Friday was a rollercoaster of a day.  First I was woken up to the news that Blush had kidded unexpectedly and the baby appeared to be dead. I threw on barn clothes and raced over to the barn through the two feet of fresh snow, and yes the beautiful doe kid was beyond saving.  

Then I noticed Moana was having discharge so I moved Havilah and Velvet along with their kids back into the main barn and and cleaned out the three kidding stalls by myself as my children were headed off to school.  While I was cleaning things out Layla marched over to me and very loudly announced she was going to kid and wanted her nice comfy stall back.  So I double timed it and got her back where she wanted to be, and moved Moana into the pen next to her.

While I was waiting on Layla to kid, Moana started pushing too - it appeared to be race to see who was going to kid first and then instead of a kid Moana had a vaginal prolapse.  I texted our regular vet but she is on maternity leave herself, so I called around to a few other vets and wasn't having any luck getting someone to come out.  Then she sucked it back up before I could do anything more than get the straw picked off.   

Then Layla got serious about kidding - her water broke - and then she decided that kidding against the wall was what she wanted to do.  I dragged her away from the wall, and she scooted right back, then she started popping out kids with less than two inches of space one right after the other, I would barely clear noses and the next one was coming.  It took 18 minutes from the time her water broke until I was placing  the 4th kid by her head.  

She gave us two bucks and two does - it appears that there are blue eyes in the bunch but I don't want to call it until I am 100% sure as some of them look a little on the dark side and are likely to turn brown in a week or two.

After the kids were all cleaned up from Layla's kidding I ran back to the house to get something to eat and get some dry clothes on.   While I was in the house Moana prolapsed again.  Then a meat goat breeder friend of mine that lives in the area let me know she had a vet coming to her place to do a health certificate that afternoon and said maybe we could piggy back onto that appointment.  I called and the vet agreed to come see her.

He got here around 4pm and I think this was the first time he had ever worked on a Nigerian Dwarf goat.  All he had was sheep sized gear, but with some jerry-rigging we go a prolapse retainer in her.  The vet thinks she will kid in 5-7 days, and while sheep can lamb around one of those devices he doesn't think she can, so we have to keep a watch on her around the clock until she is ready to kid, at which time we will need to remove the device.

She isn't thrilled with the device, but so far hasn't managed to dislodge it.  This is the first time we have ever had to deal with a prolapse, and I sure hope it is our last.  Other than being annoyed about it she is doing well, and Presley is in the kidding stall next to her to keep her company.  They are both High Tide daughters and both were bred to Saranghae.  

Velvet kidded with a single buck kid this evening.  Her dam Havilah was in the stall next to her and talked her through the entire event. Havilah went through the usual first freshener puzzlement - "who is this calling me mama?"  But thanks to grandma Havilah's coaching she soon got the hang of being a mama and she is being very attentive.  He was up and nursing quickly.  He will be available as a pet wether after weaning.

We thought Layla was going to be the first one to kid but Havilah beat her to with twins born later Friday afternoon (2/19/21).  Both kids are good sized, but Havilah needed no assistance in pushing them out.  The doe kid was up and bouncing! around before she was even an hour old.  Neither of them got daddy's blue eyes.  The buckling will be available as a wether after weaning and the doe kid may be available.  The next 6 does due to kid were all bred to Saranghae and naturally we want to keep one or two of those kids for ourselves. 

There extended pedigree can be seen below:

,Back in 2018 we shipped in a buck kid, "Dutch" from Colorado who was sired by Castle Rock Saraband who was a littermate brother to Saranghae out of the amazing Castle Rock Sarafina EEEE 92. His dam was out of Castle Rock Wildfire VEEE 90.  Sadly we lost Dutch before he had a chance to bred anyone, in January 2019 on the day we were finally able to move the goats into the barn.  (The barn that over 2 months behind schedule.)

​I was especially disappointed to lose Sarafina's genetics.  A friend mentioned she was bringing in a new buck and I immediately recognized his pedigree.  I bought a blue-eyed daughter of Saranghe  x Layla last year, but then was blessed to borrow him this fall and to house three does for her too while her barn was undergoing some bear proofing.  Glad we don't have to deal with Grizzly in our part of Idaho. 

I thought I had posted about three guests we got the day Castle Rock Saranghe left us, but apparently I didn't the info up. 

