Kinder Goat Breeders Association

KGBA

Guest Blogger

Kidding Season………..

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In a few short weeks, this little girl will be checking in to Chateau de Maternity Ward ala Goodwife Farm. Her name is Star and she is an unregistered Kinder goat. She is the first kid born here at Goodwife Farm and I love her dearly. She is so sweet and shy and beautiful and I can’t wait for the kids she is going to give me! She already has her room reserved here.
Housekeeping doesn’t have it all bedded and totally ready for her yet, but the week before her confinement arrives it will be deeply bedded and and sparkling clean!
She has a heated kid box, that the babies very quickly figure out is the happenin’ place to be. It usually only takes a couple hours for them to figure out that it’s nice and toasty in there. They are generally found snuggled in a pile in the corner and will pop out for refreshment once in awhile and then go back inside. They also have the home away from home in the Igloo dog house, but it is mostly reserved for jumping up onto and knocking each other off!
The maternity suite offers it’s own hay rack (can you see the chicken peeking out of it? They like to lay eggs in there during the off season!), and it’s own heated water bucket.
After a few days Star and her child/children will check out so that this little lady can check in.
This is Naomi and she is a registered Kinder bred to a registered buck. Star and family will be moved to this less fancy but equally nice suite here at Chateau de Goodwife Farm.
Then about 3 weeks after the arrival of the children, Star will be introduced to this lovely contraption…….THE MILK STAND.

This will be Star’s first freshening so I’ll be training her to the stand and pail. I always train my doe kids to the stand from a very early age, that way it isn’t such a shock when the time comes. I give them a little grain and let them put their heads in the stanchion to eat. I lock them in, brush them, and rub their udders. That way they know what it’s about before the time comes.

Well that’s about how things go here at Goodwife Farm.  Hope your kidding season goes fabulous and you have mostly doelings! 

Till next time…………GOD BLESS FROM GOODWIFE FARM!

Why EVERYBODY needs a Kinder goat…………

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The reason I think everybody needs a Kinder goat is simple………rich, creamy, delicious milk! I can’t talk enough about the quality of milk that a Kinder goat gives. My doe Tulip has been dry since November, and nobody is due to kid until March. That means we’ve been “good milk” less since November and it’s sorely missed around my house. We’ve had to buy whole milk from the store and *eeek, gasp, swoon* we had to buy ice cream on our last trip to Aldi. My husband remarked that it actually tasted like it was “bad” or something! You sure do get spoiled with the good stuff! I haven’t eaten yogurt since I dried Tulip off! I tried eating the plain Dannon yogurt that I use for my starter culture to get my homemade yogurt going. I couldn’t even choke it down! It tasted so………gelatinous, for lack of a better word! Yuck, and double yuck! I wanted a glass of milk so bad last evening, so I poured myself an itty bitty glass of “store” milk. Ugh………it just didn’t even seem to have any flavor. I’m so spoiled on my rich creamy milk! I very much enjoy knowing where my food comes from and nothing brings a smile to my face faster than enjoying a cold glass of milk that was still inside a goat 2 hours ago!
Now I won’t go into all the other reasons that people need to have Kinders…………they are so lovable, smart, sassy, cute, sweet…………………….oops, there I go again! 😉
Till next time……………..GOD BLESS FROM GOODWIFE FARM!

Hello from Illinois!

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Hi there Kinder Communique’ readers! My name is Sarah Paintiff and I live in beautiful Southern Illinois about 45 minutes north of St. Louis Missouri. I am privileged to be the first featured breeder/blogger for the KGBA. I am very excited and honored to be asked to do this. Here’s a bit of information about us!
We live on a small homestead that we call Goodwife Farm. We raise Kinder goats for milk and meat, rabbits for meat, and chickens for meat and eggs. We plant a nice big garden every year and I can as much as possible. We will be building a small catfish pond within the next two years so that we can stock our freezer with fresh fish as well. We also have a root cellar in the plans for the next two or three years to make storing all of that yummy produce a bit easier.
I got my start in Kinder goats from a fabulous lady named Rhonda Daniels of Faith Farm in Rochester IL. Rhonda is an amazing woman and has become a valued friend and mentor to me. She helps me out in all things goatish, not to mention the perils and pitfalls of general life! My first foray into Kinders was with Faith Farm’s Tulip and Faith Farm’s Jett. I no longer have Jett, but I’ll never part with my girl Tulip! After getting the hang of, and falling in love with these wonderful animals, I decided that I wanted a registered goat so I turned once again to Rhonda for advice. She contacted Lisa and Craig Lamm of Tickleweed Hill Farm where I purchased Tickleweed Hill’s Naomi, my first registered Kinder. Naomi’s dam was actually featured in the KGBA newsletter a few years ago, because of giving birth to 6 live kids! Naomi is due for her first freshening in March, and I’m really hoping that we only have twins or triplets! Naomi’s breeding is strictly Bramble Patch Kinder, as is my second registered goat, Bramble Patch Kinder Famous, or Luke as we call him. Luke and Naomi will be the start of my registered herd and I’ve got high hopes for their babies.
Please stay tuned for more Kinder news to come from Goodwife Farm including what I like best about my goats, what I do with my milk, and why everybody needs a Kinder goat!