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Of course, let's not
forget about the goats! We raise both white and colored angora goats. We strive to
produce goats with fine textured fleeces, curl and of course, lots of color.
I am going to miss the goats, as we are selling them all, or almost all.
The goal is to have them sold by mid August 2010. See
Goat Page . Family
responsibilities, parents, are JoAnne's focus for the time being, and we
have a large supply of mohair now. I won't miss being tied down to the
farm so much. Roger
Angora goats produce the
fiber called mohair, and are sheared twice a year, when the fleece is about
6 inches long. Sometimes we allow those special fleeces to grow a bit
longer to be used for doll hair. We are able to allow the fleece to
grow longer because of the dry climate in this area, and without
compromising the health of the animal or the fleece..
We have fiber available
for the spinner from first clip kid, the absolute finest, to fiber suitable
for rug making. We also provide a fine selection of quality dyed
mohair locks for the discriminating doll maker or reborner.
The big white guy is
Benny. This Great Pyrenees was trained as a Livestock Guardian
Dog. Truth to tell, these dogs aren't so much trained, as they have the
natural instinct for protecting livestock, and so come by their abilities
naturally. He is good at his job, protecting the goats day and night, in the
barn area at night and out on the range (and lying around the house) in the
daytime. We were lucky to get him in Oregon from fellow angora goat
breeders after we had trouble with mountain lions. He likes people and
he likes his goats. The first spring we had Benny, the first doe
gave birth out in the pasture without us knowing it. By the time we
found the kid, Benny had the new kid all cleaned off; taking over to the
point that the mother almost didn't accept it. Now we watch for Benny
in the spring during kidding season. He is often our first indication
that a birth is about to occur. One will see him lying quietly by the
doe in labor, far enough away to give her privacy, but close enough to
protect her.
Zora, Benny's first goat birthing
subject
We take pleasure in our
little homestead. It is not the life for everyone, but it is the life
for us. One thing we have found out is, that it is not the destination
that is important, but the journey. We take pleasure in the little
things. The sunrises, and sunsets, thunderstorms rolling in over Snow
Mountain, the sight of new kids cavorting in the paddock, the first ripe
tomato from the garden.........
So sit back, relax, and
spend some time with us. Hope you enjoy your visit.
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