About Anderson Ranch is located in the small town of Coarsegold which is in the foothills of central California.
In 2010 I purchased some commercial goats to remove brush and weeds from our ranch. The plan was simple, have them do their job and sell. Well it didn't take long to get hooked and I fell in love with Boers. With in a few months I purchased my first full blood buck. Over the years I have slowly been building my herd up to higher percentage, but also with qualities that I think are important to have in any herd that is sometimes over looked: -Thriving on pasture with minimum supplementing -Hardy, low maintenance -Good maternal traits -kidding ease -High ADG -Good disposition -Birthing multiples -as well as the obvious, good conformation, teat, bite, scrotum, etc. I raise something for everyone, from meat, commercial breeding to registered stock, that will do well under any kind of management. In 2013 I was lucky enough to purchase my first dappled buck, a Dappled $ Dude son. That was the start to my dapple obsession!! I love how unique every pattern is and kidding season is like Christmas, never knowing what color will come out. Even if they are not colored it's a nice surprise. I have also purchased a few dappled does, as well as some blacks. In July 2015 I purchased a black dapple buck, a Bon Joli/Lazy S-T Copperhead grandson and am very excited to see what he throws. While color has been nothing but absolutely enjoyable and brings something different to the table, we have still not forgotten what we feel is important traits to breed for. - HOW WE DO ITWE ARE OFTEN ASKED ABOUT OUR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. WHAT VACCINES WE GIVE, WHEN WE GIVE IT AS WELL AS FEED. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ASK! I AM SUPER PICKY ABOUT WHERE I PURCHASE MY ANIMALS FROM. NOT ONLY FOR QUALITY OF ANIMALS BUT I WANT A ANIMAL THAT WILL THRIVE IN THE MANAGEMENT THAT I HAVE.
SO HERE IS A LIST OF HOW WE DO THINGS, THIS IS WHAT WORKS BEST FOR US WHILE ALSO PRODUCING ANIMALS THAT WILL THRIVE WITH JUST ABOUT ANY MANAGEMENT. VACCINES- ORF VACCINE- KIDS RECEIVE A WEEK TO ONE MONTH OLD. CDT- KIDS RECEIVE AT 2 MONTHS OLD WITH A BOOSTER 3 WEEKS LATER. DOES ARE VACCINATED YEARLY A MONTH BEFORE KIDDING, BUCKS WHEN LET OUT WITH THE DOES ONCE PMH- KIDS AT TIME OF WEANING, DOES AND BUCKS BEFORE THE FALL CL VACCINE- DOES BEFORE BREEDING, KIDS AT WEANING. FEED- OPEN AND SHORT BRED DOES HAVE ACCESS TO THE RANCH WHICH IS FULL OF GRASS, WEEDS, AND BRUSH. EACH NIGHT A SMALL AMOUNT OF ALFALFA HAY TO BRING THEM IN. MONTH BEFORE KIDDING AND WHILE NURSING THEY ARE PENNED WITH SOME BROWS BUT WE INCREASE THE ALFALFA HAY AS NEEDED. KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO A CREEP FEEDER 24/7 WITH HAY AND GRAIN TILL WEANING, BUT DO STILL SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME GRAZING IN THE PASTURE WITH THEIR DAMS. BUCKS GET ALFALFA HAY AND LIMITED AMOUNT OF BROWS. I KEEP PROTEIN TUBS OUT FREE CHOICE SINCE THE QUALITY OF FEED VARIES THREW OUT THE YEAR AND THIS WAY THEY CAN HAVE ADDED PROTEIN WHEN NEEDED. FREE CHOICE LOOSE MINERALS AND LOOSE SELENIUM SALT. KIDDING- WE TRY TO ALLOW DOES TO DO THINGS ON THEIR OWN UNLESS WE REALLY HAVE TO STEP IN. