Autry Farms - Lexington, Tn
Call 731-549-0210 or email us at wesautry@yahoo.com
Proud member of
Kids
Although there are several bloodlines in the Spanish goat world, We try to stay with the larger meat type. Wienheimer, Kensing, Koy, Sawyer & Syfan:
Weinheimer Ranch
The
Weinheimer Ranch was founded in 1878. Roy Weinheimer, like many Texans
of his time, raised Angora goats for mohair, and kept his Spanish goats
for feeding the family. He brought Spanish goats onto the family-run
Weinheimer Ranch in the 1950's, and was a very progressive Spanish goat
breeder for that time—he started selectively breeding them right away.
Weinheimer would add a billy here and there if he found a better one.
The herd was closed completely from the 1980's to 2004.
In 2004, the Weinheimers added some Kensing bloodline as an outcross.
However, the original gene pool was not swamped by this, and the
Weinheimer bloodline retains some unique Spanish genes.
Among the herd may be found a dozen or so 'blue' goats. For those of you
who have never seen one, they are indeed blue. More blue than grey.
The Weinheimer goats tend to have horns that show less of a twist than
most Spanish. Horns are part of their breeding selection criteria, and
the Weinheimers prefer horns that are broad-based at the base and have
less twist, sweeping back and flaring broadly. They find that such horns
correlate with depth and volume of body.
The billies grow to be 230-250 lbs if their diets meet their nutritional
requirements, but average under 200 lbs. in working conditions. At the
Ranch, goats are raised on natural Texas forage. They occasionally
receive supplemental feeding to ease handling, and this has helped to
keep the goats very gentle.
Weinheimer deworms twice per year: right before the breeding season and when the kids are weaned.
Predatation determines whether or not the billies are kept with the
nannies year round. On Weinheimer's 2,200 acres, some areas are safer
than others, and goats are moved or separated in response to how coyotes
are working the different pastures. Most births are twins, and the
ranch usually has three kid crops every two years.
Weinheimer keeps about 10–33% of his bucks as breeders, and keeps
however many nannies he needs to keep the herd numbers up, and sells the
rest for meat.
The biggest toll on the herd is coyotes. Coyotes have, in the past,
killed one third of the population of the herd. And recently, they did
it again. Weinheimer has tried to work every anti-coyote angle possible:
government trappers, dogs, bait capsules, donkeys (who killed some kids
themselves so they were booted off the ranch), llamas, you name it.
Weinheimer has killed approximately 100 coyotes in the past three years.
And they're still just as thick. He recognizes that the problem isn't
just the death-toll numbers, it's the toll on selective breeding.
Weinheimer has seen coyotes kill one third of his nannies and 100% of
his kid crop in a 3-week period. There are just too many coyotes for a
well-managed ranch to handle.
The coyotes are not selective-Weinheimer believes that sometimes coyotes
will get your healthiest nannies just for the thrill of the chase.
Weinheimer goats are primarily selected for conformation, volume, and
maternal traits, such as reproductive abilities and well-attached, small
udders with small teats. Weinheimer goats are very hardy, forage well,
are parasite-resistant, and are excellent mothers. They have no hoof
problems, and require little maintenance in their environment.
Kensing
Named after Robert and Doris Kensing, Menard, Texas
Robert Kensing was an economist for the Texas A&M Extension Service. One day in 1972 an extension agent called him in about horticulture——a local hobby farmer in Menard, Texas was considering growing pecans. When Kensing left that farm, he brought away 15 does and one buck. They were Kensing’s first goats. The Kensings had just purchased property in Menard, and although they still lived 60 miles away, they put the goats on the new land. The goats could eat brush and required very little maintenance. The Spanish goats were a weekend hobby, but right from the start Kensing began selective breeding and culling. When Kensing retired in 1986, he moved to Menard, expanded the ranch, and devoted his time to breeding purebred Spanish goats.
