# VERY Excited!! Herd Updates!



## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Things are still going GREAT with the new herd! I should be picking up the 3 from Tina sometime in October.

I just measured Kazam on Sunday to be sure he wasn't over height, and he measured in at an even 23", which is AWESOME!!!!! :leap: 

I also found a lady that is certified to do the milk testing, so I have been reading up about it! She has been sending me tons of info, and Tina and Allison have been helping find info as well :grouphug: So as long as everything goes well I am planning on testing a few of my girls Spring 2010 after they kid :leap: I would REALLY LOVE for them to get their milking stars! If I can get Melian her star then she will be a 9*D! :leap: 

So all and all.... everything is going GREAT!!! :thumb: I am trying to absorb as much information as possible about the ins and outs of registered nigerians :thumb: There is just SO MUCH to learn!! LOL! :shades:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Awesome!!!! Milk testing would be a great achievment.


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks Liz :hug: I was thinking the same thing!! I am still really new to everything but I have ATLEAST 6 months to learn everything and give it a shot :wink: I am actually really looking forward to it :greengrin: :leap:


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

You are doing so well Brandi, and I am so happy for you!


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

That would be SO awesome Brandi! You are doing awesome! Congrats!


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you both :hug: :hug: Having a GREAT support system is what helps me to keep telling myself that I can do this lol ya'll are great! :grouphug: and I couldn't do it without ya :wink:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Brandy, It all sound great. BUT I have a question for you. What is milk testing for? Sorry I bet it is a dumb question but I have never heard of it before.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I would love to have the opportunity to have Binky and eventually Penny on milk test....but, I'm lost as to where to even start :?


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks Lori :hug: and that not a dumb question at all!!! I am still learning about all of it myself 

Milk Testing determines the quality and amount of milk a Doe is producing (if I get ANY of this info wrong someone please correct me... I am still learning!). It is a way for your Doe to be able to prove her worth/quality other than in the showring. This has to be done by a certified tester. They come out to your farm and watch you milk out the Doe(s) the milk is then weighed and everything and sent off for testing where it is tested on its butterfat content (and some other things I think... but I don't have that info in front of me right now). The testing can also be done at a show I do believe, but am not 100% sure on that. This is the info off of the AGS website about the scoring system for the One Day Milk Test (which is what I plan on doing):

*Star (*D) titles are given to qualifying does participating in one-day milk tests. Standard does must earn at least 100 points, and miniature does must earn at least 35 points. The points are based upon the following:


 5.55 points per pound of milk given 
1.11 points for butterfat (pounds of milk x butterfat percent) 
.0555 points for each day fresh (maximum of 19.98 points allowed for days fresh)
*
You can also do a 305 day test to earn the Doe her AR (Advanced Registry)... I am not as familiar with this one yet. I have been reading up on the one day test because that is what I plan on starting out with right now. Anyone interested in more information on this can read about it on the AGS website here:

http://www.americangoatsociety.com/milk ... edures.php

There is LOTS of info on there! It seems overwhelming at first (and still does in some ways to me), but it REALLY helps when you have breeder friends who you can talk to about it :wink: I just try and go back and re-read things two and three times... then if I have any questions I contact either the lady who is going to do the testing for me, Tina, or Allison :greengrin:


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

liz said:


> I would love to have the opportunity to have Binky and eventually Penny on milk test....but, I'm lost as to where to even start :?


Liz- I would be more than happy to share the information I gather up on this with you!! From what I have been told, the hardest part is finding someone near you who is certified to do the testing. I got lucky and just "happened" to meet this lady... got to talking and found out that she is certified to do the testing!

Something else I forgot to add in my last post.... You have to send in an application to the enroll in the program along with the fee. They will send you a permit to test and you are then enrolled in the program. With AGS the fee for a One Day Milk Test at your farm is a $10 herd fee plus $2 per animal. If you do a One Day Group Testing then there is no limit on number of animals or owners, but it must be applied for 60+ days in advance and the fees are $25 plus $2 per animal. Also, if you are testing a miniature breed then they have to be measured before they are tested. It is ALOT to take in at once... but it gets a little easier after looking at it for a while :wink: Oh and for the sample that they send in to test, if you do them through Langstron, it's $1.15 per doe/sample.

