LINKS PAGE
We have found ourselves sharing our favorite links via individual emails so frequently as of late, we’ve decided to add a collection of the links we personally refer to for homesteading needs or goat keeping.
HELPFUL GOAT LINKS
Special thanks to our dear friend Larry Marker for developing GOAT PEDIGREE 2000 for use with our herd. Click here check out this wonderful program!
JAY’S MILKING STAND PLANS Plans for our Nigerian Dwarf milking stands have been much sought after, with many customers using Jay’s design successfully in both steel and wood. If you have any questions about the design, please don’t hesitate to call us! We use the exact same design, with larger dimensions, for our Nubians.
DISBUDDING AND TATTOOING KIDS Many of our recent questions, from new goat owners especially, have been in reference to disbudding and tattooing, i.e. how and when we do it. We’ve added a photo of Jay’s Nigerian Dwarf kid holding box design also, which has really been a life saver!
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION We’ve had many inquiries lately from breeders, especially new goat owners, about artificial insemination. This is an informative site from the College of Agriculture and Home Economics for those of us just learning about AI.
AMERICAN GOAT SOCIETY The main registry for the Nigerian Dwarf Goat, but our Nigerians are also registered with Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association and hopefully very soon registration also will be made available with the American Dairy Goat Association. We do suggest that new goat owners make sure their new herd name and tattoo are available with AGS, NDGA, and also with ADGA to save time and trouble down the road. (Sort of a pain to work with all three organizations at once, but much easier than finding the necessity of changing an existing herd name or tatoo at a later date!) Our Nubians are registered primarily with ADGA and secondarily with AGS.
NIGERIAN DWARF GOAT ASSOCIATION The ‘secondary’ registry for our Nigerian Dwarf Goats. They provide judges training, sanction shows and publish a wonderful magazine (be sure and purchase back issues if they are available, as they are well worth the cost and are very informative!), all especially helpful to the new Nigerian Dwarf owner/breeder. Our Nigerian herd is registered under this organization, so that our customers can easily show QSF babies at NDGA shows. Some shows are sanctioned for both AGS and NDGA classes, which is wonderful for those of us whom must travel long distances to get to shows!
CAPRINE SUPPLY Online goat supply store. They’ll usually send a catalog with your first order.
HOEGGER GOAT SUPPLY Online goat supply store with excellent articles and helpful information for the new goat owner especially (our favorite suppliers!)
HERBAL WORMER REPORT Hoegger’s link with report comparing their herbal wormer to a well known chemical wormer. We personally KNOW it works, but the report is nonetheless amazing.
JEFFERS LIVESTOCK We’ve purchased from Jeffers since we had our 150 acre quarter horse and beef cattle operation in Northern Alabama. Check their prices before purchasing supplies, as we find quite often that clippers, clipper blades, buckets, mineral feeders, syringes and needles and sometimes supplements like Probios or goat Nutridrench are cheaper at Jeffers. Also, we personally try to purchase in bulk whenever possible. This saves time and money and most supplements or medicines just don’t lose their potency that quickly and can be stored for quite some time. Watch for discount prices on bulk purchases whenever you have to buy supplies!
FIASCO FARM Information on goat’s milk, raw versus pasteurization. Many of you have inquired and yes we do drink our goat milk fresh and raw and also use the raw milk daily to make fresh kefir. However, our goat herd has been tested for many years now and we know that we have clean goats. Please do not drink raw milk from an animal that you are unsure about! Also, raw milk should never be fed to an infant.
HOMETOWN CREAMERY REVIVAL NEWS Excellent publication for those of us seeking information on homestead dairies, cheese making, etc.
NEW ENGLAND CHEESEMAKING SUPPLY This is where we purchase our cultures and cheese making supplies. I believe their paper catalog is still free also.
BUILD YOUR OWN CHEESE PRESS Fiasco Farm page with plans for a cheese press. Cheese presses are very expensive, so it would be well worth the effort to build your own.
RUMINATIONS MAGAZINE Bimonthly publication for the Nigerian enthusiast. Show results, articles, & advertising.
