My oh My Where Does Time Go?!

Not so sure if anyone still even reads this but here goes, just in case there are some.......

 

As you may have guessed, we are not raising goats anymore.  We do still have our retired pets and "hay burners" - Rosie, Daisy, Comfort, and Caylen.  All four are doing quite well, I do not have near the amount of time I used to for goats and milking, so that has all been left behind.  I DO, however, still make Goat's Milk bath and body products and have become quite the success, if I may so myself!  If you'd like to stay updated with the latest products, news, and bi-monthly raffles (no purchase necessary to be entered into raffles!) then please "Like" us on Facebook or start following us on Twitter @Capriola2014 - it's much easier to keep up on these two sites.  Take care!

 

Etsy: www.capriola.etsy.com

 

Website: www.capriola.weebly.com

 

 

Lilly Kidded!

Thrilled to introduce two doelings!

Lilly delivered around 1:30pm today. She couldn't have picked a more gorgeous day! It's around 70 degrees with the sun shining, birds singing, and now baby goats practicing their vocalizing. :) I am so stoked at getting twin does since Woody has been throwing LOTS of boys. We'll be keeping one lovely lady but the other (if not already reserved) will be available to a wonderful home only.

The birth was pretty much uneventful. First doeling (and Woody's little clone) came in the normal "diving" position and second girl (Lilly's clone ;) came literally right after with her back legs first (also normal). They are both good-sized; right around 3 lbs. each.

Liquid Goat's Milk Soap!

Another new item!

Proud to introduce Foaming Liquid Goat's Milk Soap!

Available in the following sizes:
*8 oz. Foaming Bottle w/ pump

*8 oz. Bottle w/ screw top

*4 oz. Bottle w/ screw top

I currently only have the 8 oz. foaming bottle available on the website but if you'd like the other, just give me a little "nudge" and I'll get on it right away. :)

NEW Goat's Milk Bath/Body Products!

After a lot of testing and perfecting, I am proud to announce a few new additions to our Goat's Milk (and Vegan) Bath and Body products! Some of these items have been available on our website for a short time.

Goat's Milk Body B'Udder

Made from scratch (not a ready-made product) using oils of Avocado, Grapeseed, Rice Bran, and Soy blended with rich Mango Butter. A treat for your skin! Best part is that it leaves not a trace of greasy residue! Made available in a huge variety of Fragrant and/or pure Essential Oils (see below for the choices). Packaged by weight 4-5 oz. in a recyclable jar with silver lid.

$5.95 - 6.95 a jar

Goat's Milk Intensive Moisturizing Cream

As always, this is also made from scratch using PURE GOAT'S MILK (not a trace of water added) along with rich and nourishing Shea Butter, Olive, Coconut, and Aloe Vera. Available in any Essential Oil and/or Fragrant combination. Packaged by weight, 4-5 oz. in a recyclable jar w/ silver lid. $5.95 - $6.95 a jar.

Goat's Milk Creme' Soap

A new favorite of mine - especially wonderful when used as a shaving cream. It's very thick and creamy so only a little bit goes a long way! Packaged by weight 4.5 - 5+ oz. in each jar. Available in any Essential Oil/Fragrant combination! $6.49 - $7.50 each.

All of the above products (and anything you may find on our website) can be custom made for VEGANS (no Goat's Milk used). Please take a look at the wide selection of Essential and Fragrant oils available:

Essential Oils: Cedarwood Atlas, Tangerine, Sweet Orange, Lavender, Peppermint, Wintergreen, Cinnamon Bark, Bergamot, Citronella Java, Lemongrass, Pink Grapefruit, Eucalyptus.

Fragrant Oils: Sandalwood, Chocolate, Blueberry Lemon Verbena, Rosemary Mint, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Lemongrass Sage, Bamboo Sugarcane, Pink Sugar, Yummy Cake, Ginger Lime, Balsam & Citrus, Caribbean Fruit Smoothie, Japanese Pear & Ginseng, Cranberry Ginger Spice Tea, Lemon Sugar, Apple Cobbler Delight, Vanilla Sandalwood, French Crumb Cake, Iced Lemon Snap Cookies, Tropical Passionfruits, Eucalyptus Spearmint, Wild Huckleberry Honey, Blackberry Sage, Chai Tea, Columbian Coffee, Wild African Gardenia, and Plumeria.