So Grace Ridge, who was kind enough to loan us Saranghe was having some bear problems at their place.  So I am leasing three of their does until after kidding and they have had a chance to build a goat fortress.  

Last summer we purchased One Summer Night from them - and we absolutely adore her!  Her dam 5 Fold Farm EN Half of Night better known as "Layla" is one of the does that is spending the winter and spring with us.  And I am looking forward to getting a chance to milk her out after having watched her LA in 2019.

We also took in GraceRidge CG Havilah a lovely doe out of Castle Rock Cyclogensis and her 2020 daughter National Velvet who is out of Pippen Hill CC Golden Touch.

All three of them are bred to Castle Rock Saranghe and are due around the end of February.   Kids will be registered as Wags Ranch offspring and of course I will be getting first pick.  Which means I need to sell some off some of my herd, which after the hard cuts I made last year is easier said than done.

anghe - Havilah, Layla and Velvet are due at the end of Febuary
Saranghe - Blush, Violet, Moana & Presley - beginning = middle of March

Kingfisher - Levana, Moolatte & Rosie - due April 16th

Tide - Suede & Summer - due May 6th

Does that still need to be bred are Zippy, Viennetta.  Their not being bred is totally my fault.  I have been working extra hours and have been relying to heavily on my 2-legged kids to catch the does in heat.   I am going to be locking those two up with Kingfisher starting this evening.

I was debating about breeding Gal and Puzzle as well, but decided since I don't usually breed does until they are at least a year old, I will wait on them.  The only reason I bred the two I did is because they are large enough and Tide will be leaving us in just a month or two as he has a pending sale to the Australian Syndicate. 

As previously mentioned I have to make some more cuts in the herd and after agonizing over it for weeks.  I will be putting Zippy up for sale.  She will be available as a possibly bred to Kingfisher doe.  So her kids will could be blue-eyed and moon spotted if you like an extra bit of glam.   She is a Castle Rock High Tide daughter and did pretty well as a first freshener and has nice teat length.
​

​Wags Ranch HT Zipporah
DOB: 4/14/2017

Sire: Castle Rock High Tide
SS: Caprine Acres HS Cooper
SD: Castle Rock Tsunamie  LA 90

Dam: Wags Ranch MB Hadassah
DS: Wags Ranch Midnight Blues
DD:  M.R. Hearththrob's Blue Miracle​

ADGA Pedigree

Kidding History:
4/9/20:  Triplets 1 doe/2 bucks - Cobalt

Blue-eyed Zipporah, better known as "Zippy" does not like to stand still.  Her first freshening udder is easily milked with nice teat length.   She will be available for sale as a potentially bred to Kingfisher doe.  $400

With the way 2020 has gone it feels like I might be jinxing myself posting anticipated breeding schedule, once we have firm breeding dates we will update the information and eventually post a spread sheet.

​Castle Rock Saranghae Oct 7th - Nov 9th
Wags Ranch Incredible Violet
Golden Era CN Made Me Blush
Wags Ranch HT Moana
Wags Ranch HT Blue Presley

No firm breeding date on these for does, as I knew I was having surgery just a week after he joined us, so to have the best shot of getting them all bred they were pen bred so due dates will only be approximate.  I prefer not to hand breed so I have better due dates, but I am just excited that I was able to borrow this handsome guy (trust me this picture does not due him justice!)

​Tangled Forest BB Kingfisher  (Nov/Dec)
Wags Ranch MS Levana (this will most likely be her last year kidding)
Wags Ranch HT Zipporah
Wags Ranch HT Mootlatte (FF)
Wags Ranch HT Rosie (FF)
Wags Ranch CA Viennetta (FF)

Kingfisher was only bred to two girls last year and produced some really nice looking kids - but only one doe kid.  He is blue-eyed an moonspotted but more importantly check out the udders and LA scores behind him!   We are hoping that this coming year will bring a plethora of daughters from him.

Castle Rock High Tide (January)
Wags Ranch CA Blue Suede (FF) 
Grace Ridge S One Summer Night (FF)
Wags Ranch CA Puzzled Blues (FF)

Tide is under contract to the Australian Syndicate and is scheduled to leave us in the spring.  We would normally wait until the fall after a does 1st birthday to breed, but we are going to make an exception to that rule this coming year for the three does listed above, providing they have reached at least 40lbs by January. One Summer Night is a Saranghe daughter - and I really want to see what combining the genetics from those two Castle Rock bucks provide.

