Goats

When I got into this whole gentleman farmer detail, it was with the clear understanding that life would go like this: I'd sit there with a mint julep and a fine plug of chewing tobacco in my khaki trousers (to be clear, I would be in my trousers, not the chewing tobacco) and Polo button-down, and I would be saying things such as "You there, whatever your name is, do please feed the donkeys" or "I say, old chap, the rose bush that I am beholding has a rather long thistle that I so wish though shouldst trim.

I learned a new word at the agricultural fair last week, which I believe will be a help to many of us in the greater Hagerstown area. The word is "overconditioned. " It came up during the dairy goat competition, when the judge felt that one of the animals had been laying in a bit heavily on the sweet feed. But he did not come out and say that the animal was a bit fat; instead, he said the goat was "overconditioned. " Brilliant. I could stand to drop 10 or 15 pounds myself, but I am not obese.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. -- In the last 10 years, Justin Pickett has "won more blue ribbons than I can count," first showing lambs then "progressing" to goats. Pickett, 19, of Summit Point, W.Va., on Tuesday added another blue ribbon to his collection at the 2010 Jefferson County Fair. His Boer goat, "Billy Joe," took first place as grand senior showman in the fairgrounds show ring. He's been showing goats for five years. Pickett moved from Clarke County, Va., to Summit Point in April.

Gather 'round children, for this is the parable of the two naughty goats, and there are many lessons within the story that will guide you through life. The two naughty goats lived in a beautiful mountain setting with two kind, benevolent owners. They had an idyllic existence, in a wondrous green fairyland, where all the swords had been beaten into ploughshares and all the branch banks had been converted into Dunkin' Donuts. The two kind, benevolent owners always made sure the two naughty goats had plenty to eat. Every morning and every evening, the owners supplied the two naughty goats with armfuls of golden hay, free from chemicals, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup.

The third annual Western Maryland Goat Field Day and Sale will be Saturday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike (Md. 65). Bucks from the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test that meet gold, silver and bronze standards for growth, parasite resistance and parasite resilience, and minimum standards for reproductive and structural soundness will be offered for sale. The sale will also include an invitational doe sale.

This is the third story in a series on unusual pets and their teen owners. The series will be available at HMpulse.com . For my third installment of teens with unusual pets, I got the chance to interview Bethany Yeager, 13, a homeschooler from Hagerstown who owns Nubian goats. For those of you who don't really know anything about the different breeds of goats, Nubian goats originated in Nubia, in Upper Egypt. They have long, floppy ears, and are considered the most affectionate breed of goat.

o If you like reading Tim Rowland, you'll love watching him. See what else Tim has to say Beth tells prospective customers that our three baby Toggenburg goats "will never be cheaper than they are today. " I suspect the reason is because, if we keep them around much longer, we will be so deeply insane that money will be of little comfort. Every morning at 6, I open the door to their quarters, and a pile of goats falls out on my feet in a tangle of flailing legs, ears and noses, borne of the fact that they have all been leaning heavily against the impediment in wait for their morning bottles.

By BRENDAN KIRBY Staff Writer A Hagerstown man, with the help of the Washington County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, took advantage of a man on Indian Springs Road last winter and removed his beloved pet goats, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday. Donald Shoemaker, acting as administrator of his late father's estate, filed the suit in Washington County Circuit Court. In it, he said a representative of Broadfording Road resident Bruce R. Bowden showed up at Jesse L. Shoemaker Sr.'s home in February with SPCA agents.

Sheep and goat producers alike find there can be problems when it comes to the lambing and kidding process. A full-day workshop is planned to help address issues about caring for pregnant ewes and does before and during the birthing process, administering injections and medications, lamb and kid care and processing, producing better sheep and goats through record keeping and performance testing, as well as the opportunity to participate in...

In my last column, I gave you a snapshot of corn and its production and uses. This week I will continue along that same vein by spotlighting an animal this time, the goat. The goat is an often overlooked or misrepresented animal, yet in many parts of the world it is the leading milk and meat source. Goats make excellent choices for small land holdings as well as vehicles for weed and brush control. Wikipedia defines goats this way, "the domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe.

The Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test will accept nominations for this year's test from April 1 to May 15. Goat breeders from any state can nominate up to five male goats to the test. Eligible goats can be of any breed type or cross. They must be born between Dec. 15, 2012, and March 20, 2013, and weigh between 35 and 70 pounds upon delivery to the test site on June 1. There is a $20 nomination fee for each goat. The total cost for testing a goat is $100. While on test, the goats will be maintained as a single herd on pasture.

