This afternoon we were a host herd for linear appraisal (LA). If you aren’t familiar with the LA program from ADGA, you can read about it here. This was our second time to do LA and we had one other herd trailer to our farm to participate. Here are the results:
Goat
DOB
Score
CH(pending) Majenli LK Carolina
2/20/2021
EEEV90
Sawfish QS Ferrari
3/16/2023
EEVV89
Sawfish AS Porsche
2/18/2023
VEVV88
Lucky 4-Leaf E Red Hot Chili
3/12/2022
VVVV87
We are absolutely thrilled with our results and extremely excited about Carolina hitting 90 and Ferrari’s score as a first freshening 2 year old. This program is a great asset to helping with breeding plans and affirmation that our breeding program is doing what we want.
Another exhausting but amazing 4 days at the Big E has come and gone. With Quinn aged-out of 4-H, Amanda is the only youth left showing goats. Adding to the madness, I (Rob) returned from a work trip at 1130 on Thursday and we (Rob and Amanda) headed up to the Big E at 1 that afternoon. The Eastern States Exposition (aka Big E) is the defacto New England State Fair and this dairy goat show is the culmination of the show season for youth from the 6 New England states. I am part of the show committee assisting with the planning and execution as well as chaperone for some of the youth male participants.
Amanda took 6 goats to show in the youth show, but only 1 milker. Porsche is Amanda’s milker and showmanship goat because Amanda loves her, but Porsche hates her job. She is hard to clip and kicks HARD when you try to do anything to her back legs. Porsche also hates when the judge tries to touch her. Friday included the fitting and showmanship competitions where Amanda was in the 2nd oldest group of 13 youth; she placed 6th in both fitting and showmanship.
Sawfish AS Porsche – Best of Breed
On Saturday, the breed classes were judged. This is a youth show and most breeds don’t have a lot of competition, although lamanchas are starting to become more popular. Of note, we get to see CH (pending) Majenli LK Carolina’s 2023 daughter and granddaughter who are in Maine at this show each year. Sawfish AS Porsche took Champion and Best of Breed Lamancha in the senior show and then Sawfish Bon Bon took Junior Champion Lamancha where Amanda had 4 of the 5 in the lineup.
As always, it was a busy weekend and Amanda ran out of gas at times. But a quick nap ringside gave her enough of a recharge to keep going. Since Amanda no longer has Quinn to hang out with, she spent more time with the other exhibitors and started building the stronger friendships this event is famous for.
Best Sr Doe in Show lineupSleeping AmandaLamancha Jr Champion Line upAmanda and Lexi collaborating during skill a thonAwards
After the youth show ended on Saturday, some of the goats left and others started moving in. Rob headed home for the night to get more goats and Amanda slept in the barn with other exhibitors. The quick turnaround at home had me back in Springfield by 7 am Sunday with our pens loaded up with most of our herd. Anna didn’t join the showing because she now has a job and had to work (but that’s a different story).
Sawfish AS Porsche took first in her age group, but didn’t win overall. CH (pending) Majenli LK Carolina was 2nd in the Champion Challenge/Best of Breed lineup.
The real magic happened in the junior Lamancha show. There were 13 junior Lamanchas representing 7 different herds. When we got to the champion lineup for junior Lamanchas, the Sawfish herd had 3 of the 4 first place goats and Sawfish Bon Bon was chosen as Junior Champion out of the youngest age group. This earned her restricted leg. Of note, her aunt, Sawfish QS Mina, did the same thing at this show last year.
Sawfish Bon Bon – 2025 Big E2025 Big E Best Jr Doe in Show lineup
While Fox’s Pride took the Best Junior Doe in Show award with a very nice Nubian (even if it does have long ears). Bon Bon got a lot of looks from the judge before it was said and done. In the end, Amanda won Premier Lamancha Breeder and Premier Lamancha Junior Exhibitor.
Since we were at a nice venue and had the girls out, we took some updated pictures to share. That concludes our show season and we are excited to get started with breeding. Stay tuned for the release of our breeding plans.
Sawfish Bon Bon – 2025 Big ESawfish Tiramisu – 2025 Big ESawfish Apple Fritter – 2025 Big ESawfish Creme Brulee – 2025 Big ESawfish Kipu – 2025 Big ESawfish QS Mina – 2025 Big ESawfish Chrysi – 2025 Big ECH (pending) Majenli LK Carolina – 2025 Big ESawfish AS Porsche – 2025 Big E
Last Sunday (8/17/25) we headed to the Heath, MA Fair for the first time. They have an ADGA sanctioned show we wanted to check out and we really enjoyed this event. Amanda was headed to camp in VT, so Anna had to drive her and didn’t get to the fair until ~2:30. Luckily, our friend Hillary was having some goat show FOMO and decided to join Rob with 8 of the goats. Here are our results: Best of Breed Sr Lamancha – Sawfish Porsche Champion Jr Lamancha – Sawfish Apple Fritter Best of Breed Sr Record Grade – Lucky 4-Leaf E Red Hot Chili Champion Jr Record Grade – Sawfish Tiramisu
We definitely plan to return to Heath next year.
