Hi Ellen, I know what you mean about the rain. Some people say this is
the Pacific NorthWet, instead of calling the Pacific Northwest.
Our club doe show is known for being a cold one, we just always hope it
does not rain. So sorry to hear that yours was rained on. Glad the two
legged kids had fun in spite of it. I love to see the kids show off
their animals at our local fair fair in August. For some reason we do
not get a lot of kids showing at our club show, mostly ladies and a few
hubbies that are dragged along.
The few Boer shows that I've attended seem to have more men involved.
Might be because of the size of the bucks or because they are more like
beef? The women I met that have Boers usually started with dairy animals
and then added a few Boers. In the south the kids raise and show market
wethers like they do sheep. It has not caught on up here yet.
Marketing is always an issue, a couple of years ago we bred three does
and ended up with 3 bucks and one doe. We raised them up to sixteen
weeks and one boy we gave to a friend who had help us when we first got
started and the other 2 boys went to the local auction barn.
Do you have a local livestock auction barn anywhere close? We used to
have a thriving one about 40 minutes away. it will be closing this
winter. By next summer some business or mall will be there. Not enough
business, all the dairy farms are heading across the mountains to the
drier more agricultural part of our state. Wetland issues and the fastly
growing need for housing and big shopping malls are making them a thing
of the past. Cannot believe how fast this area is turning into the city.
It is the fastest growing area in the state.
Just a thought until you can get a bigger barn. Out here in the west,
they sell tarp quonset hut like structures with light weight aluminum
frames. Relatively inexpensive, usually used for boat, car and other
miscellaneous storage. No need for a permit out here. Not taxed because
they are considered tem****ary. If you can get a tan one they do not
look too out of place. Blue ones are really noticeable. We have several
around the place for storing equipment. You could use one of them for
your milking parlor. That or one of the heavy plastic like greenhouses.
You could get one of those as small as 6x8 or 8x10.
Have to get busy, between club meetings, charity work, doctors
appointments and squeezing time to see friends in the city, I've been
gone all this last week. Still have plenty to do, but I am NOT getting
into the car today. Have a good day, liz
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