The Washington County 4-H Meat Goat Club will meet for the first time Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Washington County Extension Office on Sharpsburg Pike.  The club will meet every other month on the third Thursday of the month beginning in September.  Any volunteers who would like to help or have information to share with the club are welcome.  For more information, call the 4-H office at 301-791-1404.

The 70th annual Franklin County 4-H Pig Club Show and Sale was held Aug. 11 at the Greencastle Livestock Market. There were 65 4-H project animals shown, which sold for a total sale value of $44,917. The 4-H Pig Club is part of Penn State Extension's youth program. The grand champion pig, weighing 252 pounds, was shown by Isaiah Yoder of Chambersburg, Pa. It was purchased by YB Welding Inc. for $900 or $3.57 a pound.  The reserve champion shown by Austin Heck of Chambersburg, weighing in at 242 pounds, was purchased by McCleary Oil Inc. for $1,700.

Goat might be the world's most consumed meat, but “Faye,” Darby-Rose Patterson's 8-year-old boer goat, will not be bound for someone's dinner plate when the 60th Jefferson County Fair ends Saturday. Faye, one of 125 goats entered in the fair this year, will return home with Patterson to Kearneysville, W.Va., as the Overall Grand Champion in the Youth Division for meat goat breeding classes, which were judged Wednesday. “I don't have any interest in eating goat,” Patterson said with a smile.

Even though Cheli Payne grew up on a farm, 4-H activities always seemed to get in the way of sports, especially girls softball. Today, Payne is the mother of three girls, two of whom - Desiree, 15, and Miranda, 11 - are into 4-H, from raising and showing market and breeding Boer goats to photography and cooking. Taryn, the 5-year-old, “is too young yet,” Payne said. The Payne family raises goats at Pine Brook Boers, their farm in Hedgesville, W.Va., and Payne, true to her first love, still is involved in girls softball.

Gather 'round children, for this is the parable of the two naughty goats, and there are many lessons within the story that will guide you through life. The two naughty goats lived in a beautiful mountain setting with two kind, benevolent owners. They had an idyllic existence, in a wondrous green fairyland, where all the swords had been beaten into ploughshares and all the branch banks had been converted into Dunkin' Donuts. The two kind, benevolent owners always made sure the two naughty goats had plenty to eat. Every morning and every evening, the owners supplied the two naughty goats with armfuls of golden hay, free from chemicals, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup.

Nominations are sought for the 2012 Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test. The test is open to goat breeders from any state, who may consign up to five male goats to the test. Eligible goats of any breed or breed cross must have been born between Dec. 20, 2011, and March 20, and weigh between 35 and 70 pounds upon delivery to the test site on June 2. During the test, the goats will be managed as a single group on pasture and evaluated biweekly for growth, parasite resistance and parasite resilience.

The 69th annual Franklin County 4-H Pig Club Show and Sale was held Aug. 13 at the Greencastle Livestock Market. A total of 48 4-H project animals were shown, and the animals sold for a total of $32,797. The grand champion hog, weighing 258 pounds, was shown by Esdon Yeager of Greencastle. It was bought for $900 by Four Season Crop Care and 3D Stock Farm for $900. The reserve champion hog, weighing 260 pounds, was shown by Chase Cashell of Chambersburg, Pa. It was bought for $675 by Meyers Bus Lines Inc. and Meyers Construction.

The fourth annual Western Maryland Goat Field Day and Sale will be Saturday, Sept., 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center. The top-performing bucks from the 2011 Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test will be offered for sale by silent auction. The sale also will include a private treaty sale of does. The bidding period for the goats is from noon to 2 p.m. The field day will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. Ken Turner, a research animal scientist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beckley, W.Va., will be the speaker.

One little goat goes to market. One little goat goes home. That's the difference between market and meat goats at the Jefferson County Fair, which is under way this week at 2007 Old Leetown Pike. Market goats, to be judged Tuesday at 1 p.m., will stay at the fair until Saturday when they will be sold at the livestock auction that starts at noon. Goats, sheep, cattle and hogs, all raised by 4-H club and FFA members, will cross the auction block. Meat goats will return home with their owners after they're judged this morning at 9. Back home they are normally used for breeding, said John Boyle, 61, of Shepherdstown, W.Va., a fair volunteer and breeder and exhibitor of pigmy and Boer goats.