The Lucknow Sentinel, 1990-03-14, Page 62Raising. the"kids"
pfram Inige2
their kids have been weaned, They have
also purchased veal calves and finished
them on goat's milk,
When asked it she has any
containing the 'goaats, Judy r ed, "On-
ly a. very determined goat get oust"..
On their farm, they use Atock fence
along with electric fence to contain ,.the
goats while at pasture.. In the barn, they.
run an electric wire about six inches.
above the top hoards of the pen. ..They
also use 3/4 Mehr pipe on some pens, It
is also positione. d about sec inches above
the top board, and prevents', the goats
from getting enough grip to ,lwup over.
As you talk to Judy Geddes, you can
see that she has developed a certain af-
fection for these anusnals over the years,
As she said, "People either.love them or ,
hate them, and I happen to love them.'"
The Pygmy •
Russel Fear of Wingham attended the
Farm Show in London three years ago,
and was somewhat captivated by a breed
of goat that is making eyebrows rise. It's
the Pygmy goat 'which. is, a miniature
goatthat has Wsorigin in Africa.. It's
gaining popularity in the United States
and mare recently in Canada.
On the average, this little goat stands
between 18 and 22 inches high 'At the
shoulders, and would weigh:. between 30
and 45 pounds, When full grown. Because
of their size, pygmies make ideal pets for
children, and also do not require a• great.
deal of space for housing. As Russel said,
"Actually a doghouse could accomodate
a pygmy" A' newborn kid would .be
roughly the size of a full grown barn. cat;
according to Russel.
Unlike other, goats, the pygmy will
come into heat at any time during the
year. The gestation period is five.months,
and Russel stated that he usually prefers
to breed his pygmies at eight to 10 -
months of age. He did indicatethat some
of his ,were bred: younger but required
Caeseran section at birthing.
The pygmy is naturally not a big milk
producer. However, it does produce high
quality milk with a butterfat content of
six to nine per cent. Something else that
is unique about the pygmy is that it can
eat any kind of food without tainting the
flavour of the milk.
Russel said that his pygmies have a
real fondness for the leaves that have
fallen from the trees. In fact, in the fall,
Russel lets them clean up the leaves
along his driveway. When asked if they
have any special feeding • requirements,
he replied, "Not really, just grain and
hay in the winter, and grass sup-
plemented with grain in., the sum-
mer.-.-.end
um-
mer. -.e d salts and minerals year
round".
From what Russel said, the pygmy
makes an excellent meat goat because of
it's build...short and stocky. However. he
pointed out that he is into pygmies strict-
HARVEST
trictHARVEST BUTTERNUT
SQUARES
1 cup (250 mL) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
2 eggs, beaten.
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, melted
1 Tbsp (15 mL) vanilla
2/3 cup (150 mL) coarsely -chopped
walnuts
1/2 cup (125 mL) golden raisins
Walnut halves
Combine flour and .granulated sugar in
small bowl Cut in 1/2 cup (125 mL) but-
ter
utter until mixture is crumbly. Press onto
bottom of 9 -inch (23 cm) square baking
pan. Bake in 350 degree F. Add brown
sugar, 1/4 cup (50 mL) melted butter,
vinegar and vanilla; mix well. Stir in
nuts and raisins. Pour over partially bak-
ed crust. Return to oven. Bake an addi-
tional 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Cool.
Cut into squares and garnish with walnut
halves if desired. Makes 1 pan.
1Y as a hobbY, and wile them as pots. A
young nanny kid would roil, for ;Th to
$100, whereas a buck would bring 360.
Russel said that he aeils the kids
when are anywhere from two to six
months, old, He recoinuien k that they be
disbodded or dehornedif they we going
to be around young children.
These lovable little creatures can often
be found at petting zone. In Ashfield
township, here is a wildlife sanctuary
owned by the Harryfamily and
here along with the collection of exotic
animals, you will find a few pygmies.
Once ytlu see these little ones, it's
mighty hard.. to reeist thetion of
owning one, as Russel Fear�ound out
three years ago.
FARM iia 1 PAGig8 A
Hamel Fear of Wiagham raises pygmy 'goats as a hobby sad fells them for pets.
Became they are so small, children can easily handle them. ins .pictured here
are.Itassei's. grandchildren.
MUZIN
Enjoy
the benefits:
of propane!
It is one of nature's
most versatile fuels. Propane is clean
' : burning, efficient," portable and 'econom-
ical. It is a fuel suitable for vehicles, and
appliances in homes, cottages, farms
and businesses. And as Canada's leading
marketer of propane,propane applian- • •
ces, and related services, Superior
Hwy. 9, WALKERTON .
881.1270 '.
155 Monteith Ave,.
STRATFORD .
1-800-265-8591
Propane is ideally suited to meet all
your fuel andheating needs. For over
38 years, More than 200,000 Canadians
from coast to coast have placed their •
trust in us. And we look forward to
continuing to provide you with our..
dependable and expert service. Talk
to your Superior Propane Branch /
•Manager in an3f'o our 107 full service'•
Branches across Canada, and put the
power of propane to work for you.
•
S1RVICE -SAVINGS -SELECTION