Bling Bling!Sawfish PorscheL-R Sawfish Creme Brulee, Sawfish Bon Bon, Sawfish Apple FritterSawfish TiramisuSawfish Apple FritterSawfish TiramisuL – Sawfish Porsche, R – Sawfish Apple FritterL – Sawfish Tiramisu, R – Sawfish KipuTiramisu saying helloLucky 4-leaf E Red Hot ChiliLucky 4-Leaf E Red Hot ChiliLucky 4-Leaf E Red Hot Chili
Today, (8/24/25) we went to the Brooklyn Fair. This event has become our local favorite at only 20 minutes up the road. Here are our results: Best of Breed Sr Lamancha – Majenli LK Carolina Champion Jr Lamancha – Sawfish Chrysi Best of Breed Sr Record Grade – Lucky 4-Leaf E Red Hot Chili Champion Jr Record Grade – Sawfish Kipu Best Sr Doe in Show – Majenli LK Carolina Best Jr Doe in Show – Sawfish Chrysi
We didn’t get as many pictures because when you have 10 goats and only 3 handlers at a small, fast paced show, you don’t stop to take photos.
Amanda with Sawfish PorscheAmanda with Sawfish PorscheLucky 4-Leaf E Red Hot ChiliMajenli LK Carolina’s prizeBling BlingSawfish Chrysi’s prize
Last Tuesday our last goat to kid went into labor. It was Sawfish QS Bali. Bali is a really cute loudly colored black and white yearling doe. I found her a little warm and uncomfortable on Tuesday afternoon, pawing lightly and panting slightly, so I moved her into our kidding stall in the barn. I left to get a few things at Tractor Supply and a few other errands and told Amanda to keep an eye on her.
Before I got to TSC, I got a text that Bali had discharge. By the time I was checking out, there was a doe on the ground. When I got home (Tractor Supply is 4 miles away), Bali delivered another doe. Double pink! And quick nose n’ toes deliveries. I’ll take that any day from a yearling! Rob was also home (I did not just leave Amanda to handle Bali) and Q had come home from school just in time to deliver baby number 1. Baby number 1, the chocolate sundgau was named Chocolate Truffle and weighed 8 pounds. Baby number two is a broken black and tan doeling with the cutest head. She has been named Eclaire and weighed 7.8 pounds.
Chocolate TruffleEclaire
Bali did great and gave me 6 cups of colostrum. Sunday am she milked 10 cups. Her udder looks cute with teeny tiny teats though. They have been elongating each day. Bali has been upset about her babies being gone, but I think she is starting to get over it now and she is eating better than she did at first.
Almost 6 cups of colostrumBali 4 days fresh
The kids are doing great. Due to the weather Saturday, they have stayed inside a little longer than most and are quite sociable at this point. A few of the kids are leaving this week, which will make room for Truffle and Eclaire to move to the baby barn permanently.
Bali needs some calories, but is otherwise doing really well. I think the decision to breed her last fall was a good one.
So, now we have 6 doelings. Now we have to decide which 4 get to stay. Impossible task! If you’re interested in a doe kid, reach out. We are unlikely to decide until sometime in June, but if there is an awesome home available, we may be swayed earlier.
On April 3, her due date, Ferrari went into labor. I separated her into a kidding stall and about an hour into active labor things stalled. I called Rob for him to come home, because I was alone, and I needed to intervene. She was pushing and not making progress. When I tried to feel what was going on, there was nothing presenting. I gave her some additional calcium and kept watching her until Rob came home. We went in, and found her first kid upside down with only one foot presenting. We put in a call to our vet after trying to locate a head, but managed to snare a head with the kid puller before she called back. There was a lot of blood and we were concerned. We pulled the first kid, a 9 pound doe kid. A second, 9 pound buck kid, soon followed on his own. Again lots of blood. Babies were ok, but we were unsure about Ferrari, she seemed in shock. A uterine tear was high on our list of possible outcomes. We brought the babies inside and got some colostrum milked off, unsure if Ferrari was going to make it. She was eating and drinking, but very sore and kind of quiet.
Ferrari passed her placenta and we threw the book at her with some TLC and antibiotics, and she seems to be recovering. She milked 8 pounds on her first milk test, two weeks fresh, and her udder looks nice. Still working on putting some weight back on her.
The babies were named Bon Bon (doe) and Fudge (buck kid). This breeding combines our Phaylene line with our Carolina line, crossing Phaylene’s daughter with Carolina’s son. We look forward to seeing Bon Bon mature in our show string this year. She looks a lot like her grandmother, wide in the chest and rump, but longer and with more angularity in her rear legs and a more uphill build. Fudge is a broken sundgau with white on his poll and he will join Porsche’s black son Macaroon in our grow out pen this year and we might even use him on a yearling this fall.
With the nice weather, our other baby goats have been enjoying some time outside in the baby goat pen. Below is a video. Apple Fritter, Camellia’s daughter rules the roost. Wait for her to appear at the end of the video:
Next, and last to kid, is Bali. She is due this week. She was bred to Apollo. We are hoping for an easy delivery and a healthy mama and babies. Bali is carrying twins. Her yearling peanut gallery also wanted to be in the picture! Don’t worry, Bali was baby clipped after this picture. She turned into a yak this winter.