Robert Kensing had grown up with Angora goats, which were a popular breed in Texas when mohair commanded a high price, so he had experience. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, Kensing’s family were some of many ranchers who raised sheep and Angora goats in Texas. They also kept Spanish goats. When the shearers came, the crew would camp out on the ranch. Most were Mexican, and were very happy to eat goat meat. The ranchers ate it, too. That’s what the Spanish goats were for—you needed a small animal that you could eat before the meat went bad, because in the Kensing’s area, farms didn’t have electricity until the late 1930’s. Lambs were more expensive than goats. Angora goats were more expensive than Spanish goats, because Angoras could be sold for both meat and hair. Spanish goats were just for meat, so those were the ones for eating. And the Spanish goats could just take care of themselves.
Around the time that Kensing moved to Menard, meat goat ranchers in Texas were getting excited about imported breeds, specifically Boer goats. Boers became fashionable and popular, and most breeders chose to breed their Spanish goats with Boers. Not Kensing. He knew that very often that first generation of crossbreeding is very impressive, but as time goes on the crossbreeds may not prove to be everything hoped. So he kept his Spanish goats purebred, and added good stock to his herd. The additions were bucks. Two big, beautiful bucks from a Sonora breeder (no longer in the business), and some bucks from Bill Brown (now deceased) in Menard. There were also some from San Angelo. Kensing would pay the price for excellent bucks—$300 in the 1980’s to bring bucks of excellent conformation into his herd.
The Kensings had a friend out west who needed bucks, and that type of demand helped shape their breeding strategies. The Kensings breed for kidding in January and wean the bucklings in April. The bucklings are then kept separate from the herd, and given feed daily to help them fill out and to keep them gentled. In September, bucks are leased out for breeding, and in December they return home, and are left to forage. Of these bucks, some are culled in January or February, but the best live on to breed again.
The Kensings?ranch features gently-rolling hills and great expanses of oak trees. Limestone rock in the hills has always kept the goats?hooves naturally trimmed. There are no natural water sources for the goats, so they drink from troughs. Temperatures often reach 105 or 110 degrees in the summertime, which the goats seem to enjoy. The average annual rainfall is 20 inches.
The Kensings goats forage on weeds, Live Oaks and Shin Oaks factor greatly into their diets, and Robert Kensing keeps an eye on the Shin Oaks to make sure that the goats do not eat them all down to the roots. Mesquite and Prickly Pear also grow in abundance. The goats avoid eating the latter, but they will sometimes tiptoe in to eat the Prickly Pear fruit. Kensing has worked hard to control the cacti and Mesquite on his ranch. There is rarely snow in wintertime in Menard, and during winter months there are still tall, dried grasses standing, so cut hay is never used. When the goats?feed is supplemented, Kensing uses 20% protein grain cubes and shell corn. The bucklings receive the supplemental feed, as do the does at kidding time. The amounts given depend on the quality of the natural forage available.
Weather plays a large role in the Kensings operation. Rain can bring worms, and Kensing can visually assess whether or not the goats need to be dewormed, primarily by looking at the pinks around their eyes. The forage is affected by the weather, too, which then in turn can affect the birth rate of the goats. Triplets are not unusual, but if the weather is tricky during the year and forage is poor, the goats mostly have twins.
If weather conditions through the growing season are normal, about 10% of the does will have triplets, most will have twins, and there will also be single births. The Kensings do not interfere at kidding time, and if a weak kid cannot make it through with normal care, it is left to its fate. Does are given shelter at kidding time, but usually take refuge in the shelter of the oaks.
The Kensing bucks weight in at 100 lbs when immature at eight months of age, and 175 lbs when full grown. The does weigh about 150 lbs at adulthood in good body condition.
Doris Kensing’s favorite Spanish goats were always the ones that were kind of different—the “furry" ones. These have a thicker cashmere undercoat which, Doris believes, protects the kids better from the elements. They have slightly different horns, and different, less gentle, temperaments than the rest. Their horns tend to grow more straight back than outwards, but there is only slight horn variation within their herd. The Kensings goats have small sideways ears. Cashmere is no longer tolerated.