OUR FAVORITE GOAT BREEDER’S LINKS
ALGEDI FARM NIGERIANS Website for our friend, Tamara Rousso, with photos of her Nigerian Dwarf Goats, horses and llamas! Tamara is building a very nice herd and we are happy to refer to her, whether you live in the San Diego area or if you’re shipping across the United States. Her animals are free of disease, well cared for and she is honest in evaluating her animals. Please see the Rousso’s other website below, Heliopower, if you’re interested in alternative power.
HILL COUNTRY NIGERIANS Website of our friend, William Kowalik, who is a long time Nigerian Dwarf breeder with some really wonderful animals. Hill Country is located in Pipe Creek, Texas. William is a great help with questions on Nigerian pedigrees for those of you doing research! We have purchased from William in the past and will continue to do so. He has an excellent herd for show and milk production and has a reputation for honesty.
LOST VALLEY NIGERIANS Website of our friends, Amy and Audrey Kowalik, who are William’s sisters and also have raised Nigerian Dwarf goats for years. They have one of the nicest herds in the nation in our eyes and we’ve gotten some of our best stock from them. Audrey is an AGS judge. The Kowaliks have helped us immensely the past few years with appraising and blending our herd and we never hesitate to refer to them, nor to purchase from them ourselves. The Kowaliks run clean herds and they are honest when selling animals.
D&M’S ROYAL DAIRY GOATS Our friend Dorinda William’s site for her beautiful herd of Alpine dairy goats, located in Utopia, Texas. We have purchased some beautiful Nubians from Dorinda and are so pleased with them. She has a clean herd of beautifully pedigreed Alpines which she shows and milks at this time. She is very honest and friendly to deal with and we don’t hesitate to refer to her.
GIMLIN HALF ACRE NIGERIANS Website of our friend, Ariel Gimlin, who raises Nigerian Dwarf goats locally in Couer d’Alene, Idaho. Ariel has a wonderful mini farm located in the city limits, which not only includes the Nigerian goats, but also Standard Rex rabbits, Rat Terriers and chickens! Ariel is honest and has a very nice herd of Nigerian goats. We don’t hesitate to refer to her, no matter which of her critters you’re interested in!
CHERRY HILL NUBIANS Many years ago we purchased our first registered goats, beautiful Nubians, from Bob & Mary Clarke. Those wonderful animals set a very high standard, from which we have evaluated individual animals and bloodlines ever since. We’ve enjoyed corresponding over the years and would suggest that anyone interested in purchasing clean, show quality Nubians take a look at this beautiful herd.
SELF SUFFICIENCY & HOMESTEADING LINKS
PATHTOFREEDOM.COM Encouragement for the homesteader and ‘wannabe’ homesteader both in self sufficiency and making that much needed break from the rat race! This site is not only informative, but offers many other appropriate links.
IDAHOFREEDOM.COM Our local state ‘chapter’ for homesteading and self sufficiency information and encouragement! It’s so nice to know we’re not alone here in the extreme northwest when it comes to self sufficient lifestyles and all the inherent changes that go along with the process.
LEHMAN’S Wonderful supply of homesteading and self sufficiency items that are not sold anyplace else!
HELIOPOWER Website for Moe and Tamara Rousso’s alternative energy business. Moe has designed our off the grid system and has been very helpful in not only the original design, but in assisting with equipment purchases. We’re not quite off the grid yet, but we’re definitely headed in the right direction with Moe’s patient assistance! It’s so nice to watch those energy bills shrink, along with the knowledge that we’re creating a system that won’t go down when the local grid does. Power disruptions here in the extreme northwest during the heat of summer or during high winter snows just aren’t funny.
BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOM SEEDS Our favorite supplier of heirloom, open pollinated seeds. We’ve been purchasing our seeds from Baker Creek for many years and have always had good results from their seeds. We all need to consider purchasing from this or another private seed company each year in order to preserve heirloom seeds for future generations. On a side note, their seeds are consistently the cheapest also!
MURRAY MCMURRAY HATCHERY We have purchased our poultry, water fowl and game birds from this company for about ten years and they’ve been wonderful to deal with and the birds are always very healthy.
WALTON FEED By far the cheapest supplier of dehydrated, nitrogen packed buckets of food for long term storage that we know of. We’ve been purchasing from Walton’s for about fourteen years. They have an online catalog that you can print out. They also carry books and other items for self sufficiency. We’ve always been pleased with their service. They’ll always try to find the cheapest route to ship your order, whether usual freight or combination orders with other families with a truck coming to your area!