As I said though, I will be more than happy to share what I gather/learn if you would like? :thumb:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

That is so awesome Brandi!!! Congrats!!


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks Kylee!!!!!!! :hug:


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## ProctorHillFarm (May 15, 2008)

Sounds great! :thumbup: 

This was our first year on DHI milk testing- and it seemed so complicated at first- but I had some great people helping me out and it really isn't as complicated as it seems when you are taking it all in at first.
If you have any questions about it- feel free to ask!


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you so much!!! :hug: You might not should have said that though..... :ROFL: Allison would say that I am FULL of questions! lol! :shocked: Did you do the One Day Test?


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## ProctorHillFarm (May 15, 2008)

We are on the 305 day test- if you have people around that can test you, and you have the means to milk the 305 days, you are better off because you can usually catch all of your does peak production that way, whereas on a one day test you might only get a few does that are at peak (unless you breed them all to kid at pretty much the same time!)


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Yeah, I would like to be able to do that, but we just always have so much going on that I don't think I would be able to do the 305 day test  So I thought we would start out with the one day test and then maybe in a couple of years we might be able to do the 305 day test :wink:


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## ProctorHillFarm (May 15, 2008)

Makes sense to me! :thumbup:


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

:greengrin: I still have a few things to gather up for it, but so far it is looking like I WILL be doing this next Spring!! (as long as everything goes as planned) The overall cost really isn't going to be that bad (not NEAR as bad as I thought it would be!), and I think I can handle the milking and everything (hopefully!). I am actually REALLY excited about it!! :leap:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

You should be excited....I did EXTENSIVE searches last nite trying to find a district DHI tester for my county and came up with zip! :? 
Good luck...and of course I do expect to hear about the big day when it comes :hug: 

Binky is one that I would love to have on a one day test...and eventually Penny, her dam is one capacious milker!


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

hhhmmm.... you might could give AGS a call and ask them :shrug: they could probably steer you in the right direction :wink: 

Yes, I will DEFINITELY let everyone know how it goes! I have still got ALOT to do before them... but I have atleast 6 months to get it all done, so I am hoping everything will fall into place :greengrin:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

All will go well with your plans Brandi.....with the time you have to prepare for it, it won't be any other way besides perfect :hug:


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## mnspinner (Aug 13, 2008)

And you don't have to rely on an area your doe may be weak in. If she's a girl with high production but say, low in butterfat and protein you can still get a star mainly on the amount of milk.
I'd much rather have a doe with a star rather than a show title, if I had to choose.


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## ChestnutGrove (Apr 30, 2009)

That is just super! You are rightly excited! I am looking forward to your doe becoming a 9 star girl!

I was a DHIR tester and it is very simple - all you do as tester is measuring and paperwork - it is very simple for the tester. So if you do not have a tester in your area but you know of someone that would be willing to do it - get them to take the test and get approved and you are set! (you cannot have family or anyone who has a vested interest in your herd be a tester though). The closer the person is to you the better as they have to be there for each milk out to measure the milk.


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks Everyone!!! :grouphug: 


Yeah, I had thought that I might look into doing the test myself so that I could help out other breeders in our area... haven't decided yet though. And I am COMPLETELY thrilled about everything!! My Hubby has been talking about getting to work on buiulding my milk stand here soon! So hopefully that will be completely in the next couple of weeks :wink:


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## ChestnutGrove (Apr 30, 2009)

What would be nice if you decide to be a tester is that you can "trade" with another tester - they can test your herd and you can test their herd - an even exchange  

Don't forget to share pictures of your new milkstand when it is made


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

> What would be nice if you decide to be a tester is that you can "trade" with another tester - they can test your herd and you can test their herd - an even exchange


Thats the plan for me! Should be getting the educational stuff from Langston in the mail tomorrow! I'll be a certified tester for next year! And I am hoping my friend can be one as well.


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks so much for the idea!!! :thumbup: I will definitely have to look into that! :leap: And I will DEFINITELY post pics of the milk stand once he starts building it :greengrin: I am going to try to get him started on that this coming week :wink: 


That is GREAT Liz!!!!!!! :leap: I am so very happy for you! You will have to let us know how it goes! :leap:


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