The Kensings do not usually breed for color, but did have a client who preferred brown goats, believing that brown coats helped to camouflage the kids and keep them safer from predators. The Kensings obliged him, and ensured that their herd included mostly brown bucks to sell. Most of their goats are brown or dark tan with a black line down the back. Some are spotted.
Robert and Doris Kensing still raise purebred Spanish goats, but most of the herd is now in the hands of their nephew, David Whitworth, who is dedicated to continuing conservation of the Spanish breed.
Named after Robert and Doris Kensing, Menard, Texas
Robert Kensing was an economist for the Texas A&M Extension Service. One day in 1972 an extension agent called him in about horticulture——a local hobby farmer in Menard, Texas was considering growing pecans. When Kensing left that farm, he brought away 15 does and one buck. They were Kensing’s first goats. The Kensings had just purchased property in Menard, and although they still lived 60 miles away, they put the goats on the new land. The goats could eat brush and required very little maintenance. The Spanish goats were a weekend hobby, but right from the start Kensing began selective breeding and culling. When Kensing retired in 1986, he moved to Menard, expanded the ranch, and devoted his time to breeding purebred Spanish goats.
Robert Kensing had grown up with Angora goats, which were a popular breed in Texas when mohair commanded a high price, so he had experience. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, Kensing’s family were some of many ranchers who raised sheep and Angora goats in Texas. They also kept Spanish goats. When the shearers came, the crew would camp out on the ranch. Most were Mexican, and were very happy to eat goat meat. The ranchers ate it, too. That’s what the Spanish goats were for—you needed a small animal that you could eat before the meat went bad, because in the Kensing’s area, farms didn’t have electricity until the late 1930’s. Lambs were more expensive than goats. Angora goats were more expensive than Spanish goats, because Angoras could be sold for both meat and hair. Spanish goats were just for meat, so those were the ones for eating. And the Spanish goats could just take care of themselves.
Around the time that Kensing moved to Menard, meat goat ranchers in Texas were getting excited about imported breeds, specifically Boer goats. Boers became fashionable and popular, and most breeders chose to breed their Spanish goats with Boers. Not Kensing. He knew that very often that first generation of crossbreeding is very impressive, but as time goes on the crossbreeds may not prove to be everything hoped. So he kept his Spanish goats purebred, and added good stock to his herd. The additions were bucks. Two big, beautiful bucks from a Sonora breeder (no longer in the business), and some bucks from Bill Brown (now deceased) in Menard. There were also some from San Angelo. Kensing would pay the price for excellent bucks—$300 in the 1980’s to bring bucks of excellent conformation into his herd.
The Kensings had a friend out west who needed bucks, and that type of demand helped shape their breeding strategies. The Kensings breed for kidding in January and wean the bucklings in April. The bucklings are then kept separate from the herd, and given feed daily to help them fill out and to keep them gentled. In September, bucks are leased out for breeding, and in December they return home, and are left to forage. Of these bucks, some are culled in January or February, but the best live on to breed again.
The Kensings?ranch features gently-rolling hills and great expanses of oak trees. Limestone rock in the hills has always kept the goats?hooves naturally trimmed. There are no natural water sources for the goats, so they drink from troughs. Temperatures often reach 105 or 110 degrees in the summertime, which the goats seem to enjoy. The average annual rainfall is 20 inches.
The Kensings goats forage on weeds, Live Oaks and Shin Oaks factor greatly into their diets, and Robert Kensing keeps an eye on the Shin Oaks to make sure that the goats do not eat them all down to the roots. Mesquite and Prickly Pear also grow in abundance. The goats avoid eating the latter, but they will sometimes tiptoe in to eat the Prickly Pear fruit. Kensing has worked hard to control the cacti and Mesquite on his ranch. There is rarely snow in wintertime in Menard, and during winter months there are still tall, dried grasses standing, so cut hay is never used. When the goats?feed is supplemented, Kensing uses 20% protein grain cubes and shell corn. The bucklings receive the supplemental feed, as do the does at kidding time. The amounts given depend on the quality of the natural forage available.
