a four legged predator even though the farm is surrounded by national forest and a bear preserve.

"Appetite For Destruction"

"Why Goats and Fruit Trees Don't Mix"

"Florence and O Henry Share a Tree"

The herd at High Meadows was recently given access to a small fruit tree orchard. The trees had been pretty much given up before there were goats because the black bear, deer and squirrels got most of the apples.  There is a social component to debarking as small groups work together around a single tree. This is an important activity to keep in mind if you plan to do vegetative management for other landowners. Large trees are generally safe but owners should be aware that they will lose small trees in the clearing process.

"Gathering To Debark"

"Workin' the Weeds"

"Im sure I saw something moving"

Several killing frosts and a Thanksgiving snow have left the grasses and forbes brown and crispy at High Meadows. Weeds once avoided by the goats seem to have taken on a new flavor and are now being eaten by the doelings. There are fewer places for the meadow mice and cottontails to hide providing momentary diversion for the guard dogs.

"Hmm..this stick weed tastes pretty good"

"O Henry stays on task..breeding season continues"

"Mad About The Boy"

"Mad about the boy"

The shorter, cooler days of fall bring color and lots of courting to High Meadows. "O Henry" is a young buck but knows all the right moves to keep the ladies standing in line. He even sings to them as he twirls them around the dance floor.

"Who's Next?"

"Waiting her turn"

 "O Henry" is throwing plenty of color and we look forward to the results of crossing him with
our large High Meadows does.

"Whispering sweet nothings"

Long winter nights are on the way but we are already dreaming of spring kids to come.  Dance on Henry!

"Sale Day"

"Loaded For the Sale"

HighMeadows takes pride in the stock selected  to take to a sale. Healthy does who represent the Kiko breed and our farm in a positive way is our goal. Nine does were finally chosen to be consigned at the recent Appalachian Kikos Invitational Sale in Gray, Tennessee. The does sold well and are all making new homes in several states.

HMK Heloise

 "Goodbye Heloise....may you have a good life."Goodbye Harriet...may you meet the buck of your dreams." Goodbye Honey,Hope,Hattie,Helen and Halle...may you have beautiful kids, mostly does, never loose your cud and always have green pastures.

HMK Harriet

Saying goodbye is sometimes hard but is made much easier by the knowledge that "our girls" are going to places where they will have the chance to produce and continue to live a good "goat" life.

"Experiencing Imogene"

"Imogene at one month"

"Imogene at six months"

"Experiencing Imogene"

 Sometimes a kid is born who just seems to have more of an interest in their human caretakers. "Imogene" is one such goat. Instead of moving away from a touch like most goats do she leans in and offers her head to be scratched. The other little goats look at her in horror as if to say.."why are you letting yourself be touched?" Even as a baby she seemed to always be watching with interest as we worked around her. It did not take her long to figure out that she could get her itchy spots taken care of. She has a larger, darker eye than the other kids and seems to look into your heart. "Imogene" is really something to experience.

"Decisions...Decisions"

"Going To Appalchian Kiko Invitational ?"

The time has come to make final decisions about who High Meadows will take to the Appalachian Kiko Invitational Sale in September. Choices are made based on pedigree, performance data, parasite resistance, hardiness and conformational correctness. It is hard to decide and there are always personal favorites. "We have to sell some of them" is often  heard during the sale/no sale discussions. Their dams and granddams are still with us and they seem like family.

"These doelings represent years of selective breeding and culling"

"HMK Hermoine... daughter of Erma born 3/22/12" Going to the sale.

"HMK Helen.. daughter of  Ebony born 3/24/12" Going to the sale along with seven other doelings.

"Easy Pickins"

By now most of the easily reached browse is gone and the does must resort to climbing to reach the desirable foilage. Some of the does are really good at climbing and manage to snag limbs while the other does wait and watch hoping to grab a limb pulled down by another doe.

" Careful Erma..it's a long way down"

 

"Frances waits while Flo and Erma climb"

"Erma hopes Flo will share"

"...At the end of the day..."

"At the end of the day.."

