I am a Temporary Goat Farmer

[Michael]

My neighbor Dan and his wife have a herd of 12 goats and 20 baby goats (so far). Yesterday they took off on a cruise to Hawaii to celebrate their 25th Wedding anniversity and I get to take care of the goat herd for the next 2 weeks.

Tonight I was over at Dan's place checking and bringing some water to the goats and one of the females (who is penned up waiting on her to deliver)who has not yet deliver her babies decided to have the babies. The first one was out and it was a male the 2nd had its head out but its hoofs were not sticking out. Well the other neighbor from behind Dans place was there and she decided after I could not get its leg to come up to get the neighbor who is a large animal Vet to come over and assist the mother. He got over in 10 minutes and has the newest arrival out in 5 minutes. This little one is a female and we did save her, so thats another 2 to the herd. So ther are more babies for Dan to take care of when he gets back from.

When I asked how much I owed I was floored by his response NO CHARGE for a neighbor.

Well now I only have to worry about the last 2 goats who haven't delivered.

[chipmaker]

Gotta admit, baby goats are neat...........they no sooner get dried off and within an hour are running and jumping...

[Jim_WV]

Wow Michael thats pretty amazing and what a great vet and neighbors for helping out, sounds like you got good people in your neck of the country :trink40:

[thesmartfarmer]

Its always good to have great neighbors

[Michael]

Well, this morning and this afternoon when I checked the little one she was doing fine and doing her best to get her milk. She's a healthy little goat that is is doing her thing. Peter the Vet said the reason for the no charge when I talked to him was it is always a joy to bring new life into the world. So you see the reason of the NO CHARGE! Well my Filipina wife said that is not right that he doesn't charge for the service and decided to send 2 dozen Lumpia Eggrolls his way for the work and some Chinese dipping sauce.

Later on he stopped by when I was outside tonight and he said those were the best eggrolls he had ever had. His wife was with him and tryed to get my wife to tell her how to make them and my wife would not tell her as she has a secret recipe. Them the vets wife wanted to buy everything my wife had in the freezer. My wife walked away with $50.00 for the last 50 eggrolls. :trink40:

[simple_john]

now thats a nice guy.. and it must be convenient to have a good vet in the neighborhood...



maybe you can send a goat pauls way.. i heard he has a bit of a dandelion problem.. ROF

[Jim_WV]

Michael, glad to hear the new little addition is doing well and if you're Mrs. ever decides to start selling them eggrolls online, let me know, I simply love good homemade eggrolls :trink39:

[bontai Joe]

Eggrolls are good, but Lumpia is better! My wife has a secret recipe as well and several folks love her lumpia. (including me!)

[chipmaker]

Whats Lumpia? Inquiring minds want to know.......I guess could Google it up though.......

[Michael]

Chipmaker Lumpia is a filipino eggroll. They tend to be smaller and pack more meat then vegetable. That is what my wife makes. I tend to call them eggrolls as just about everyone knows what a egg roll is. Every filipina makes lumpia a bit different and every one that I have tryed is simple wonderful in the taste. My wife makes a variety of Lumpia called lumpia Shanghi (sp). I have always enjoyed my wifes eggrolls and the fastest way to get a man is thru his stomach and it really fits for me. :congrats: :fing02:

[bontai Joe]

Michael's description pretty much covers what Lumpia is. The only thing I can add is that my wife buys the dough used for the wrapper from a Filipino store, as it has a sliightly different flavor than the Chinese version. They are great stuffed with sausage and cabbage, or with just vegetables.

[chipmaker]

Sort of like an Oriental Pierogi then........

[Carl]

Suddenly the egg rolls turn into bank rolls :bump9:

Really enjoyed your telling about the goats. I didn't know that it was so common for goats to have more than one kid at a time. I bet they are soooo cute. Can you post some pictures??