Weather plays a large role in the Kensings operation. Rain can bring worms, and Kensing can visually assess whether or not the goats need to be dewormed, primarily by looking at the pinks around their eyes. The forage is affected by the weather, too, which then in turn can affect the birth rate of the goats. Triplets are not unusual, but if the weather is tricky during the year and forage is poor, the goats mostly have twins.
If weather conditions through the growing season are normal, about 10% of the does will have triplets, most will have twins, and there will also be single births. The Kensings do not interfere at kidding time, and if a weak kid cannot make it through with normal care, it is left to its fate. Does are given shelter at kidding time, but usually take refuge in the shelter of the oaks.
The Kensing bucks weight in at 100 lbs when immature at eight months of age, and 175 lbs when full grown. The does weigh about 150 lbs at adulthood in good body condition.
Doris Kensing’s favorite Spanish goats were always the ones that were kind of different—the “furry" ones. These have a thicker cashmere undercoat which, Doris believes, protects the kids better from the elements. They have slightly different horns, and different, less gentle, temperaments than the rest. Their horns tend to grow more straight back than outwards, but there is only slight horn variation within their herd. The Kensings goats have small sideways ears. Cashmere is no longer tolerated.
The Kensings do not usually breed for color, but did have a client who preferred brown goats, believing that brown coats helped to camouflage the kids and keep them safer from predators. The Kensings obliged him, and ensured that their herd included mostly brown bucks to sell. Most of their goats are brown or dark tan with a black line down the back. Some are spotted.
Robert and Doris Kensing still raise purebred Spanish goats, but most of the herd is now in the hands of their nephew, David Whitworth, who is dedicated to continuing conservation of the Spanish breed.
Koy Ranch
In 1991, Zona Koy Hunt purchased 20 Spanish nannies. She grew her herd, adding a Spanish billy here and there to avoid inbreeding, and maintained a tight cull. Good breeding stock was rarely if ever sold, it was kept to increase the herd.
Before Mrs. Hunt passed away, she asked her family to watch over her black Spanish goats, and her daughter Koy and her husband Jim Adcock loyally continue to maintain and improve the herd, which had grown to approximately 400 goats by 2009.
Koy Ranch goats are bred for many attributes: conformation, mothering ability, tight udders, width of frame including width of horn placement, longevity, and color. Only black goats are kept: they were a favorite of Zona Koy Hunt and also of daughter Koy Adcock, who always enjoyed the dark colors found in many old-style Texas and New Mexico Spanish goats.
Koy Ranch rotates pastures, which range about 350–1,000 acres each. The goats are kept friendly with occasional very small amounts of corn: about a handful per goat per week is all it takes. They have well-water and salt blocks available, but apart from that they are on straight forage year-round. Forage on the Koy Ranch consists of a west-Texas medley of live oak and acorns, tough weeds and grasses, prickly-pear apples, etc.
Koy Ranch nannies kid unassisted at the rate of 28% singles, 70% twins, and 1.6% triplets. They are bred in October for March kidding in a 350-acre kidding pasture.
Nannies average about 100 lbs., and billies weigh approximately 200+ lbs.
The Adcocks cull heavily. Anything that is less than 'perfect' is sent to slaughter. The Adcocks are putting their efforts into keeping their herd of purebred black Spanish goats going strong for generations to come.
Story by Koy Adcock, 2009
In 1991, Zona Koy Hunt purchased 20 Spanish nannies. She grew her herd, adding a Spanish billy here and there to avoid inbreeding, and maintained a tight cull. Good breeding stock was rarely if ever sold, it was kept to increase the herd.
Before Mrs. Hunt passed away, she asked her family to watch over her black Spanish goats, and her daughter Koy and her husband Jim Adcock loyally continue to maintain and improve the herd, which had grown to approximately 400 goats by 2009.
Koy Ranch goats are bred for many attributes: conformation, mothering ability, tight udders, width of frame including width of horn placement, longevity, and color. Only black goats are kept: they were a favorite of Zona Koy Hunt and also of daughter Koy Adcock, who always enjoyed the dark colors found in many old-style Texas and New Mexico Spanish goats.
