Wow, I *really* didn’t want to do this, but based on too many experiences, I’m going to have to implement a non-refundable portion for goats purchased that then get returned. I was raised with the “do unto others” theme, and I probably tend to be too trusting. I truly want people to be happy with the goats they get from me. This is why I spend time giving prospective buyers all the information they should need for making intelligent selections. After determining what someone is looking for, I make recommendations of which goats will meet their needs. I also offer ridiculously good package deals. Milking data (whenever available) is provided as well as descriptions of temperament, kidding info, etc., etc. I want people to end up with the right goat(s) for them. And I sure as heck do not want returns. It is not fair to the goat(s) and it is not fair to me. This is not a used car lot where you take a goat and test drive it for a while then return it. Although I try to screen buyers pretty well, I don’t have the time or interest to go around inspecting their facilities, and I don’t demand to see health testing data. So taking returns really puts me in a bind. My herd is healthy. The last thing I need or want is someone bringing in sickness or cooties. So this new $200 non-refundable deposit or portion of the sale price, hopefully will serve as a deterrent to a buyer acting in haste, and it might partly make up for the time I’ve spent and the hassle of having to deal with a return. Thank you for your understanding.

• December 2025 – Not a whole lot of news, but this is BIG news: Thanks to daughters Giulia, Jacquie and Tabitha, Gabriel has earned his +S!!! 🥳 Scighera has qualified for 2*D in milk weight. Tabitha has qualified for *D in milk weight. Jodie has qualified for *D in butterfat.

• November 2025 – Jacquie has qualified for 9*D in milk weight. Danielle has qualified for 2*D in milk weight. Shawna has qualified for 3*D in milk weight, and Trevor inherits *S. Scighera, Stacy, and Daphne have all qualified for 2*D in butterfat. Dahlia has qualified for 3*D in butterfat.

• October 2025 – Minerva has qualified for *D in milk weight, and Marco inherits *S. Tabitha has qualified for *D in butterfat. Shawna has qualified for *D in butterfat.

• September 2025 – Every so often, Adele must have flashbacks to her milking days last year, so she sneaks into the milking girls’ yard. She did so last night, so out of curiosity, I milked her this morning. She’s been in milk for 498 days now! Since I do not wean my keeper doelings, Citabria still nurses. Of course I don’t know how much milk Adele gave since I didn’t measure or weigh it, and it went into community bottles. But it was really fun! I’ve read a little about extended lactations, but this was my first time actually sort of experiencing it.

• September 2025 – Jacquie and Danielle have qualified for 9*D and 2*D in butterfat.

• August 2025 – Successfully accomplished VT, and Minerva has qualified for *D in butterfat.

• August 2025 – Since ADGA finally decided to publish some LA scores from 2022, I just went through and updated them on the website since they’re different from what the appraiser wrote on my form. Why they would change around symbols (+) to letters and letters to different letters midstream instead of simply waiting to switch for the following year, is a mystery to me. But it’s not like I understand the things they do, and don’t do. After numerous recent inquiries regarding 2022 milk awards, I FINALLY received a response, not an answer. I even asked if they would be issuing milk awards sometime within this decade, or perhaps in the 2030s. They’re not even able to narrow it down to a particular decade. Bravo! 🤪

• December 2024 – Giulia has qualified for *D in milk weight.

• November 2024 – Hannah has qualified for *D in butterfat.

• October 2024 – Eevee has qualified for *D in milk weight.

• September 2024 – Giulia has qualified for *D in butterfat.

• August 2024 – Survived VT on 29 July. Eevee has qualified for *D in butterfat again.

