# Meet Della, my Alpine/Saanen cross



## trmeyer (Mar 2, 2011)

Ok, this is Della, my goat in milk that I bought in February. We are just really starting to get in a routine of milking her. We have separated the boy because he was doing a lot of "boy" things with my new babies and I felt it was time. He was 7 1/2 weeks at that time. I just didn't want to take a chance. He is doing very good on grain, hay and minerals. Getting so big. 

I have never owned a true "Dairy" goat. I have owned Kinders who are very muscular and a bit more bulky. So I'm not sure if what I'm seeing in Della is alright or I need to work on getting some meat on her bones. I feel like she is underweight or not conditioned right, but I really don't know. So I will share some pics of her and her udder this morning after 12 hours locked up where the boy can't steal any milk. I have been putting tape on her teats (paper medical tape) but sometimes he gets one side worked off. Today is the day that I'm altering the fencing with a little bit more fencing to close off those gaps so he can't get his head out. Poor guy. So I guess he's doing good eating grain, hay and sneaking a few drinks in. I might see if he will take a bottle when I feed the other babies, just once a day. We will see. 

So Della is a first freshener and I have not shaved or clipped her udder or around it. I need to, but I am just anxious about doing it by myself and by the time my hubby gets home, it is dark. 

The one pic of her standing up next to me is when I was feeding her baby and she was wanting to get her share The pic of the goat with the cat is her boy Moonpie from the top. Sorry, don't have any other pics of him right now. I need to get in with him when I have the camera. Oh, and I put a pic of my son milking her this morning just for giggles. He is trying so hard. But he gets about a cup and is ready to stop. But he is learning and she is a very patient goat for him to learn on. But she does get tired of it after a bit and I have to remind her that she's not done and I am finishing it up She went from keeping her back legs so close together it was hard to milk to on occasion lifting up her leg so I can milk easier. 

tracy


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

From what I can tell in the pictures, she looks like she is in perfect condition. I wouldn't want her any thinner. She looks about like what my Alpine/Nubian looks.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Agreed, perfect! 


She has a ton more coloring than my 50/50 alpine Saanen. Jealous. Lol


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

mjs500doo said:


> Agreed, perfect!
> 
> She has a ton more coloring than my 50/50 alpine Saanen. Jealous. Lol


My Saanen/Alpines are almost entirely white w some light "shading" around the ears. She is what I was hoping for (color wise) She looks great to me!


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## trmeyer (Mar 2, 2011)

Thanks everyone. I was worried that she was too thin, but I will make sure she doesn't get any thinner. I give her almost free choice in how much she eats on the stand. I measure out each time, but there is usually food left in the thing when we are done. last night when I locked her up in the room with the milk stand, she finished it all by this morning except the alfafa pellets. She will not eat them anymore. She started out eating them, but now will not. I am hoping to find some of that chaffhaye somewhere and see if I can add that to her ration when I'm milking. 

I was wondering about the coloring. The lady I bought her from said she is 50/50 Alpine/Saanen and the buckling was sired by a full blooded alpine so I guess he is 75? Alpine, 25% Saanen. But all the crosses I've seen have always been more white. But she was born on her farm, so I would think she would know what she was LOL! Guess I just got lucky. Don't know what I'm going to breed her to this fall, but I am curious to see. I want to use the buckling on the multicolored alpine baby that I posted in my other thread. I would love to see what colors those two produce. 

I need to put a deposit down on a Boer buck that my hubby doesn't realize I'm buying yet I was going to put it down two weeks ago, but my Paypal account got hacked and someone spent $820 in about 10 minutes and wiped my bank account out. Ugh. So I have been waiting until I got my new debit card and just got it in the mail yesterday. So need to go do that. 

Tracy


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Sometimes it's hard to keep the weight on the dairy girls ... but she looks in great condition :thumb:


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## trmeyer (Mar 2, 2011)

I'm glad that she looks ok. I was really worried that she was under weight. I am going to try to clip her a bit tomorrow (no electric clippers because there is no electricity out there right now.) and maybe take a new pic of her udder so we can see things better. 

tracy


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

serenityfarmnm said:


> My Saanen/Alpines are almost entirely white w some light "shading" around the ears. She is what I was hoping for (color wise) She looks great to me!


Yup, my 50/50 is white with a cream dorsal l, ears, and tail.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I actually guessed 75/25 but I wasn't sure so I didn't say anything. Now that you pointed it out as a possibility I would say you're right! 

So sorry about your hacker! That's terrible!!


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