Contact me to place an order with these special prices!! :)

Hmmm. . .

How I wish there was some interesting news to share, but alas, there is none. :P My cousin, Aubri decided to sell her last three does and two are still available. One is likely bred so if you're looking for nice bloodlines at a great price, check out the Sales page of my website. She also has a buckling and doeling available. . . .

Aha! Remembered something interesting to share. . . My Pygmy doe, Rosie had her babies a couple of weeks ago. She had triplet bucks (bummer) but it was a fairly easy delivery and her boys are happy and healthy, so that's good enough for me. :) The first kid came out without a problem (I actually missed it and reached her after she started cleaning him up). Say hello to little Thaddeus:


He is the smallest of the three boys and is turning out to be a real sweetheart.

Next, came two little rear feet. I assisted slightly as you want the baby out fast when they are born rear feet first. When the umbilical cord is broken it triggers the kid to take a breath (not good when you're still surrounded by fluids). Here is Matthew (aka: the loud mouth ;)


He is the kid in the background of these photos.

And last but not least and certainly the biggest is Bartholomew. He needed the most assistance entering this world. After Matthew was born, I "bounced" Rosie and knew there was another kid in there but she was kind of slow about delivering him so I washed up and "went in" finding a head presenting with no feet, so I gently felt around in there until I found one hoof, cupping my hand around it I carefully moved it up towards the nose and helped Rosie deliver him. With some assistance, a doe can typically deliver a kid in this position without bringing both feet forward.


Bartholomew, aka: the "gentle giant". He is very big, especially in comparison to Thaddeus. Rosie is doing really good so far feeding them all. I've not needed to supplement yet. She's been a very good mother and is very protective of her little ones, even when it's just me around. These are her last babies before retirement and she seems to be enjoying them.

That's all for now!

Urban Goat-Keeping Part 4

I am having a bit of trouble thinking of more information on Urban Goat-Keeping (could that be because it's 11pm and I've been awake since 6? ;) Anyways, for now here are some photos of our set-up. I'll take a few more in the next day or so since a couple things have changed. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will address them in this blog! :)

Super cheap and easy to construct hay feeder:

I took a small piece of "hog panel" and covered with kennel wire (to lessen hay waste) and fixed to our doe's cross-fencing using (don't laugh) bungee cords. :) Hey, I'm a girl and it works! ;) What I like about this feeder is that it allows feeding from both sides of the fence. Our Pygmy does are on one side and the Nigerian girls on the other, they both have access to the hay. This cost next to nothing since I used scrap fencing.

Feed Storage:
It's important to keep grain and other feeds in sealed bins. This is one of the main concerns with goat-keeping in the city (and country). You do not want rodent problems. When obtaining a permit, they will be very concerned about feed storage.


Cleaning:
I "spot-clean" the goat pen once a day and thoroughly clean once a week. Photos below show the "weekly cleaning". After cleaning up wasted and soiled hay, I spread out a generous amount of baking soda or agricultural dolamite (dehydrated lime) and sometimes follow with cedar-tow shavings. I have been slacking a bit on the cedar shavings lately since they are rather expensive and not completely necessary (but they do smell very nice).


Compost:
Now that we've cleaned the goat pen, what to do with all that poop?! Put it on the compost pile and let nature take over! Easiest part of goat-keeping. :) Honestly, I do absolutely nothing with our compost pile, besides add more goat manure to it. Sometimes my dad will buy some worms to put in but other than that, we just let it sit and break down. Usually one month is all it takes for that hay and manure to turn into rich, black soil.

The photo to your right is our home-made composting pen. We took four pieces of "hog panel" (that stuff is handy!) and bent the pieces to make a somewhat rounded pen with opening gate (so the chickens can go in and out for scratching around).

Well, that's all the photos I have for now. Time for bed! :0

Goats For Sale

These two handsome bucks are the only goats available after a big herd reduction.

