Fogmyre Farm & Livestock Guardian Dogs

05/24/2022

Great Pyrenees/Turkish Boz Shepherd cross 50/50 ready in July

05/24/2022

Great Pyrenees ready in June, were waiting out the storm in a cozy stall. Ready to go back out with mom.

05/10/2022

All of the pigs are now out on pasture. This spring hasn't been very cooperative but I got it done. Finally.

05/07/2022

Lucy had 9 piglets - American Guinea Hogs, may have some registered piglets available but to soon to evaluate.

4 boars/barrows
- 1 are reserved

5 gilts
- 2 are reserved

04/19/2022

Mother and Daughter doing their thing.

Mazy broke the end of the milk stand, gotta fix that today now too.

04/11/2022

Lily's litter have all moved on to new pastures, herds and flocks.

Great Pyrenees born 2/5/2022. Both are nice quiet, laid back boys.

04/05/2022

Puppies are getting microchips and vaccinations this week. The vet is coming for a puppy check on Friday. Then I will start getting pictures of individual puppies. They will be available tentatively April 30th.

I do have a few that will be available to pet homes as well. Message me if interested in learning more about these wonderful Great Pyrenees.

Lily x Cloud litter 2022.

Playtime with mom. ❤️

04/05/2022

Welcome Caden to Fogmyre Farm. He will be a great addition to my Oberhasli herd.

Thank you Heather for trusting me with him, and the ladies of course.

04/01/2022

The little black mini ober buckling and Sassy went to their new homes this week. One of Lily's puppies also left today. The other mini ober buckling and the pretty little Alpine doeling leave on Monday.

Chores are done. And I am just sitting here waiting on a very special delivery. I will share more later this evening. But just know it is a very big and exciting addition to the farm. I'm so EXCITED!!! This is better than Christmas for me. :D

03/30/2022

This little mini Ober guy is going to his new home on Monday. His twin brother was jet black with blue eyes. He left for his new home earlier this past week.

03/27/2022

Let's talk milk machines.

I use a Simple Pulse machine capable of milking two at a time. I bought jars, extra hoses and inflations to have standard and Nigerian sizes, the wall mount kit, the cleaning kit, and maintenance/repair kit. It was $1300.

Yes I highly recommend the Simple Pulse. However, I do understand that it isn't in everyone's budget and a lot of money for one or two goats. There are other decent options out there. I have used the one linked below in the past and intend to order a new one just to have a back up. I realize there is no way I'm milking all my does by hand in an emergency. So a backup is necessary.

You don't have to pay $1300+ to have a machine that can milk a few goats. No matter what machine you use, use caution. Don't walk away when it is in use. Watch for them to be about done and finish the last bit by hand. I do that with my Simple Pulse even. Always start them by hand, just a few squirts to check the milk and get them flowing.

Hantop 3L Goat Milking Machine,Portable Pulsation Vacuum Pump Goat Milker Livstock Milking Machine (Basic Model) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084MH5BPH/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_BAQNVYS4J0XFR1M5E3Q3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Hantop 3L Goat Milking Machine,Portable Pulsation Vacuum Pump Goat Milker Livstock Milking Machine (Basic Model)

03/27/2022

With dairy goats a well built udder is important. Tiny teats are hard to hand milk and milker inflations don't stay on well. Excessively large teats are hard for kids to latch onto and most inflations don't fit on properly either. Teats that are to far out to the sides are hard for kids to get too. If their pointing up towards the front let's it's hard to get inflations to stay on properly and hard to hand milk getting the milk in the bucket. Poor attachments mean early breakdown and an udder hanging below the hocks. Capacity is important too. Any container can only hold what will fit in it. Very few udders are perfect, but that should be the end goal.

When buying a doe in milk, really look over the udder. Try to avoid those issues that are on the extreme side of undesirable. Ask for the opportunity to milk her and see how it goes. When buying a Doeling, look at the Dams, and both grandams udders. Look at siblings udders if possible. When looking for a herd sire, again took at familial udders. Remember, the buck you choose is 50% of the genetics on future kids.

Here are a few more pictures to get you started in the right direction. Unsure of what your looking for, ask a mentor to evaluate your potential purchases. Remember, they don't have to be perfect, but try to get as close to it as possible.

Print out a linear Appraisal form and use it to evaluate a potential purchase. And as always, do your research.

03/27/2022

When your out shopping for that perfect new goat, please put health and conformation above color. Sure a flashy moon spotted kid is fun to look at, but what good is that if it isn't sound and healthy?!

