Sundaze Farm Blog
Kidding Season 2020: Nigerian Dwarfs
It's mid-April and the bulk of our 2020 kidding season has come to a close! We had four Nigerian Dwarf does kid over the last two and a half weeks, and we have six adorable babies from them! We plan to retain one doe that will become my younger son's project animal....
First Kids of 2020
The first kids born in 2020 officially arrived on the farm on April 2nd, one day past their due date. Their dam is our son's first 4-H project goat, Maplewood Hilltop Reese. Their sire is Top Hat Farm M Bumble Quinn. Reese continued her consistent streak of producing...
Expanding our Mini LaMancha Herd
If you follow us on social media (and if you're not - why aren't you?!) you know that we have struggled again this year to get our LaManchas bred. Our little Nigerian Buck, Bumble, did his best but simply wasn't tall enough to get the job done. We haven't been quite...
What is the CD&T Vaccine and Why Use It?
All goats should receive a CD&T vaccine annually. But WHY? It’s important to know what diseases you are trying to prevent so that you understand why it is so important to vaccinate!Enterotoxemia or “Overeating Disease” The “CD” of CD&T refers to the bacteria...
Kidding Supplies Checklist
As we prepare for kidding season to begin, I am replenishing our kidding kit so I’m confident we have everything we need on-hand. In the past, (knock on wood!) we’ve had very easy births and haven’t had to use most of the items in our kit. However, I like the peace of...
Pregnancy Toxemia and Ketosis in Dairy Goats
Pregnancy, kidding, and lactation require large amounts of energy. If a doe is unable to consume enough feed (or the right types of feed) to support the energy needed, her body begins breaking down fat reserves, which produces compounds called ketones. Ketones in...
Breed Deep-Dives: All About the Nigerian Dwarf
The Nigerian Dwarf, smallest of the dairy breeds, is arguably the most popular goat of the moment. People love them as pets for their friendly personalities, and cute, compact size, but don’t be fooled: they can hold their own milk production too!Why are Nigerian...
ADGA Plus in 2020!
It’s hard to believe, but 2020 marks our fifth year raising goats! This year, I’m excited to participate in some of the American Dairy Goat Association’s performance programs so that we can get more detailed information on our herd and then use that data to make...
“Goats Will Eat Anything” and Other Goat Myths
Myth 1: Goats will eat anything. Goats have long been thought of as the ornery trashcans of the animal world. This is by far the most common myth I hear people repeat, and it is simply not true. Goats are actually extremely picky eaters. They are notorious...
2019 Albion Fair Results
Open Classes: Cross-Bred Dairy Our Mini LaMancha, Phoebe, was entered in the cross bred dairy category and did well! She earned 1st Place for Cross Bred Dairy, Birth and under 5 months and Junior Champion Cross-Bred Dairy. Open Classes: LaMancha Toadsknoll Black...
Our First Mini LaMancha
This precious bundle of adorableness was born on May 28th. Her mama, Toadsknoll Prairie Falcon ("Luna"), wasn't due till May 31st so she arrived a few days early and surprised us! Her sire is *B Bramblestone CQ Tiger Tea. This Luna's first freshening and the first...
Kidding 2019: Round 1 Complete!
Last week was a busy week on the farm with lots of late-night barn checks as we waited for two of our Nigerian Dwarfs to kid. We had Maplewood Hill Top Candy due on March 24 and Sundaze Farm Maizey due on March 28th. NOTE: We'll begin contacting individuals on our...