• July 2024 – So, milk test. It seems that I was plagued by single kids this year. Hannah had yet another single (thank goodness a doeling this time). Her teats and orifices are great, but production leaves much to be desired. Adele had 3, but I took the tiny boy away and bottle fed him. Her production is so-so for a FF, but teat size and orifices good. Little Dahlia had a single doeling. Teat size is pretty good, orifices great! But production sucks. Little Calliope had a single too. Little well-placed teats, wonderful orifices, and not exciting production. Anna had 3 but I took away the tiny doeling and bottle fed her. Anna’s teats and orifices are good, and production is ok. Little Yvette had a stunning buckling that I didn’t keep due to Yvette’s tiny teats.. but her orifices are outstanding. Production is better than terrible. Tonja had 2 boys. Good teats and orifices, and seems her production is fairly good for a FF. Eevee, who finally gave me a doeling this time, is plugging along well. Love her udder! Barring any disasters, she should meet requirements for BF (again) as well as milk weight. Little Jodie had 2 kids and I took the doeling away and put her on a bottle because she was acting like a juvenile delinquent. Jodie has the most amazing, giant, well-placed teats for a FF I’ve ever seen (not that I’ve seen so very many). However, her production sucks, but her gorgeous daughter is now a sweetie. Giulia actually had 2 kids for a change this time. Love her udder. She’s a 3F and her numbers are looking like she’ll meet star requirements in both weight and BF. Minerva, another FF, had an adorable doeling. Great teat size and placement, and good orifices, but not impressed with production. Clairice, also FF, also had a darling daughter. She’s only had one test so far, so I don’t have much of an opinion yet aside from good teat size and placement, but orifices could be better. Also worthy of mention is – everyone’s butterfat levels look good! So there’s my boring report about my boring experience on this year’s milk test so far. Oh, and it’s been WAY too HOT!! 🤪

• January 2024 – After much consideration, I decided to sign up for milk test this year. 🤪

• November 2023 – “Method to my Madness” (Note: I wrote this before the goat market went into the toilet. This unanticipated situation has caused an unintended overload.) Visitors sometimes marvel at the amount of goats I have. Back when I was showing dogs, people would ask me silly questions like – “Do you know all their names?” or “How do you tell them apart?” In turn I ask them – “Do you know all your children’s names?” Can you tell your co-workers apart?” I mean, come on. Ok, so maybe ranchers who run cattle may not know every individual in their herd? But goats are not just livestock to me. I study my animals. I know my animals. I produced numerous champions and top-winning show dogs and learned that in order to accomplish this, one must have a complete understanding of each animal so correct mates can be chosen to improve the next generation. If it’s not clear by now, I do not breed goats to sell. My motive is to carefully select breedings that will eventually produce stock that can be recognised as Auspuffanlagen goats. There were so many people in the dog show world who would do nothing but buy stock from an established breeder, put the animals together, and think they were really doing something. Ha! Anyone can put animals together and sell offspring. To me, those who live on the coattails of people who have put in years of hard work are just lazy cheaters. There is zero challenge in that. Breeding quality animals is an art and a science. I am a huge pedigree junkie! I spent countless hours inputting pedigrees in my computer program, studying them, and working up future breedings. This is my passion. With show dogs, it’s all about breed type, conformation and the accompanying proper movement. There’s also a huge amount of politics, but that’s another story. I was one of very few breeders in my main breed who actually did health testing – hips, stifles, heart, eyes – because these aspects are also important in a responsible breeding program. I mean who wants to have a top winning dog who drops dead at a young age because no one ever noticed a terrible heart murmur, for example. Having OFA and CERF data on pedigrees is fantastic. I love pedigrees that are cluttered with data, championships, etc. One of the many appeals of goats for me is being able to add stuff to pedigrees like milk awards and appraisal scores without even having to leave the ranch! Someday I might show some goats, but for now I am working on establishing my own bloodline. I estimate that I should have goats with the traits I’m aiming for within about 3 years. I am keeping the ones who will be a part of this goal while others who don’t conform (hopefully) go to new homes. So there will be times when it seems like I have a lot of goats. It is part of the process. I’ve only just begun. And I am very excited about the results thus far.