Squaw*Mountain BlueSummerStorm - Mature, blue-eyed buck with gorgeous kids on the ground (mainly doe kids!) All of his babies have been very correct and that's no surprise since he is also. :) While he is a pale gold and white, he has been throwing quite a few red gold kids and many with his blue eyes. Registered with ADGA. Asking $250 - SOLD


Capriola RRH Arrow - A handsome, heavily moon spotted buckling who was reserved almost immediately after birth but unfortunately I cannot get in touch with the buyer. Arrow is very correct in just about every way and has all that "flash" as an extra bonus. ADGA/AGS registration applications included in sale. Asking $300 - SOLD


If you are interested in these boys, let me know by email or phone. I am fairly motivated to find them good homes quickly and prices could be flexible. :)

Sweet Poem

Pescadero

The little goats like my mouth and fingers,
and one stands up against the wire fence, and taps on the fence board a hoof made blacker by the dirt of the field, pushes her mouth forward to my mouth,
so that I can see the smallish squared seeds of her teeth,
and the bristle-whiskers,
and then she kisses me, though I know it doesn't mean "kiss,"
then leans her head way back, arcing her spine, goat yoga,
all pleasure and greeting and then good-natured indifference: she loves me,
she likes me a lot, she takes interest in me, she doesn't know me at all or need to, having thus acknowledged me. Though I am all happiness,
since I have been welcomed by the field's small envoy, and the splayed hoof,
fragrant with soil, has rested on the fence board beside my hand. ~ Mark Doty

Urban Goat-Keeping Part 3

We've covered getting started with fencing, neighbors, shelter, etc. Now it's time to look for goats! Please remember in acquiring goats that you do "get what you pay for" and taking the time to find HEALTHY, well-bred animals saves you much headache in the future. Genetics are not important if all you are desiring is a couple of pets but health is important. Ask the owner/breeder what kind of health care the goats have received (DE-worming, vaccinations, supplements, testing for disease, hoof trimming, etc.) Ask for a record listing everything that was done. Most breeders will not mind giving this to you and I'd run the other way if they did not want to give you this information. Do try and purchase from herds that test yearly for CAE (Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis) and CL (Caseous Lymphadenitis). These are very serious illnesses.

If you are looking for milking does or young does who will be milkers in the future, ask how much milk they give on a daily basis (or with young does, how much their dam gave). A good Nigerian Dwarf doe of average height (about 20-21 inches at withers) should give at least one quart of milk each day, preferably a little closer to 2 quarts. Keep in mind that first-time does will not be milking up to their full potential but improve with each kidding. Look at teat size ( you want large, easy to milk teats that express easily).
The udder should be held up high against the body of the doe. If it is "sagging" this will affect the longevity/productivity of the doe. Her udder will only get worse with age, eventually hanging to the floor causing damage and putting her at risk to develop mastitis. If you are looking at purchasing young does, look at their dam's udder and evaluate the attachments.

Do not be afraid to ask the breeder/owner questions. You, as the buyer, need to be well-informed so as to make the right decision. A good goat owner/breeder will not mind at all answering these questions. Do keep in mind though that everyone is busy and if you are not a serious buyer, it is rude to waste their time.

Kidding Season!

Our kidding season is in "full swing"!
Delais kidded 3/18 with twin, blue-eyed does
Alameda kidded 3/18 with one blue-eyed (polled?) doe
Lyla kidded 4/2 with twins; buck and blue-eyed doe (both are probably polled)



All of our does have had "textbook" deliveries so that is wonderful! A few of the above babies are available to great homes. Lyla's babies are super sweet and friendly!

Next up are Poppy, Claribelle, Magnolia, and hopefully Naughty Lilly (waiting to see if she settled). Photos of pregnant bellies coming soon! Thankfully we spaced kidding dates a little this year - gives us time to give each set of babies lots of love and attention!

Urban Goat-Keeping Part 2

I do not know if anyone is reading this or even cares to but here goes Part 2 of Urban Goat-Keeping:

The last posting covered county regulations, fencing, space, etc. . . so this posting will go more into what type of shelter will be required. This really depends on how many goats you would like to have. If you plan on just having two little goats then a large to extra-large dog house will make for sufficient housing. I recommend having one house for each goat in case one does not like sharing. Goats hate the rain and will need to be fed indoors if it's raining, so that presents a problem with using dog houses for shelter -- there is not much space for a feeding area. If you have the means to put together a little shed or barn, this can make things a lot easier. If you live in the Northwest where it rains a lot, then I highly recommend making a larger shelter.



photos coming soon of our little goat barn!
If I could change anything about our current barn, I would make a "porch" for the goats (an overhang near the barn door). Follow this link for an easy plan to make the perfect goat shed.

