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BY BEN RUPCHIS and
SUE GARVIN
Rappahannock News Writers
The Rappahannock 4-H Dairy Goat Club has had a busy spring. Besides attending monthly meetings, club members have visited numerous dairy goat farms, attended a fitting and showmanship clinic and planned several upcoming events.
In February, the club visited Heidi Eastham’s goat dairy at Rucker Farm. Mrs. Eastham was in the middle of her busiest kidding season. She took the time to explain her procedures for assisting does during kidding. She reviewed basic kid care and gave a tour of her dairy. She emphasized the role of cleanliness in maintaining doe health while producing quality milk.
The visit to Rucker Farm prepared club members Austin and Adam Rhein and Ben Rupchis for their first season of kidding. The Rheins have successfully welcomed eight Nubian kids to their farm. Nubians goats are a large dairy breed that produces rich milk. They are easily recognized by their pendulous ears. Ben Rupchis prefers Alpine goats and he helped his Alpine doe deliver two doe kids. Ben also purchased an Alpine doe kid and an Alpine buck kid this spring. Alpines are the “classic” Swiss dairy goats with upright ears.
Other club members have been busy researching goat breeds and visiting breeders before making their first goat purchases. Carly and Devin Day selected a pair of Nigerian Dwarf Goat kids. Nigerian Dwarf Goats are small, colorful dairy goats ideally suited for goat owners with limited space. Emily and Erica Hilscher have acquired a Tennessee Fainting Goat cross. Fainting Goats are not a dairy breed like the Nigerian Dwarf. They are an exceedingly cute small breed that makes a wonderful pet
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