Our Kinder Starter Kit

I am very pleased to announce that our Kinder Goat starter kit is at last complete. Let me introduce you to ....

Sugarland Farm Rescue Me

Tarheel Acres Chipper

They are registered Pygmy bucks, the second half of our Kinder starter kit. The Kinder is a Nubian / Pygmy cross, mid-size, dual purpose goat (for both milk and meat), perfect for homesteaders.

To this cross the Pygmy contributes its small size; excellent feed conversion (high milk production on minimum food intake); high quality, high protein, high butterfat milk; heavier mucsling (for meat production); breed hardiness; aseasonal breeding (i.e. year around); and multiple births (triplets and quads are common).

The Nubian contributes longer legs (better for standing over the milking bucket); larger, easier to milk teats; a well attached udder; higher production of high quality milk; extended lactations; more correct rump and rear legs; adorable "airplane" (long and somewhat lowered) ears; and color.

"McGruff," scratching his head & back on the pick-up.

Rescue Me, well, we're not going to call him that. Nor "Rescue." Actually we've started calling him "Gruffy," "Ol' Gruff", or "McGruff". He's 4 and 1/2 years old, and stands 18 inches tall at the withers. Standing next to Dan's Chevy S-10 pick-up, you can see he's not very tall! His coloring is referred to as caramel, which is one of the six Pygmy colorations recognized by the National Pygmy Goat Association.

Chipper, a grey agouti, is 10 weeks old and smaller than Surprise's 3 week old twins. That may seem young, but unfortunately for little bucks, they are commonly separated from their mothers at about 8 weeks of age. This is because they are fully capable of breeding at 2 months old.

He has some growing to do before we promote him to that role. I got the bucks now because they were available. Last summer, I started looking for a registered Pygmy buck too late, and couldn't find one of breeding size for sale. I had to resort to Breeding Plan E, which at least meant kids and milk for this year. The very day we decided to continue looking for Pygmy bucks, I found a breeder on Craigslist. He had several available and gave us a deal for buying two. We thought two unrelated bucks and two unrelated does was the best way to start our Kinder herd, giving us a larger genetic pool for the first several years.

McGruff has been polite and willing to receive a scratch on the head.

He'd prefer to go home, if you please and thank you very much, but hasn't ruled us out altogether. His bleating is so funny. He sounds nothing like a goat, and everything like the "gruff" in 3 Billy Goats Gruff (hence his new nickname).

Chipper's bleating sounds more like the "beep, beep" of a toy car. We're hearing a lot of it because he misses his mom! By day two, he was hoarse, but that didn't stop him. Actually he'd much prefer being in with the twins and the does.

Jasmine & Chipper eying each other

In fact, he made his great escape in the (now blocked) gap between the gate and the gate post. Once he got in with the girls, however, no one seemed to be very interested in his plight. Much to his dismay, they all ran away. He didn't let us actually catch him, but did allow himself to be herded back through the gate.

Pygmies are really neat goats and very personable. I see why folks fall in love with them. Hopefully they'll make their adjustment quickly and be content with their new home.

Our Kinder Starter Kit © May 2011 by
Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/