Koy Ranch rotates pastures, which range about 350–1,000 acres each. The goats are kept friendly with occasional very small amounts of corn: about a handful per goat per week is all it takes. They have well-water and salt blocks available, but apart from that they are on straight forage year-round. Forage on the Koy Ranch consists of a west-Texas medley of live oak and acorns, tough weeds and grasses, prickly-pear apples, etc.
Koy Ranch nannies kid unassisted at the rate of 28% singles, 70% twins, and 1.6% triplets. They are bred in October for March kidding in a 350-acre kidding pasture.
Nannies average about 100 lbs., and billies weigh approximately 200+ lbs.
The Adcocks cull heavily. Anything that is less than 'perfect' is sent to slaughter. The Adcocks are putting their efforts into keeping their herd of purebred black Spanish goats going strong for generations to come.
Story by Koy Adcock, 2009
Sawyer
Named after Wesley E. Sawyer, Sonora, Texas
Wesley Sawyer, like most Texans of his day, kept Spanish goats. When Wesley Sawyer passed away, his nephew Ed Sawyer inherited the herd. Ed Sawyer had always liked Spanish goats, and began to breed the goats to bring out their vigor and strength, developing a line that both breeders of Spanish goats and non-Spanish goats want to breed into their herds.
Sawyer’s goats rotate pastures on a 14,000-acre ranch of rolling hills of rocky terrain, foraging on Live Oaks, Shin Oaks, and a variety of grasses. The goats are divided into groups, but the group sizes change according to the size of the pasture they are put into. Their feed is supplemented only if necessary in the winter with 20% protein blocks. Nannies tend to weigh 130?50 lbs, billies weigh approximately 200 lbs.
Billies are kept separate, and brought in early September for February kidding. The nannies kid in the pasture, and Sawyer obtains a kid crop of approximately 165%, with mostly twins and singles, and some triplets. Sawyer also keeps a “best?herd—those that he believes are superior to the rest. This herd is kept separate from the others and they breed amongst themselves, but some are also sold or culled. Sawyer breeds for good conformation, good udders, and “attitude;?he has no time for overly-wild goats. Color does not factor into Sawyer’s breeding choices at all, so his herd shows a great variety of colors. The horns are very consistent, and there are varying levels of cashmere on his goats. The culled does and wethers are sold at auction, and Sawyer also sells breeding stock to other goat ranchers. He is presently building up the size of his herd, but slowly and carefully, culling about 25% annually.
Sawyer deworms about three times per year, and the time for deworming is usually set to coincide with the handling and movement of the goats.
Sawyer uses only one method of predator control, which comes in the shape of his ranch foreman’s rifle. Although there are occasional attacks by eagles, bobcats, and foxes, there are no coyotes around. The foreman keeps an eye out for predators, but there has been very little problem of predation on Sawyer’s ranch.
Sawyer looks forward to continuing breeding purebred Spanish goats for years to come. He enjoys them.
Story by Ed Sawyer, February 2008
Named after Wesley E. Sawyer, Sonora, Texas
Wesley Sawyer, like most Texans of his day, kept Spanish goats. When Wesley Sawyer passed away, his nephew Ed Sawyer inherited the herd. Ed Sawyer had always liked Spanish goats, and began to breed the goats to bring out their vigor and strength, developing a line that both breeders of Spanish goats and non-Spanish goats want to breed into their herds.
Sawyer’s goats rotate pastures on a 14,000-acre ranch of rolling hills of rocky terrain, foraging on Live Oaks, Shin Oaks, and a variety of grasses. The goats are divided into groups, but the group sizes change according to the size of the pasture they are put into. Their feed is supplemented only if necessary in the winter with 20% protein blocks. Nannies tend to weigh 130?50 lbs, billies weigh approximately 200 lbs.