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE IF WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING HELPING WHEN THEY DONT NEED IT, HOW CAN WE BE SURE OF THEIR MOTHERING ABILITY. AS LONG AS WEATHER IS GOOD THEY KID OUT IN THE PASTURE. THEY ARE ONLY STALLED UP IF IT IS VERY COLD OR THEY ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF KIDDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. BY STALLING, THIS IS MORE FOR MY BENEFIT THEN THEIRS BECAUSE IT KEEPS ME FROM HAVING TO WALK THE WHOLE PASTURE LOOKING FOR THEM WHILE HALF ASLEEP. I DO NOT USE HEAT LAMPS OR JACKETS UNLESS TOTALLY NEEDED. ONCE THE DOE HAS CLEANED THE KIDS OFF AND THEY HAVE SETTLED DOWN I WILL SPRAY CORDS WITH IODINE AND GIVE KIDS 1/2CC OF BOSE. BECAUSE IN THE PAST I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH TRIPLETS AND QUADS FIGHTING OVER TEATS AND CHEWING THE DOE UP I NOW PULL ANYTHING LARGER THEN A TWIN AFTER 24 HOURS OR ONCE A DOE HAS A SINGLE SO I CAN GRAFT IT ON. OTHER- COPPER BOLUS- KIDS GET 2 GRAMS AT 6 WEEKS OLD. DOES AND BUCKS GET 9 GRAMS EVERY 3-4 MONTHS AS NEEDED. BOSE- DOES GET A SHOT A MONTH BEFORE KIDDING, KIDS GET1/2CC AT BIRTH WORMING- KIDS GET WORMED AT 8 WEEKS OLD AND AGAIN 10 DAYS LATER SINCE THEY ARE SO PRONE TO MOUTHING EVERYTHING. DOES WILL BE WORMED WHEN THEY KID AND AGAIN 10 DAYS LATER. THEY ARE WATCHED THREW OUT THE YEAR AND ONLY GET WORMED WHEN NEEDED. WEANING- IDEALLY WE WEAN AT 3 MONTHS OLD. I WILL ALLOW BUYERS TO GET THEIR KIDS AS EARLY AS 2 MONTHS OLD IF THEY WISH, AND ONLY IF THEY ARE CONSUMING A GOOD AMOUNT OF GRAIN AND HAY. I TRY TO ONLY WEAN ONE TWIN AT A TIME BECAUSE THIS IS EASIER ON THE DOES UDDER BUT SOMETIMES THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AND SOMETIMES THE SECOND KID IS WEANED AS LATE AS 4 MONTHS OLD HOOF TRIMMING- ONLY AS NEEDED. ALL DOES WILL BE EVALUATED THREW OUT THE YEAR BY SIMPLY WALKING AMONG THEM. BEFORE BREEDING THEY WILL BE TRIMMED IF NEEDED, AND AGAIN A MONTH BEFORE KIDDING CULLING- BAD MOTHERS- NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS ABOUT IT, IF A DOE DOES NOT TEND TO THEIR KID IN ANY WAY THEY ARE GONE. THIS INCLUDES PROTECTING KIDS, NOT REJECTING THEM IN ANY WAY, OR IF THEY DONT RAISING SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE SINGLES- IF A DOE HAS SINGLES TWICE THEY LEAVE. SINGLES DO NOT PAY THE BILLS. BAD FEET- IF I HAVE TO TRIM THEIR FEET MORE THEN TWICE A YEAR THEY ARE NOT LIVING UP TO THE CLAIM OF BOERS HAVING GREAT FEET. MOST OF MY HERD ONLY NEEDS DONE ONCE A YEAR. PARASITE OR HEALTH ISSUES- PARASITE AND HEALTH ISSUES ARE NOT MY IDEA OF A HARDY GOAT KIDDING ISSUES- FOR THE MOST PART I TRY AND BE THERE IF THEY NEED HELP. LIFE HAPPENS AND SOMETIMES THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. I NEED TO KNOW THEY CAN DELIVER KIDS ON THEIR OWN IF THEY NEED TO. WHILE I UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES IT IS NOT THE DOES FAULT, IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE MORE THEN ONCE THEY ARE CULLED SIMPLY A BAD GOAT- BEING MEAN, JUMPING FENCES, BEING A BULLY, HARD TO HANDLE OR CATCH. ANYTHING THAT MAKES ME NOT ENJOY WHAT I DO OR IF IT SEEMS IM WORKING FOR THEM NOT THEM WORKING FOR ME. |
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