• September 2023 – It’s been a long while since I updated this page. As of this writing, ADGA has still not issued any of my 2022 milk awards, nor have they published my linear appraisal scores. I have filed complaints with Better Business Bureau. I have registered zero kids with ADGA this year. Because this whole thing has left such a proverbial bad taste in my mouth, I did not sign up for any performance stuff this year… what’s the point of paying them then doing all that work only to be put off indefinitely and get treated horribly anytime an inquiry is made? It’s sad that others have not taken this opportunity to create a new registry body that doesn’t suck. It’s also a wonder that ADGA stays in business with so many customers leaving them. I am just glad for American Goat Society! It has been so easy to transfer my registrations over to AGS. And they promptly issued all my 2022 milk stars earlier this year. Hopefully my enthusiasm for performance stuff will return in time for 2024, but probably not considering the economy crash and related factors. Needless to say, I will only be signing up with AGS for milk testing and Classification… if I ever do again. I’m still quite disenchanted with the whole thing.

• January 2023 – Final Milk Test results for 2022 lactation:
  • Wilma: Earned *M in butterfat & protein, *D in weight & butterfat
  • Vera: Earned *M in butterfat & protein, *D in weight & butterfat
  • Sugar-Monster: Earned *M AR in weight, BF, protein, and *D in weight & BF
    • Son Sebastian inherits *B and *S
  • Persephone: Earned *M AR in weight, BF, protein, and *D in weight & BF
    • Son Uhtred inherits *B and *S
  • Kamei: Earned *M AR in butterfat & protein, *D in weight & butterfat
  • Eevee: Earned *M AR in butterfat & protein, *D in butterfat

• December 2022 – Christmas Day Milk Test stats updates:
  • Wilma: Same as below, now dry. Needed only 18 lbs for ADGA. 🙁 Darn!!
  • Vera: Same as below
  • Sugar-Monster: Same as below + AR. Needs 6 lbs for ADGA
    • Sebastian inherits *S
  • Persephone: Same as below + AR. Needs 23 lbs for ADGA
    • Uhtred inherits *S
  • Kamei: Qualifies in butterfat & protein AR ADGA, milk weight & butterfat AGS
  • Eevee: Qualifies in butterfat ADGA

• November 2022 – Current Milk Test stats updates:
  • Wilma: Qualifies for butterfat & protein AR ADGA, milk weight & butterfat AGS
  • Vera: Same as below, now dry
  • Sugar-Monster: Same as below
  • Persephone: Qualifies in butterfat & protein ADGA, milk weight & butterfat AGS
  • Kamei: Qualifies in butterfat & protein ADGA, butterfat AGS

• October 2022 – Current Milk Test stats:
  • Wilma: Qualifies in butterfat and protein ADGA (again), milk weight AGS
  • Vera: Qualifies in butterfat and protein ADGA, milk weight and butterfat AGS
  • Sugar-Monster: Qualifies in butterfat and protein ADGA, milk weight and butterfat AGS
  • Persephone: Qualifies in butterfat and protein ADGA, butterfat AGS
  • Kamei: Qualifies in butterfat ADGA, butterfat AGS

• October 2022 – So last year I signed up and paid for ADGA DHIR Herd Testing. I took the supervisor training class and test to get certified. With Wilma kidding so early, I did my first milk test on 28 February… Now that it’s October, it feels like an eternity of milking. Lol. Anyway, I’ve done my part: Filled out the forms, paid the fees, sent the samples, paid the lab and the database company, got the verification test, etc. Now that I am nearing the end of this year’s tests and appear to have does who have earned their Milk Stars, I am told by ADGA that “Due to the incomplete programming of the new computer system, we are not able to give qualifying animals their awards at this time.” Really? So I have put in all this time, effort, and expense to be in this program but my does won’t even get their awards?!? 🤬 From the 2022 ADGA Guidebook:
  • GENERAL RULES
    a. ADGA recognizes production on pedigrees through designation of *M for does, and *B and +B for bucks based on meeting minimum criteria either through Advanced Registry (AR) based on DHIR, or the Star program (ST) based on Owner Sampler production testing. One-day competitions, progeny recognition, or acknowledgment of approved non-ADGA DHI programs. The program designation (AR or ST) is included with the *M on the pedigree. (Emphasis added.)
• My job is to jump through all the designated hoops. ADGA’s job is to “recognize” my hard work as well as the does’ on their pedigrees. I have done my part, but ADGA is not doing theirs. In fact, Wilma qualified for Milk Stars in butterfat and protein last year (2021). Yet the registration certificates that were just issued for her offspring do not show her Milk Stars! It is one thing for a company or organization to have a “computer glitch”. Sure, it happens. But haven’t they been having major computer problems for well over a year now?? Who does that?!? 🙄 Imagine putting in all the work and expense of showing your dog to its championship then having AKC tell you that you get no Champion Certificate or any acknowledgement whatsoever because their computer is messed up… since last year or so??!! Again I ask, WHO DOES THAT?!? 🤦‍♀️
• The point to my ranting and raving, aside from expressing my frustration and disgust, is that I have decided to dual-register my goats with AGS. I have been studying their rules, DHIR info, etc., and am looking forward to working with them. …especially since they (thanks Ms. K!) answer questions in a coherent and timely manner. …plus they actually issue awards to qualifying goats (unlike ADGA). My plan is to continue with ADGA for Linear Appraisals, but do my milk testing through American Goat Society… so I can actually get my awards! ★