Urban Goat-Keeping Part 1

This is the beginning of a series of "articles" I will be writing and posting to this blog. Bear with me as I am by no means a professional author. :) I just want to provide some handy information, tips, and photos for those interested in keeping goats in a more urban setting. Yes, it IS possible! (We've kept goats in the city for five years!) Most of the information shared can be applied to any setting, whether it be urban or rural.

First off, it is very important to find out the regulations for your county. This, I believe, can be found easily by looking up your county on the internet or calling them up to ask. I only know of the rules within Multnomah county; you may own up to three miniature goats without a permit.

Once you've established that it is okay to own goats in your area, do talk with your neighbors about it. For the most part, people we've dealt with enjoy our goats immensely. We've been blessed with great neighbors! :)

Space: For goats to be happy and healthy, they do need space to move around and would greatly appreciate toys to play on. A fenced pen of about 20 x 20 feet is adequate for two miniature goats. If you have more room, all the better! If not, this size will do.

Fencing: Sturdy fencing of adequate height is crucial - not only to keep your prized roses and garden safe ;) but for the goats safety as well. Stray/wandering dogs at the very least, can do much damage to a little goat. Many people I've known have lost their goats to dog attacks. Our preferred fencing is 5 ft. "No Climb" Horse Fencing (easily found at many feed stores, I think even Lowes and Home Depot stock fencing of this type). This fencing looks best (and seems to last longer) when attached to treated wood posts but also works just as well when attached to T-Posts. We've also used a combination of wooden posts and T-Posts and that worked very well. It looks nice and is durable. I recommend spacing the posts 6 to maybe 8 feet apart.



Goats are not too terribly hard on fencing but you will find that they love to rub alongside it (especially in the spring when their winter coats are shedding). This can be a little rough on the fence-line so I suggest doing the best you can to make that fencing durable. It's no fun constantly making repairs!

Well, I guess that's all for now - more to come soon!

New Buckling!

Meet our newest addition to the herd! We reserved a buckling from Castle Rock Farm late last year and he was born (we even had two to choose from!)

CRF Castle Rock not named yet. . . *S

Sire: CRF Castle Rock Harvest Moon *S

SS: Rosasharn's TL Sitka Spruce *S

SD: MCH/CH Castle Rock Once Ina Blue Moon 2*D

Dam: ARMCH/CH Algedi Farm S Honey Heart 5*D

DS: Kaapio Acres KK Sultan *S

DD: CH Rosasharn's UMT Tupelo Honey 4*D

He should be arriving next weekend! We're excited! :)

Stay Tuned!

It was suggested by someone visiting our "farm" in the city that I write a book about small-scale goat-keeping. . . Instead of tackling a book at this time, I figured it'd be easier to put together a series of articles on managing goats in an urban setting.

Putting my thoughts together on this subject now. . . so if you are a "city-dweller" wondering if keeping goats will work for you - stay tuned for some helpful information, photos, and tips!

On another note, I am working on putting together herbal tinctures, salves, and supplements for pets (goats included!) I hope to have these available for sale later this spring. I will be using them with our own animals first and let you know of the results! :)

Loco for Lotion! :)

I am so excited with the new line of Goat's Milk Lotions and Body B'Udders I've recently developed! It took a few batches to get it right but I'm very pleased with the latest creations!

I've already received the first order. :) Last night I felt like playing around after making up Rose Body B'Udder, so I decided to add some high-end Chocolate fragrant oil to the Rose - it smells soooo gooood!!!!! One of these jars will be staying with me. :)

If anyone is interested in trying this out, I have some sample size containers of the Roses N Chocolate blend and also Lemongrass Essential. I'd love to hear feedback on it!

So far, my mom has used the Simply Milk (unscented) on her face every night and tells me she LOVES it. My cat scratched me good the other night (she didn't mean to, the dog scared her). Anyways, the scratches were burning and kind of itching and I just decided to try and put some of the Body B'Udder on it - in a matter of seconds, the burning/itch was gone! Haven't even noticed it hurting since then. . .

Goat's milk is naturally high in protein, triglycerides, and packed with absorbable Vitamins A, B6, B12, and E, making it an excellent natural moisturizer! I also use skin-loving oils of Jojoba, Avocado, Soy, and Rice Bran blended with Aloe and Mango Butter.

