Hefty Goat Holler Storm*D
2015
Generation F1 Experimental (TMGR)
The Workhorse
Storm was one of the first goats here in the holler, brought in as weanling. She's grown up into a laid-back workhorse of a doe! She is an absolutely wonderful example of an efficient, dual-purpose goat. She's friendly, too. Storm stands very close to you if she wants attention, being as polite as possible...just breathing on you.
She is an excellent dam and has kidded easily, giving birth to 10 kids in 4 freshenings, though one buckling her second freshening (triplets) was DOA. Storm isn't stingy with doelings and has given me at least one each freshening, with a total of 7 doelings to 2 (live) bucklings
Storm was the first goat I owned that was easy to milk. Her udder is snug in the rear but seriously lacks foreudder. Teat definition has been lost with multiple freshenings. Despite the physical short-comings in her mammary, she is incredibly easy to milk with especially large orifices - she is what I call a "whole hand milker." Her udder is fairly soft and despite her teats being large, her kids have had no trouble nursing.
In 2019, she peaked at over 4lbs on just once a day milking in the heat and humidity of summer. In 2021, I milked her on no fill nursing triplets at 3 1/2 months fresh, and she easily 2lb and 10oz.
In 2023, I finally had a chance to put Storm on official milk test. Though she only had a single doeling (her first single, ever!) she is knocking it out of the park. More on that once the 2023 testing is over!
She's held up so well, raising fat babies and milking well as far as both quantity and lactation curve. She has excellent hooves and has always been sound despite being cow-hocked. Absolutely love her width and how stocky she is. Shells kids out fast each time and is a great dam. The only thing she's ever had issue with is some nasty ear gunk - her cute little elf ears need a clean every so often.
I always say, if I could clone one doe in the herd, it would probably be Storm. But I'll be happy with daughters and granddaughters and soon to be great-granddaughters, too.
I am very proud to announce that Storm was accepted by TMGR as a Native on Production doe!
Milk Test 2023 Results: 10 tests. 316 DIM. 1360 pounds milk.
305 day pounds: 1339
46# butterfat; Highest BF: 5.4% Avg BF: 3.4%
37# protein: Highest Pro: 3.8%; Avg Pro: 2.8%
Storm with her kids in 2020 - Beryl and Isabella, and her buckling.. Plus baby-sitting the Kinder twins Meadowlark and Magpie. Storm loves all the kids!
The over-the-top photos show Storm this fall (2022) dry and open versus pre-kidding and pregnant with triplets her last freshening.
The udder photo is milked out from 2022. Then the full udder photo is about 3 months fresh in 2023, nursing a single doeling.