The Unfettered Acre

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08/26/2024

The herd was appraised on Monday, August 19th. If you're not familiar, Linear Appraisal is where your adult animals in milk are evaluated against the scorecard in twelve primary linear and one secondary linear trait. These are a description of where the trait falls on a spectrum of all possibilites, from 0 to 50. Additionally, the animals are scored in eight structural traits and receive a rating of Poor, Fair, Acceptable, Good Plus, Very Good, or Excellent. At the end of their evaluation, they are assigned a major category score - four for does (General Appearance, Dairy Strength, Body Capacity, and Mammary), three for bucks (General Appearance, Dairy Strength, and Body Capacity)- that mirror the scoring for the structural traits.

The standard to which all age groups are held to is a mature 4-year-old animal. Which isn't really fair to milkers younger than or much older than 4, but it is what it is. So you expect to see first freshening does in the 70s (Acceptable) because they are immature.

Here's where we ended up for our milkers:
Satine - first freshener - GAVG80
Zieta - first freshener - AGVG82
Jocasta - first freshener - GVEG84 (A very nice score for an immature doe)
Mira - first freshener - GAVA79
Padme - first freshener - GGEA79
Jyn - first freshener - GVGG83 (also a very nice score)
Calpurnia - second freshening - VGEV86
Scout - second freshening - GVEA83
Lily - 4yo second freshener - VVVV87
Abby - 4yo third freshener - VGEG85
Atari - 4yo third freshener - GVVG85
Our lovely 5yo 4th freshener Sienna earned VEEE90. As she is over the age of five, this is her permanent score.

A few of our bucks:
Toby - 4yo - GEV86
Uke - 3yo - GVV82
Limited - 7yo - VVE88

It was a lot of bathing, shaving, trimming, clipping, sweating, and in some cases, bleeding, but it's over and there was a lot of information. All in all a valuable experience.

Photos will be in the comments later tonight.

My sweet little Iris. Six months old today. ♥️
08/12/2024

My sweet little Iris. Six months old today. ♥️

Being behind on kid pictures is an understatement when the last baby pictures were from December of last year. 🤨Sienna ...
08/12/2024

Being behind on kid pictures is an understatement when the last baby pictures were from December of last year. 🤨

Sienna had buck-doe-buck-tiny doe quads on February 10th. Her doelings are D Riptide and D Revelry, better known as Itty Bitty.

This pretty much sums it up.
08/12/2024

This pretty much sums it up.

There is nothing sweeter than a mama with her doeling. Maudie is a second freshener who finally got her baby girl this ...
08/05/2024

There is nothing sweeter than a mama with her doeling. Maudie is a second freshener who finally got her baby girl this year - LE Rebel Diamonds. This is why I don't know that I could ever bottle raise kids...it would prevent that bond from forming.

I'm woefully behind on baby pictures, while we've been done kidding for a couple of months, life since February has been nothing but a sleep-deprived professional onslaught that is *finally* beginning to taper off.

Probably the roughest season I've seen, but out of all the losses, eight little does remain to carry the torch. Plus three very special little bucklings that I'm waiting to watch mature in order to decide who will eventually fill the giant hoofprints that will be left when their legendary sire retires.

I promise to catch up soon, so here's a little bit of adorable to tide you over.

It isn't all moments like these, although they are plentiful and oh so tender.I would change nothing about this part of ...
05/13/2024

It isn't all moments like these, although they are plentiful and oh so tender.

I would change nothing about this part of my life, although days like this one, days when holes must be dug in the earth, will tear your heart apart if you let them.

That which we are allowed to steward must eventually return to He who created it.

Fly high and free of pain, sweet girls. MTZ Walk On and ED Inferno - you are missed.

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle of a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
Psalm 50:10-12

01/21/2024

Illusions of Milk, Cheese and Dairy Goats: The truth is, you probably won't like it or stick with it. . .

I know I've talked about this a lot, but the romance and idealism that comes before a person takes the leap into dairy animals is nothing short of rapturous, BLINDING.

Of all the people I've known who entered dairy animals soon after I did, almost none lasted two years, and I actually cannot think of enough to mention still seriously milking and operating as a small dairy farmer.

This applies to goats and cattle.

Folks, it is tremendous work. I cannot stress this enough. It is also expensive. It isn't charming, fun or romantic.

It is valuable and worthwhile, but it is something most people simply will not enjoy. Not at all.

The problem is that animals that are raised much like pets are involved in this wishy-washy mess. And as a novice breeder, buyer and seller, the animals you sell are at GRAVE risk of being sold to people who will provide questionable care and who will sell the goats (or cattle) even quicker than you have, the first failed dairy farmer of the animal's life, and eventually, that once lovely animal a long time breeder cared for is tied to a rope riddled with parasites and starving or waiting to be ran through auction where a sad fate awaits a once cherished animal because someone did not research what "milking" really means.

Please, folks, do not think buying livestock is something you have a right to do w***y nilly. Sure, you're in America, and you can do a lot of things that aren't decent or ethical because you want to, but it doesn't mean you really have a right to or should.

Dairy animals are a life changing choice on a farm. They are significantly more work than ANY other livestock and more costly.

If you feel you don't have free time now, without dairy cows or goats, let me assure YOU, You do not have time for dairy on your place.

Limited really likes this weather.
01/19/2024

Limited really likes this weather.

Lest the does and kids get all the attention...One of the coolest old fellas I've had the pleasure of being around. Ear...
01/08/2024

Lest the does and kids get all the attention...
One of the coolest old fellas I've had the pleasure of being around. Earlier today a discussion took place about things that the phrase "They don't make 'em like they used to" would describe. I think that phrase describes Mithrandir, too. Even though his habit of being up close and personal is less desirable this time of year.
He's actually silver under all that cologne.

01/07/2024

Several folks have asked, so here is who we have left to kid out this spring. There are quite a few.

Limited x Abby (there is no way any of these kids will ever leave my property 😆)
Roamn Ranch AQ Dash x Sienna (Sienna was bred when I bought her, so these kids will carry her previous owner's herd name)
Dantes x Scout
Zion x Jocasta
River x Satine
Limited x Jyn
Limited x Atari
Limited x Besotted (Also no kids leaving the property)
Mithrandir x Pam

Except where otherwise noted, many will be up for discussion, although few to none will be intact bucks.

Address

Knoxville, TN
37748

Telephone

+18653157897

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