Billies are kept separate, and brought in early September for February kidding. The nannies kid in the pasture, and Sawyer obtains a kid crop of approximately 165%, with mostly twins and singles, and some triplets. Sawyer also keeps a “best?herd—those that he believes are superior to the rest. This herd is kept separate from the others and they breed amongst themselves, but some are also sold or culled. Sawyer breeds for good conformation, good udders, and “attitude;?he has no time for overly-wild goats. Color does not factor into Sawyer’s breeding choices at all, so his herd shows a great variety of colors. The horns are very consistent, and there are varying levels of cashmere on his goats. The culled does and wethers are sold at auction, and Sawyer also sells breeding stock to other goat ranchers. He is presently building up the size of his herd, but slowly and carefully, culling about 25% annually.
Sawyer deworms about three times per year, and the time for deworming is usually set to coincide with the handling and movement of the goats.
Sawyer uses only one method of predator control, which comes in the shape of his ranch foreman’s rifle. Although there are occasional attacks by eagles, bobcats, and foxes, there are no coyotes around. The foreman keeps an eye out for predators, but there has been very little problem of predation on Sawyer’s ranch.
Sawyer looks forward to continuing breeding purebred Spanish goats for years to come. He enjoys them.
Story by Ed Sawyer, February 2008
Syfan
Named after Tom and Meta Syfan, Mountain Home, Texas
Tom Syfan has raised purebred Spanish goats for many years. During Syfan’s travels to destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, he kept searching for the better breed of goat. He feels that it is at home in Texas.
Syfan raises Spanish goats for meat, and pays attention to uniform conformation. Along the way he also began breeding for their coat quality. He sought to breed goats with good coats, and more hair. The result of his attention to their coats led to an all-black Spanish herd with heavy cashmere. The black coats are striking and accentuate the goats?good conformation. The goats are medium-sized, with does weighing in at about 80 lbs and bucks average about 120 lbs at maturity.
Syfan’s herd consists of several groups: three groups of does, one group of bucks, a group of young bucks, and a group of young does. They live on 5600 acres in the Hill Country of Texas. Their diet is natural—the land offers Live Oak, Shin Oak, and many varieties of brush. They also nibble on the cactus. In the winter the goats eat a lot of Juniper sprouts, also known as cedar, which would grow extensively if it weren’t kept under tight control by the goats. Syfan only supplements their feed in the winter months, at which time he puts out corn. The goats drink well water due to an absence of natural streams in that area. The herds are continually rotated, with border collies to help.
Syfan uses six livestock guardian dogs and four donkeys to protect the herds. The dogs are Great Pyrenees, Akbash, and Anatolian, and Syfan asserts that it’s not necessarily which breed of livestock guardian dog is best, but whether or not the dog itself is effective. However, he prefers the Great Pyrenees, and finds that the Akbash (as a breed) will run off deer. Many Texans lease their land to deer hunters, and Syfan is among them, so the Akbash is not his first choice. His dogs (with help from the donkeys) deter and fend off coyotes, foxes, wild hogs, and they also watch for eagles. Syfan has successfully kept predators under control.
The herd is bred for springtime kidding. Syfan’s does usually have single births, which he attributes to the almost unsupplemented forage. If a doe has twins or triplets, she usually won’t kid out the following year. This is fine with Syfan, who finds that single-birth offspring tend to be extremely healthy.
Deworming is done on an as-needed basis, which depends on the results of fecal testing, performed a few times annually or depending on weather conditions.
Syfan has a lot of breeding experience. He was awarded the 1964 Ford Foundation National Award for Sheep Production, and applied his knowledge to goats. His methods are simple and effective. Here’s how it works:
The goats, male and female, adults and kids, are divided into three groups according to quality (conformation, size, etc.). ‘A?does are bred to ‘A?bucks, ‘B?bred to ‘B,?‘C?to ‘C.?Once bred, the does are back to the brush, and resume their roles.
Every year, each goat is reassessed, and bred again using the same formula. A doe may drop from ‘A?assessment to a ‘C,?a buckling may come from a ‘B?breeding and attain an ‘A?status—whatever looks right in the eyes of a master breeder.
