August 27, 2014

Bunny

Sadly, I have no dog news to share, but I do have goat news. Meet Bunny.


Born May 21st of this year, Bunny is half Pygmy, half Nubian - my second unofficial "Kinder" (Caleb being the first).


When I realized Lily's kids were not my much hoped for half breeds, I put all my goat plans on halt. I had been eyeing Bunny for Splash, but I needed to rethink my goals and plans. In the end I sold Splash with Suprise's girls, Miracle and Grace. Awhile back I sold Ziggy and her triplets, also Zoey and her twins.  I once thought I'd keep them all, but I realize I can't keep everybody and our winter quarters and forage really aren't adequate for all those goats.

Bunny and Dottie. Dottie and Sissy are 5 months old, Bunny is 3 months.

Unlike the way I'd been trying to go about it, Bunny's mother is the Pygmy and her sire is the Nubian. Makes me wonder if I should try again for an official version with different goats.


It was an all day trip there and back to get her. In some ways it seems crazy, but you goat folk know that when you find what you want, you go for it.

Sissy in the background, Bunny in the front.

Adjustments are still being made. Of course all Bunny wants is her mother, twin brother, and older sisters. All she wants is to go home.


Surprise and Lily, my adult does, show little interest in her except to warn her off from getting too close. Lily's girls, Dottie and Sissy, have been quite interested, and some kid sparring has taken place. No one has rammed her, happily. I know if I still had Ziggy she would have flattened her at least a dozen times by now.


Plans? To let Gruffy have one more try with Surprise and Lily. This is the last chance I'm giving myself with these three to make some Kinders. If Surprise settles, the kids would qualify for registry and could be "official". Considering nothing happened the other years I tried this, I'm not counting on it. Caleb will get the three younger does when they're old enough. Those are MY plans anyway. Who knows what the goats will decide.

8 comments:

Nina said...

She's a really pretty little girl. You're not the only one to take the long way around to reach a goal. Just think of how much you've learned in the process and how much easier it will be to get there now. Of course that depends on fences and sneaky goats to some extent, but still :)

Michelle said...

In horses it is generally true that the dam has more influence on offspring size than the sire, which makes sense since her body, ideally, would not grow a baby too large for her to carry to term. It would be interesting to see if Pygmy-born Kinders average a smaller adult size than Nubian-born Kinders.

Oh, and don't give up on Gruffy yet; I've had a ewe settle after failed attempts.

Farmer Barb said...

I like her! Nobody likes to be the new girl. She will join the herd when she forgets she is "from away". I always heard you can't breed a big boy to a little girl. Isn't the danger of kids being too large a problem? I love my little ladies, but the promise of hand sized udders is interesting...

Harry Flashman said...

Reading your blog reminds me of when we had two male Nubians. The plan was for them to eat the meadow, but they ate the house, the flowers, and the brake lines on my truck. I found a home for them with an old man who had a big meadow and kept all kinds of animals. He promised not to sell them to the Mexicans for slaughter. I know he didn't because I saw them for years in their new meadow by the road.

Dawn said...

I hope it all pays off for you, you have put a lot into trying to get the right mix. :-)

Leigh said...

Nina, thanks! She's a very feminine little girl. I have to agree about the whole thing being a learning process. For all it's ups and downs I don't regret a thing.

Michelle, thank you for mentioning that. Actually I seem to recall reading something similar about goats. I know my Nigerian Dwarf doe did just fine the two times she was bred to standard bucks. I'm sure studies have been done on size, but I'm clueless about them.

Barb, the official Kinder guidelines recommend using the Pygmy for the buck for that reason. It was the biggest reason I didn't want Ziggy bred to Elvis, but he got her anyway (and she was more than willing). I'm thinking a large Pygmy doe and a smallish Nubian buck ... (?) Many Kinders inherit the Nubian type udder and milk production. A nice quality in a medium size goat.

Harry, I'm glad your boys are still around. And I see what you mean when your wife reminds you of the goats when you wonder about getting pigs, LOL

Dawn, thanks! At least the whole project keeps me busy and out of trouble. :)

Fiona from Arbordale Farm said...

That Bunny sure is cute.

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

Bunny is adorable, they say if you don't mind the work. Then it's totally worth it. Good Luck!!