• August 2022 – Wow, we lived through linear appraisals!! Being my first time, I felt so unprepared. I was told different things about grooming, yet could not find anything regarding shaving on any ADGA material. Seemed like the boys could use some haircuts anyway, so I started with them. Then instead of using the recommended #10 blade, I went with a #2 on the girls, and mainly did the toplines since most already had smooth summer coats. Well it turns out that no shaving of body or udder is actually necessary or required, so that was good to find out (from the appraiser). I was also concerned about tattoos, but they were all good. The process itself was fascinating to watch. Being an ex-dog show judge, I was super impressed with the appraiser’s decisiveness and efficiency! Although I was very nervous about the appraisal process since it was a completely new experience, the appraiser really put me at ease and it turned out to be an excellent learning process! The scores make sense to me and having this information really adds a great tool for planning future breedings that will improve the herd quality. I’m really grateful to have experienced linear appraisals! Scores are posted on each goat’s page.

• July 2022 – Well, it’s official: The goats are scheduled for linear appraisals in August. Should be fun!

• June 2022 – When the milking parlour was being built, I had already decided that I was tired of digging trenches for power lines. I totally lucked out with Home Depot having an incredible sale on Nature Power’s 200 watt solar panel kit and 500 watt wind generator. I’ve been using the solar panel setup with a marine battery to keep my Milwaukee battery charged up – this runs my Udderly EZ milking machine. The solar panel also powers my Defender PhoenixM2 “goat cams”. The handyman just put up a 20′ steel pole for the wind turbine, and I picked up another marine battery. I’ll get this all hooked together soon. The milking parlour also has a cute solar lamp that comes on every night just in case I need to go in for something. I love having the milking parlour off-grid, not because I’m at all into the “green” movement, but because I do not want to rely on the grid for power.

• What’s in our ‘mineral bar’? The bar started out as a 4×8′ chicken tractor-style structure. But it just wasn’t big enough. So a 6×8′ wing was added on. Currently being offered in the free-choice bar: Kelp, Copper, Zinc, MSM, Sulphur, Ascorbic acid, Molybdenum, Phosphorous, Boron, Anti-parasite herbal mix, Selenium, Iodine, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Silicon, Vitamins B & C, Vitamins A D & E, Cobalt, Iron, Manganese, Acid neutralizer, Alkaline neutralizer, Animal salt, Payback goat minerals. Coming soon: Himalayan salt.

• 22 March 2022 – Finally learned how to use my milking machine! Wilma was the lucky volunteer as I needed to submit the next milk test. I was quite pleased that she made 3.7 lbs in her two milkings.

• 8 February 2022 – Test results from UC Davis: Everyone is negative. Thanks to Dr. Scott Essex for doing the blood draws and checking out my adored goat friends.

• 31 January 2022 – Enjoying watching Wilma’s new babydolls using Defender PhoenixM2 security camera system. It comes with a little monitor that has sound, and was so simple to set up! Mount the camera and plug in camera and monitor. That’s it! I can see and hear mom and babies in the milking parlour. How fun is that!

• 25 January 2022 – Linear Appraisal application paid. Fingers are crossed that it’ll happen this year.

• 12 December 2021 – Took the WA-DHIA Testing Supervisor Certification Training Class. Woo hoo!