MEET OUR GOATS

Bella a 2 year old Nanny and her 3 month old female Michma

Dol was expensive at 7,000 nrs but gave birth to female twins soon after we brought her. She is five years old and breeds well.

A steal at 4000 nrs was Kalo Khaan, a three year old female that is pregant and has twice had triplets in the past.

GOAT FARMING AND TEACHER FUNDING - CURRENT PROJECT 2009

Last week we made the trip to Ghoatpani to buy some goats. Let’s just say that it was perhaps the scariest bus ride ever as we went on the newly built lower road. We normally trek up to our village, but where short on time this time around. All was as well and we arrived in time for a traditional village wedding.

Over the next few days we went ‘goat shopping’. It’s not as easy as it sounds, we where looking for mainly female goats between 2 and 4 for breeding and building the herd, pregnant goats where a bonus. We were looking for taller goats, if we can breed bigger and taller males, they fetch lots more money at the market than the typical smaller pot bellied ones. It’s pretty hard to get villagers to part with good breeding goats. But we did manage to find a few. Bargaining was always done over glasses of Raski (local rice wine) and Chang (rice beer) and took ages as per typical Nepalese fashion.

OUR GOATS

I really wanted to buy Dol as she was nice and tall and has a good history of birthing. We were so excited to get her back and three days later she gave birth to twins while we were having breakfast. It was pretty amazing.

Kalo Khaan and Bella are both a bit underfed but we hope that with plenty of good food in our area they will put on condition. Kalo Khaan we hope will have kids in April. They where a bargain we got them for 6000 nrs and that included Bella’s kid Michma

When we left the village all was well with the goats and Kancha, our herd manager was off on a two day trek to nearby villages to buy more goats. We will head back in the next few weeks as we need to take some food for the villagers and check up on our goats. Later on when the herd grows we also have to find a place to build a suitable stable for them as at the moment they are sharing home with Kali our village buffalo who is just about to give birth. We brought Kali for the village two years ago and now she is about to have a calve, she will start to earn her own keep buy producing milk, a great diet supplement for the villagers. Fingers are crossed that she has a girl.

SPENT SO FAR

So far we have spent 13 000 nrs and have money left to buy at least 15 more goats (we hope pregnant females) and build the shelter for them. With that in mind, if all goats have twins we could have a herd of 45 + coming into the monsoon season. Females will be kept for breeding and males will be sent to the market at 16 to 18 months.