Oberhausli Delight

Sean and I have been searching all summer for 2 ADGA registered oberhausli does to add to our herd. We found the perfect match for us this week at River Run Farm in Dover-Foxcroft (about 1.5 hours north of us)-  a 2 year old doe named Ruby and her unnamed kid born April 5, 2012. (This had been Ruby's first kidding and she gave birth to two healthy kids; one buck and one doe.) After talking with Alice on the phone Thursday and again yesterday, we were hopeful that these were going to be the right animals for us, but until we had a chance to inspect them in person, we wanted to wait to post about it- just in case.

They were perfect- everything we could have hoped for.

River Run Farm is beautiful. The goats and sheep in the fields were clearly healthy, well-cared for, happy animals. Alice stood near the fencing closest to the barn and called for the goats to come from the back field. They immediately came to her voice. The sheep pasturing with them thought to come along, too. "No sheep, just the goats." Alice clarified. As if by some magic spell, the sheep returned their interest to the task of grazing, but the goats all ran to greet us.

Alice pointed out Ruby and her yet unnamed doe kid to us. We watched them in the field for a few minutes and then, Alice brought them out for us to inspect. We checked their overall coloring, weight, stature, pastern, gums, eyelids, and udder. Ruby was just lovely. We had decided. These ladies were to be ours or more to the point, Jedi's girls. (Though Jedi is not able to be registered, he is half oberhausli, which will create high percentage oberhausli kids. It is desirable to produce high percentage kids with a sweet temperament, good milk supply, and hybrid vigor.)


We exchanged money and obtained registration papers for our new does. Then, it was time to load the does into our vehicle and say "good-bye".

Ruby's kid is going to need to be named before we can submit the transfer papers. Sean and I discussed potential names all the way home. All of the goats we have named carry Biblical names: Leah, Rachel, Jedidiah, Abigail, and Asher. I suggested Hadassah (Queen Esther's Hebrew name.) All the goats in the new kid's lineage carry "jewel" names: Ruby, Emerald, etc. Sean suggested Sapphira meaning beautiful. It is from the Bible and close enough to a "jewel" to be a good cross over between River Run Farm and ours. I love it.

Conscious that every herd has a hierarchy, I suggested that we make sure to feed our does in the back pasture when we got home before we introduced the new does.

While our girls were busy munching on hay, Sean walked Ruby and Sapphira into the pasture. We let them wander as they wanted. They were really nervous and went immediately into the stall. Our girls noticed the new additions right off and ran to meet them. There was lots of sniffing, touching noses, and "meeehs" exchanged. Jedi came to the fence to stick his lips between the wooden slats of the rail and blow raspberries of welcome to the new ladies. He's such a "playa."

Ruby is still in milk. Our intention is to give her a couple of days to settle in and then, Sean will be on milk-duty again. We are going to try to keep her milking through December because she won't need to be dried off to be bred again this year. That means fresh milk, yogurt, chevre, and soap are again in our near future. Color these farmers EXCITED for that!

I took lots of footage, but it is too late tonight to edit and post. I will try to find time to add that over the weekend, though.

For tonight, we are so pleased to have added these ladies to our herd.
Thanks for stopping in, Friends!

Goodnight,
Sean and Sonja ♥