"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"



"All Things Bright and Beautiful"

 The 2013 kid crop is on the ground and looks very promising. We are using a new junior buck and he is throwing color like crazy. The nice calico twin doelings shown below will be going to the AKI Sale in September.

"HMK Inga"

HMK Ingrid

"School of Hard Knocks"

"Is This To Close?"

This is the first kidding season Sam and Badger have been allowed to be in the same pasture with the does. The learning curve is pretty steep and there are lots of anxious moments as the dogs witness and attend the kidding. The dogs must
learn to be attentive without getting to close to the does or they
may get knocked to the ground. Watching the kids play without joining in is tough and the desire to chase kids must be overcome.

"Uncle Badger"

"First Timers"

Gretchen... first time mom

  

 Each kidding season at High Meadows includes a few first time moms. Gretchen passed with "flying colors." She not only did all the right things but also presented us with a beautiful set of nicely marked doelings.

                                                                                                                                                      

Gretchen's girls tucked in



"Mountain Hardy"

First Kids of 2013

The first of our 2013 kid crop arrived in a driving rain which turned to snow as the temperatures dropped during the night. The snow covered ground did not bother the moms or the kids and after a couple of drinks and a few minutes to fluff up they were off and running. Truly amazing!

HMK 0229 meets his daddy

Ready To Play

"Maintenance"

 Kiko goats are mostly low maintenance however there are a few chores which require a more hands on approach. All High Meadows doelings receive a microchip sometime during their first year. It is also a good time to check hooves and generally evaluate the over all health and growth of each animal.

"Hands On"

"Checking Hooves"

"Who's Next?"

"January Thaw"



"You took the spot I wanted"

January brought a few warm sunny  days and the doelings took full advantage of the mild temperatures. There was lots of hanging out at the mineral feeder, napping in the sun and a few games of "show me your horns." The 2012 crop of doelings continue to grow well and a select few will be going to the SEKGA sale in the spring and the AKI sale in the fall.









"Love this mineral mix!"





"Workin' the Woods"

"On the Move"

The 2012 doelings are spending the winter at an off farm site doing vegetative management for the land owner. This is the fifth year High Meadows has had goats on this property which was over grown with briars, cedars and honeysuckle. The goats have really cleaned it up and it is starting to look like pasture once again.

"Looking for Green"

"Spring"

One of the really great features of this property is the natural spring which flows right out of the ground into a tank buried by the owner. Except for a few very dry weeks last summer the spring has continued to flow and provides water for the goats and dogs and a nice shady spot on warm days.

"Where was that Honeysuckle?"

"Ice Storm"

Checking the fences after an ice storm often presents scenes like this.

                                                                                                                                                                                           



"Yikes !"



 



The "H" girls are curious about what the boss is doing and follow along.






"Mr. Bill to the rescue"








"One more big limb"

 



"Done"

 

One hour of chainsawing and limb dragging has the fence back in business. The electric net fencing is very forgiving..."takes a licking and keeps on ticking."











"Snow Days"

Winter has been kind in the gentle hills of Tennessee...until Thursday when a fast moving storm dumped several inches of very wet snow on our ridge and the surrounding valleys. The goats have access to rounds bales but when snow covers the pasture square bales are popped open and spread around.







" I think square bales taste better"



"Don't talk with your mouth full"





"Might you have a biscuit in your pocket?"



"Erma and Emily Ann share a patty"