Syfan will only keep a limited number of bucks, so 80 percent of the buck kids will be castrated and kept for a year to control brush, and then sold as “mutton kids.?Culled does and doe kids also go to auction. When a good buck can be replaced with a better buck, so be it, and the culled older bucks usually go to hunting programs where their horns are prized by hunters.
Syfan sells mature does, bucks, bucklings, and a few doelings to breeders. His goats have gone to 27 states, and, although they are meat goats, many clients have bought them for their cashmere. Syfan maintains that Spanish goats are the best and most versatile goats in the Hill Country of central Texas, as they provide meat, cashmere, and have the unsurpassed ability to clear land and control brush.
Named after Tom and Meta Syfan, Mountain Home, Texas
Tom Syfan has raised purebred Spanish goats for many years. During Syfan’s travels to destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, he kept searching for the better breed of goat. He feels that it is at home in Texas.
Syfan raises Spanish goats for meat, and pays attention to uniform conformation. Along the way he also began breeding for their coat quality. He sought to breed goats with good coats, and more hair. The result of his attention to their coats led to an all-black Spanish herd with heavy cashmere. The black coats are striking and accentuate the goats?good conformation. The goats are medium-sized, with does weighing in at about 80 lbs and bucks average about 120 lbs at maturity.
Syfan’s herd consists of several groups: three groups of does, one group of bucks, a group of young bucks, and a group of young does. They live on 5600 acres in the Hill Country of Texas. Their diet is natural—the land offers Live Oak, Shin Oak, and many varieties of brush. They also nibble on the cactus. In the winter the goats eat a lot of Juniper sprouts, also known as cedar, which would grow extensively if it weren’t kept under tight control by the goats. Syfan only supplements their feed in the winter months, at which time he puts out corn. The goats drink well water due to an absence of natural streams in that area. The herds are continually rotated, with border collies to help.
Syfan uses six livestock guardian dogs and four donkeys to protect the herds. The dogs are Great Pyrenees, Akbash, and Anatolian, and Syfan asserts that it’s not necessarily which breed of livestock guardian dog is best, but whether or not the dog itself is effective. However, he prefers the Great Pyrenees, and finds that the Akbash (as a breed) will run off deer. Many Texans lease their land to deer hunters, and Syfan is among them, so the Akbash is not his first choice. His dogs (with help from the donkeys) deter and fend off coyotes, foxes, wild hogs, and they also watch for eagles. Syfan has successfully kept predators under control.
The herd is bred for springtime kidding. Syfan’s does usually have single births, which he attributes to the almost unsupplemented forage. If a doe has twins or triplets, she usually won’t kid out the following year. This is fine with Syfan, who finds that single-birth offspring tend to be extremely healthy.
Deworming is done on an as-needed basis, which depends on the results of fecal testing, performed a few times annually or depending on weather conditions.
Syfan has a lot of breeding experience. He was awarded the 1964 Ford Foundation National Award for Sheep Production, and applied his knowledge to goats. His methods are simple and effective. Here’s how it works:
The goats, male and female, adults and kids, are divided into three groups according to quality (conformation, size, etc.). ‘A?does are bred to ‘A?bucks, ‘B?bred to ‘B,?‘C?to ‘C.?Once bred, the does are back to the brush, and resume their roles.
Every year, each goat is reassessed, and bred again using the same formula. A doe may drop from ‘A?assessment to a ‘C,?a buckling may come from a ‘B?breeding and attain an ‘A?status—whatever looks right in the eyes of a master breeder.
Syfan will only keep a limited number of bucks, so 80 percent of the buck kids will be castrated and kept for a year to control brush, and then sold as “mutton kids.?Culled does and doe kids also go to auction. When a good buck can be replaced with a better buck, so be it, and the culled older bucks usually go to hunting programs where their horns are prized by hunters.
Syfan sells mature does, bucks, bucklings, and a few doelings to breeders. His goats have gone to 27 states, and, although they are meat goats, many clients have bought them for their cashmere. Syfan maintains that Spanish goats are the best and most versatile goats in the Hill Country of central Texas, as they provide meat, cashmere, and have the unsurpassed ability to clear land and control brush.