Why do we do what we do? We battle parasites, hunt kids in the snow, rescue dogs and goats from flooded fields, haul water and reset fence in the scorching summer sun. There is a chance that we could make a profit if sales are good in the fall or the meat market continues to rise and we don't look to closely at what it has cost .The conclusion is we do it because we enjoy it. There is real pleasure in producing good Kiko stock. Watching a baby girl become a fine mom is a joy. Working to open a new pasture to a group of weanling bucklings and watching them go after the chickory with gusto is very satisfying.Kids playing "king of the mountain" and "show me your horns" can bring a smile during the hardest times. At the end of the day it is about loving what you do, working hard and being thankful.

                                                                                                                                                                         

"boys in a new spot..hear the munching.."

"...just gotta love em.."

"Lonely Hearts"

"Old Heidi babysits"

Weaning season has arrived at High Meadows.The bucklings are separated from moms first and taken to another field. There is some crying  but other activities soon take the boys minds off of mom.
Eating, grooming, head butting and rock hopping help to pass the time. Meanwhile back at the other pasture the moms seem content until their udders begin to fill. It takes a few days for them to settle into the "kidless" phase and begin the process of putting weight back. It will take several months on really good pasture to get the does ready for fall breeding.

"Like Father Like Son"

It is amusing to watch the bucklings follow the older buck around the pasture seeming to imitate his every move. What better way to learn than do what daddy does. Most of these young bucklings will go to the meat market. Not a pleasant thought on a bright sunny spring day just a fact of life for a meatgoat producer. A select few bucks will be allowed to grow out to judge their growth potential. One or two may be kept or sold as breeding bucks based on their birth weights, confirmation and average daily gains.

"Future Breeding Buck?"

"Busy Boys"

"All Aboard!"

"Waiting For the Bus"

"The Eating Never Stops"

 "All Aboard!" Get On! Get In! Get Off!" This time of year there is a lot of goat shuffling going on. Some are moved so the fence can be taken up, mowed under and reset. Some are moved because they are being weaned. Bucklings must be separated from doelings before "practicing" becomes the real thing. Weaned moms are taken to a quite place to begin the recovery process and get prepared for the next breeding season. Mature bucks need to be far away from the girls for the next couple of months. All of this moving makes for a challenging "chess" game from one pasture to another.
    

"Key Player in Every Move"

"Checking Out the New Digs"

 Fence supplies, catch pen panels, water pans and mineral feeders have to be inventoried and moved to the correct pasture. Key players in all this moving are the large guard dogs. Some are more mature and do fine on their own while other younger dogs work better in pairs. Just another piece of the puzzle that is goat farming.










We are doing vegetative management on several nearby farms and the property owners needs and wishes are a factor in how the goats are dispersed. Some prefer female goats and others don't want dogs. What ever the combination it  is always a pleasure to watch goats turned into a "new" spot.

"Sweet Sixteen"

 The sixteen doelings  held from the 2012 crop are in a secluded field far from the bucks. They are growing very well and a select few will be going to the Appalachian Kiko Invitational Sale in September.
     It has been a wet spring here in the gentle hills of East Tennessee and the pasture grasses are getting very tall.              

       The "H" girls are always glad to see us when we stop by to feed the dogs. I love to watch them run across the pasture with their ears flapping.

"New Game In Town"

 The addition of a large concrete culvert in the front pasture has given the kids a whole new set of games to play. Climbing, jumping, crawling, pushing and shoving are great ways to pass the time. Kids are either sleeping, eating or playing and provide hours of entertainment for the folks at High Meadows. All the climbing on the culvert also helps keep little hooves worn down.

"Goat Dreams"



"Spring Dreaming"


 Spring days are getting longer and warmer at High Meadows. After a morning of games and a belly full of mom's milk the kids settle down for a nap. What
do little goats dream of ...green fields, king of the mountain, other little goat girls and boys ? Who knows.
One thing is for sure...nothing is more peaceful than a pile of goat babies sleeping in the sun.



"Dreaming of Days To Come"



 

"Under Moms Watchful Care"