[Michael]

Since you ask we have had 3 new arrivals yesterday. 5/9/2005 I did get some pictures of the new arrivals and they are attached. I would have put a cigar smilie up but no cigar on it so a round on the house :trink39: :trink39:

I do not know much about goats but this breed is a African breed that normal has 1-4 goats. It makes it difficult in the fact when they have more then 2 as they have most of the time 2 teats. The new arrivals mother had something a little strange in the fact that she 4 teats o she should be able to provide enough milk for the triplets. When I checked them tonight they are all doing fine. I did give the new mother a 2nd feeding of grain to help her.

[chipmaker]

They appear to be Boer breed of goats. Look almost like the Holsteins of the dairy goat world which is the Nubian, but they have the predominate white body and brown shoulders to head, and not boney like a nubian (typical type frame for dary cows and goats), as they are mainly a meat goat. Seems this breed is the new wqave of goars that is getting more popular in the USA, and they are winning over folks that used to raise Nubians. MOst of my Boer does have 4 teats but usually only 2 are functional at least from a good supply point of view...but no matter how many kids the doe has they will al get sufficient milk from momma. Boers can have up to 3 sets of kids in a 2 year span, while Nubians and other registered breeds except for Pygmy types usually only breed and have kids 1 time a year, so you get an additional breeding out of Boers, as they do not cycle with the length of sunlight etc as most other goats do. Usually a first timer has a single kid, and after that up to 4 at a time is not uncommon. I have a Boer doe that routinely throws triplets and quads. My buck boer is still relatively a young dude and is pushing 175# or more....his daddy was #240, and gentle as a new born lamb. Can't say the same about this fellow though as he likes to play and his playing is quite rough.

So Michael, are you hooked on having your own backyard herd of goats yet? They definately will keep your weeds and fence line trimmed to perfection. We have had goats for over 25 years now, and have had all kinds, from common spanish bush goats to Pygmy, to dairy types. Used to have a herd of 26 milking does that we used to milk and sell their milk from for years. Other than bush type goats the Boer breed do not seem to be intimidated by weather. All my other breeds of goats would stay inside their shelter if there was even a hint of a dark cloud in the sky........but not the Boer........they are our in the field eating no matter what the weather is like. I even had some of mine out during hurricane Ivan grazing on the soggy grass on the protected side of their shelter out of the direct wind blasts. Folks usually give a goat a bad rap, and think they are impervious to sickness etc. A goat needs regular worming, as they are very susceptible to parasites....they do not have the cast iron stomachs folks usually think they have..........

[Michael]

Thanks Chipmaker for the informative infomation on the goats. I enjoy the goats a lot but I have one problem and its the time I spend at work (alot of overtime getting those new Boeing 777's out to the flightline) as my wife is busy at the church so we have have limited time to care for the goats properly (Not to easy to take a goat with you to the church as it for our 2 trained dogs) :fing20: I do enjoy them and they are in the pasture right next to my property and I do allow a few in my pasture as my other neighbor cycles his horses on and off my pasture, I have the goats in to eat what is not :trink40: eaten by the horses (the butter cups are bad for the horses but the goats eat them and enjoy them and no bad effects for them).

I will get some pictures tomorrow of the mommas and the buck and post the pictures later on so you can ID them better Chipmaker. :trink40:

[chary]

Hello micheal its me chary, im here already, i know what's lumpia, coz i know how to cook that...its a filipino food...

[Dachshund]

Well my Filipina wife said that is not right that he doesn't charge for the service and decided to send 2 dozen Lumpia Eggrolls his way for the work and some Chinese dipping sauce.

I was stationed (in the USMC) with a guy who had a Filipina Wife who made Lumpia. WONDERFUL stuff - wish I had some now......Lumpia...MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ......... drool, drool, drool.....

[chary]

Yeah Lumpia tastes good, when my mother cook that its taste really hmmmmmm....

sarap talaga...

[Michael]

sarap talaga... sarap means taste good, talaga means To Tell the truth. I just want you guys to know the meaning so you don't have to break out the tagalog-english dictionary. :00000060:

[chary]

hehehe :) thanks micheal for translating those words...