Not sure what to look for is a dairy goat that is built to last, ask a trusted mentor to help you in your search. Here's a little something to get you started.

03/27/2022

This beautiful little Alpine girl will be going to her new home on Monday. Her twin brother is still waiting for his special someone to come along.

03/26/2022

If you are new to farming and owning livestock, find a mentor. Find someone who is raising animals in a similar way to how you want to raise yours. Take the time to ask questions, take down notes, and gain as much knowledge as you can. This person is the key to your success.

03/26/2022

For those that ask me what dog food I feed. I used to say Purina Pro Plan. Well not any more. Lately my dogs have had looser stool and I've had to increase the amount I feed each day by quite a bit. The price is ridiculous too. And it's always out of stock.

I have done my research, looking for a mid price range food that meets all of my requirements for my very large dogs and puppies. I feed all of my dogs and puppies the same food. That's what works here.

I am now feeding Sportmix Premium Energy Plus. It is 24% protein. 20% fat. 2.07% Calcium and 1.14% Phosphorus.

I do not push higher protein on my puppies for faster growth. That is not healthy and no good for longevity. Slow and steady is the way to go. They one thing I do when starting my puppies on kibble is soak it in fresh goats milk for the first week. I also try to feed a food that is readily available at TSC, Pet stores, and on Chewy, so that my customers can easily purchase the same food when bringing their puppies home.

So far all dogs and puppies stool has improved. They are eating readily but consuming less overall. All of the puppies are growing on schedule, healthy and full of normal puppy energy. Nazli has been putting on weight. Her yeast ears have improved too. Everyone else has been maintaining condition perfectly. And even my pickiest eaters are loving this food.

I am sure not everyone will agree with my choice, but this is what I am feeding and it is working wonderfully here. 🕊️

03/26/2022

Prairie's kids, both bucklings. The black buckling is spoken for already. They are all doing great out in the barn in the kid stalls. I won't be retaining any kids this year.

03/25/2022

Current kid count:

Nigerian dwarfs - 2 bucks 1 doe

Alpines - 2 bucks 3 does

Oberhasli/Alpine - 2 bucks 0 does

3 Alpines and 2 Nigerian dwarfs to go.

03/25/2022

Prairie, my black Oberhasli Doe had twin bucklings today. One solid black and one Chamoisee with a white belly. 50% Ober 50% Alpine.

Prairie peeked at a gallon and a half as a first freshener, and I can not wait to see what she does for round two. She is an absolutely lovely doe.

03/24/2022

Another LGD and kid moment. This kid is only 6 hours old and Nazli is watching over him.

03/23/2022

Daisy seems quite please with herself. My boys love the dogs and like to bring them in from time to time. I don't mind. I figure if can bring goat kids in, they can surely bring a dog in.

03/20/2022

03/19/2022

Sassy is going to make someone a really nice Nigerian dwarf milk doe some day. Unfortunately,it won't be me. She is 9 weeks old, horned, bottle raised - going to one bottle a day. Very sweet.
Chocolate red check with a lot of white and a moonspot butt. She is a nice solid built Doeling. Dam is chocolate. Sire is chocolate with white and moon spots. Unregistered.

03/18/2022

Lilyam is new to the farm. She is Great Pyrenees/Maremma cross, and we are hopeful for Turkish Shepherd cross pups from her in the next few months. She gets along well with all the dogs in the pack here so far, except Daisy. No fault of her own. Daisy takes a bit to warm up. She is super sweet and loves a nice petting every chance she gets. She is calm and quiet with the livestock.

03/18/2022

Nazli is a Turkish Boz Shepherd. She is such a sweet, friendly, quiet girl. She is part of the pack, but we are not sure we will be breeding her.

03/18/2022

Daisy is a more independent kind of girl. She does well in the pack, but takes a bit longer to warm up to a new dog in the group. She is an excellent babysitter for young kids, piglets, and puppies. She's a bit smaller than Lily but that doesn't stop her. She is the first to throw down if there's a threat.

03/18/2022

Lily is a sweet natured, solid built girl. She is a wonderful mom, who produces beautiful puppies. She is patient with pups and does a great job teaching them the ropes. She works well in a pack, and with other females too.

03/18/2022

This is Cloud. He's the main man on the farm. He has a wonderful temperament, and natural instincts run deep in this guy. His coat is easy, low maintenance, sheds out nice without extra grooming too. He passes his beautiful coat and wonderful demeanor on to his puppies.