Anyways, just wanted to share!

New Additions!

We are thrilled to have added two gorgeous Rosasharn does to our herd!

Rosasharn SS Magnolia

Sire: Rosasharn TL Summer Sol *S (++B ARMCH Rosasharn's Tiger L +*S 'E' x ARMCH Rosasharn's Eclipse 2*D 'E' - 2005 National Champion at 10 years old!)

Dam: ARMCH Rosasharn's UMT Sassafras 5*D 'E' (ARMCH Rosasharn's Under My Thumb +*S 'E' x ARMCH Rosasharn's Sandalwood 4*D - 2000 National Champion Doe!)

Rosasharn SS Naughty Lilly

Sire: Rosasharn TL Summer Sol *S (++B ARMCH Rosasharn's Tiger L +*S 'E' x ARMCH Rosasharn's Eclipse 2*D 'E' - 2005 National Champion Doe at 10 years old!)

Dam: ARMCH Rosasharn's Lot-A-Lilly 3*D 'E' (ARMCH Goodwood Tom Thumb +*S x ARMCH Goodwood Water Lilly *D - 2000 National Best of Breed!)

Both of these does are very sweet and friendly. Quite correct too! They are in need of some TLC, which we are lavishing them with! I will get photos as soon as they are looking better. We will be taking them to a couple shows next year and they will be included in Linear Appraisal. We're excited to see how they do! :)

Goat's Milk Soap - Wonderful Gifts!!

Our Handcrafted Goat's Milk Soaps make for wonderful gifts!

Special orders are more than welcome! We only use Pure Essential Oils and/or Herbs to scent our soaps. No synthetics whatsoever!!

Available now:

Goat's Milk Shaving Soap for Men, Vintage Recipe! (complete kits and just the soap)

SleepiTyme (Lavender Essential Oil w/ Chamomile Blossoms)

Lavender and Vanilla Essential

Breathe-EZ (a special blend of 7 different Essential Oils known for soothing respiratory ailments)

Wildflower Honey and Oatmeal (unscented)

Hand-Milled Soap:

This soap is extra special with EXTRA Goat's Milk! It was milled down and "made again" with additional fresh Goat's Milk. These soaps last longer and lather very well.

Bugz B Gone! (Citronella Java Essential)

Sweet Orange and Eucalyptus Essential

Many more can be made by request! Our soaps are handcrafted using the finest saponified oils available including Olive, Palm, Avocado, Coconut, Sunflower, Castor along with Mango, Cocoa, and Shea Butters. They are truly luxurious!

Prices are usually $5 a bar, 4 bars for $18 -- Additional discounts are available for larger orders.

Go ahead and pamper yourself and loved ones!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

Happy Goats. . . and Chicken :)

Happy goaties and chicken lounging in the autumn sunshine. This was too cute, I just had to run for the camera! :)

The little hen's name is "Chicken Noodle" and she is snuggling next to Claribelle and our newest babies out of Cordelia, Pierre and Jacque.

Yes, I know, Claribelle needs to go on a little diet. Anyways, just wanted to share this cute photo! Have a wonderful day everyone! :)

Goat Babies!

I completely forgot to blog about Cordelia's kidding last Friday. It was a "textbook" delivery with two adorable blue-eyed boys. We were hoping for girls but they are both healthy and cute! So, we are all happy!

These little guys will be available to good homes as bucklings or wethered pets. If wethered, I would prefer to sell them as a pair. They are being raised by Cordelia but are super tame, sweet, and people-friendly. Ready for weaning about mid-November.

Some photos of the boys at 28 hours old. I actually took some decent pics! :)

New Additions!

On Monday, I drove down to Lebanon, Oregon to pick up a new doe and her month-old buckling. They are both really nice animals and have wonderful genetics and potential. And they both have blue eyes to boot! :D

I am loving the doe's FF udder. Her teats are soooo long and her fore udder is super smooth! I can't wait to see it with a 12-hour fill.

The buckling's sire is *B NC PromisedLand RB Rampage (a GCH/ARMCH GoodDay SunShine *M, 2*D E91 son). I am hoping he will be a teat and foreudder "fixer". Unfortunately he is a wild little bugger. His dam, Spring, is very sweet and is a loving, doting mother.

I will be taking more "official" photos soon. Anyways, just wanted to share!