April 29, 2019
Grade Herdbook

Productive and Flashy.
 

Verbena was special to me from Day 1. She and her sister Rosemary were my first doelings out of Storm X Jupiter. Unfortunately, Rosemary died of listeriosis after her first freshening in 2021.

In February 2021, Verbena kidded with buck/doe twins but rejected the buckling the next day - I think is partially my fault for putting her in a pen with another first freshening pair that had a buckling that looked like hers - I think she got confused. On her second freshening, she kidded with quads and took all 4 though I later sold 2 as bottle kids. As a dam, Verbena can get a little overwhelmed but still does a good-enough job I can't fault her.

Verbena is friendly and quiet until there's something serious to be dramatic about - then she's incredibly loud. In her first V-show as a milker, she placed second under both judges behind a gorgeous doe that finished as a permanent v-show champion. I was so proud! 

Like Storm, she is wide and has a lot of capacity, though she is slightly finer-boned than Storm and doesn't keep condition as easily.

 

Her udder texture is soft and teats are a good length though, I'd more diameter to make it easier but I expect that will improve with time. Her foreudder in particular is a vast improvement over Storm's. Overall, she easy to milk and is the most productive of my homebred does so far!

 

I so wish I had done a better job milk testing this first year - 2022 - I know Verbena could have easily earned a star for at least amount.
PLEASE SEE THE BLOG POST ON MILK TESTING FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Milk Test 2022 results:  2/3 tests sampled; DIM 139. 780 pounds of milk.
24 pounds butterfat; Highest BF 3.3%; Avg BF 3.1%
23 pounds of protein; Highest Pro 2.9%; Avg Pro 2.9%