​Onaqui EYHO Toblerone
Toby will be standing at stud this year to does that have recently undergone the WADDL biosecurity screen. Stud fee is $50 per doe.

Toby is young, and this picture of him at 6 months old just shows off his teenage awkwardness , but he is maturing into his very nice pedigree.  He has blue and gold marbled eyes.

His dance card is filling up fast, so if you are looking for a stud get in touch with us soon.

We are blessed to have a very special buck guest staring in our fall breeding line up.   Before he moves out of state Castle Rock Saranghae is hopefully going to be blessing us with some pregnant ladies.   The visit is short, so we are praying he can get the job done quickly and pass along those fantastic genetics.  He came ready to work - so he isn't looking what I would think of as his best, but the ladies don't seem to mind one bit!

A couple of years ago I flew a buck kid in from Colorado but never got to use him, he died the day we finally got the barn finished in January 2019.  I bought him because his sire was out of Castle Rock Sarafina just like Saranghae.  Turns out that they were littermates.  Such a blessing to get those genetics afterall!

Castle Rock Saranghea
Dob: 02/08/2016

Sire: Castle Rock Moonraker
SS: Castle Rock Cleveland Sage
SD: CH CRF Castle Rock Moon River 3*D EEEE 91
​
Dam: GCH Castle Rock Sarafina 2*M 2*D EEEE 92
DS: Twin Creeks BW Montego Bay
DD:ARMCH-GCH-PGCH Esperanza WS Sara *M *D 'VG' (89.6)

He is going to be bred to the following four does, and I have included the planning pedigrees.   We are hoping to retain several kids from him, but I bought one of his daughters from this year just to hedge my bets.   If you are interested in any of these pairings feel free to let me know and we can place you on our free wait list.

Blush, Violet, Moana and Presley are the four does we have selected for him.  Moana and Presley are both Castle Rock High Tide daughters that had very nice first freshening udders this year.  Blush may have a different herd name but she is a Castle Rock doe out of Guy Noir's littermate.  And at the moment Violet has the best udder in the herd and it looks like she will be getting her milk star soon, if the craziness of 2020 doesn't interfere anymore than it already has.  Moana has been a big producer, although her udder doesn't collapse as much as her half sister Presley's does.  You can tell if she was milked out from across the barn!  I have never had a doe who's udder collapsed so much.  

The rest of the breeding schedule will be posted towards the end of October after Saranghe has left.  Kingfisher is going to have a chance to prove himself this year and is slotted for 4-5 does and Tide may yet get a doe or two before he leaves in the spring.

Finally got half a day of sunshine, just long enough to finally get a little more formal shots then the above picture of Zippy who was grazing her way up the hill.  Adults were all clipped a couple of weeks ago, but we just didn't get decent weather and as it was it rained shortly after we finished the buck pictures.  

The yearling does were not clipped - and we didn't get formal shots of the 2020 kids.  We will be adding a 2020 buckling from Unaqui in Utah and a doeling from GraceRidge in Northern Idaho in the coming weeks.  That will make seven 2020 doelings, and I didn't need her... but I just couldn't pass her up. 

So scroll through and enjoy the updated pictures!

This year we were blessed with a total of 40 kids in 15 kiddings!  We have 3 sets of triplets, 4 sets of twins, one set of quads out of a first freshener to start the season, and one single birth.   18 doe kids and 22 buck kids for a 45% doe ratio  

We retained a total of 

Our overall herd sized was reduced due to selling several does in milk so we will have 6 experienced does and 3 first fresheners kidding next year.  

Every kid born here on the ranch this year has been retained or reserved and we are just waiting on Alex who is due the 14th to kid.   If she has a doe kid, the odds are we will be retaining her.  Should she have two.... well that has never happened.  It is possible we might have 1 or 2 wethers for sale, we shall just have to wait and see.

We greatly appreciate all of our customers, and we hope you enjoy your goats and take the best possible care of them!  

We are super stoked about next year, when Tangled Forest BB Kingfisher will get to strut his stuff with the ladies, and we are hoping to bring in some new genetics as well to compliment our tried and true genetics through Castle Rock High Tide.

Let's hear it for the boys!