Harmony Homestead

02/22/2026

Quick update: No kids yet. Maybe tomorrow will be the day🤷‍♀️. These goats do what they want, when they want. I work on their schedule😉

02/21/2026

It has begun. The late night checks, to make sure one of the does isnt in labor; checking multiple times, to make sure all the kidding supplies are stocked; making sure the heat mats still work, and getting them situated in the huts, getting pre and post labor herbal mixes ready; making sure no one eats the bananas and oatmeal, because that is an amazing base for the new mommas post labor meal; and making sure the coffee is stocked....for me😁
Godiva is close....very close. Any day now. Her ligaments have been gone for days, but her udder has not completely filled. So here I will be, patiently waiting to welcome the first kids of 2026🥰 🐐

Sonflower Farm's Godiva x Cedar Creek Silver Timber. These are gonna be some "knock it outta the park" kids😍😎

12/01/2025

For dairy breeds, the first rhing we should be looking at is the udder.💯🙌

12/01/2025

We want to see triangles in dairy breeds, and squares in meat breeds 🤩🔺️ ⬛️

Ever wondered what your doe’s topline silhouette secretly reveals about her future in the milking string?

I remember walking into the goat house one morning and seeing two yearlings that, at first glance, looked nearly identical. Same height, same color, same pedigree. But when viewed from above, one flared beautifully—sharp, clean shoulders opening into a wide, deep barrel that expanded with every rib. The other stayed nearly the same width from front to back, more like a rectangle than a wedge.

By mid-lactation, the difference was undeniable. The wedge-shaped doe held condition, milked efficiently, and matured into a powerful, long-lasting producer. The rectangular doe struggled to maintain capacity and longevity. That top-down view told the story long before milk records ever did.

What You See From the Top

The ideal dairy doe begins with tight, sharp, clean shoulders, showing dairy strength and freedom from coarseness. From there, the body should flare dramatically, widening with every rib, culminating in a deep, expansive barrel that carries well into the loin and flank. When viewed from above or behind, she forms a distinct wedge shape—broadest at the rear—almost like a triangle.

That triangular, widening view signals:

✅ strong digestive capacity
✅ longevity in the milking string
✅ efficient nutrient conversion
✅ structural correctness supporting udder and skeletal health

Next time you evaluate your herd, don’t just look from the side—stand above, look behind, and study the wedge. Want more conformation breakdowns like this? Follow, share, or drop a photo of your doe—we’d love to learn with you. 🐐✨



(From Easy Dairy Goat Confirmation Presentation - Dairy Goat Shapes by Melanie" (Melanie Fergason)

12/01/2025

Another post about what to look for in dairy breeds☺️

12/01/2025

Eye color, coat color, and polled are what most buyers ask about; however, conformation is THE most important trait overall. And not just one part of the body, it is the sum of all the parts. As breeders, we know that there isn't a perfect goat anywhere. I have seen one that came darn near close, but never a totally perfect. As we choose pairings, we are considering multiple aspects and how that pairing should play out. While our goal is to improve the breed, we should never take a goat with an area of terrible confirmation and think we will "breed that out." While diluted, it will remain in the genetics. Our responsibility as breeders, is to breed the healthy and strong💙

11/23/2025

We've got a cold snap coming!! Our high's next weekend may only be jn the single digits?!?🥶😲 We got the goat shelters cleaned out, DE powder out down, and then a nice bedding of straw in for them. They will be able to snuggle down and stay warm🥰

11/23/2025

Breeding season has changed a bit this year. I only have 4 does bred so far, and debating on breeding any more. Tough decision, but the market isnt supporting well bred, registered goats or raw milk herdshares lately. Tough decisions may have to be made 😞
I will of course always have goats. They are just too much fun not to have any lol, and their milk is amazing. But, im definitely rethinking breeding at the larger scale this season.🧐
Is farm life changing for anyone else?💛

10/15/2025

Milking season is coming to a close here 🐐🥛
Just a couple more milkings, and that’ll wrap up 2025.

It’s always bittersweet. I love the quiet one-on-one moments with my does — that gentle rhythm of breath and milk and morning light — but I also feel that familiar longing for freedom when the season winds down.

For those who’ve never milked, it’s a full-time commitment. Every morning and every night, no matter how tired you are, how sick you feel, or what plans you’d rather be making — the girls still need you.

Then comes getting the milk where it belongs: into bottles for the extra-hungry kids, jars for herdshare members, the freezer for winter reserves, or straight into a Mason jar for fresh use. And the dishes… twice a day, every single day. There’s no skipping those. 😅

So yes — by the end of milking season, I’m ready for a little rest and breathing room.
But life, just like milking, moves in seasons and cycles. The does will start kidding in February, and by March, we’ll be right back in the flow again.
This is the season of my life to provide clean, living milk — the real thing, untainted and full of vitality — instead of the processed junk that’s lost its soul on a store shelf.

Every jar feels like a small act of devotion — to the land, to the animals, and to a way of life that honors both work and rest, both giving and receiving.

As within, so without. 💛

10/04/2025

Anyone else feel rough looking, after doing chores😂🤣😂
My hair was in a messy bun, but not THAT messy! Milking was a bit of a rodeo tonight, between Godiva trying to get to the grain bin, and my 5 month old Texas Heeler still learning when to stop herding🤦‍♀️

09/26/2025

Please send prayers and positive thoughts, to those, who have lost animals that they dearly love.
Sometimes, no matter what you do, you lose them. Sometimes you have help, and sometimes you are alone.
There have been far too many losses this year, in the animal world.
If you had a smooth kidding season, without losses, I am so very happy for you. A lot did not. Please send some of that positivity and hope towards those who haven't. 🙏
Having a homestead or farm with animals isnt always easy, and it is a life we chose. The loss of life is never easy though. We may get "used" to it, but it is still headtbreaking 💔