Neches and Nueces

These two sweeties are Neches and Nueces. (Neches being the cream colored doe and Nueces being black.) Despite their appearances, they are twins, born from Grace's LaMancha doe, Lightnin'. This picture was taken when they were still within the 24 hour "you are little and cute and oh-so-small so you'd best sleep in the living room" period as evidenced by the red bucket (incubator for many a baby goat). It is understandable that they would be curled up together, after all they were just born in the picture, had just spent five months curled up together! The amazing thing is that Neches and Nueces have remained very attached to each other. They lay down together, get up together and it is rare that one is not on the milkstand without the other. Recently Nueces had surgery. Neches was standing by the fence when we left the farm with her twin--and standing there when we returned later that day. As Nueces recovered from her surgery, having a drain tube in place necessitated her being in a pen by herself so that no other goats would pull on the tube--so Neches slept on the side of the fence opposite Nueces, where they could be next to each other all night long.

Neches has what I think is our best ever home-grown udder. Udders are very important in the goat world--because they are what produces and stores the milk, a healthy strong udder helps make for a healthy strong goat and trying to improve on an udder in a bloodline can be important to help avoid lower production and infection in a goat's offspring. Neches and Nueces come from a line of great producers. Their dam's udder is functional, but beyond that simply isn't that great, neither is her granddam's and although Nueces has a very respectable udder and is a definite improvement, it is nothing on Neches'! I am so proud of that udder, it is a clear sign to me that we are on the right track, breeding wise!

The problem is Nueces.

As the size of our herd has increased as the dairy grew, Nueces clearly did not do as well n a larger herd. She seemed to feel like she had to be constantly proving herself and asserting her place in the herd--which was always smack-dab in the middle of everyone else! In a smaller herd she was sweet tempered and mild mannered. In a larger herd she was always out of sorts, picking on smaller goats, pestering larger goats--just not herself.

So we decided--for Nueces sake--that it might be best to find a new home for her.

But how to separate Nueces from Neches? (and oh! so hard to let that udder leave!)

We couldn't. So later this year Nueces and Neches are leaving to a new home where the new owner has assured me that she will keep them together.

It was the only way to handle it--but they will be greatly missed.