"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 !"

"Sticky Business"

"Checking Henry's Beard"

"Cocklebur"

High Meadows recently was asked to graze a field that had not been mowed for several years. There are lots of choice edibles including chickory which the goats love. Sadly there are lots of undesirable plants with seeds that cause problems. The young bucklings quickly became covered by the pesky seeds and required frequent grooming to keep the burrs from working down to their skin. Burdock and Cocklebur are the culprits. Mother Nature designed their distribution process very well.

"Removing Cocklebur"

"Even in their tails"

"On their forelocks"

"Handful of Burdock Trouble"

"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.