Goat Milk Soap Gallery

I have been having a ball playing with soap techniques this summer. Some of these are already cured and ready for the market, the rest will be done over the next month, so check out my table for a new soap or two each week.

Just like last year, I will be offering a Christmas Special. Three soaps, wrapped in tissue and packaged in a muslin drawstring bag with gift tag for $15 or a single soap packaged the same way for $5.50.

I will continue making one-two different varieties each week, so there will be plenty to choose from.

My base recipe contains Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Goat Milk, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, and Cocoa Butter. Some are naturally colored and fragranced with essential oils. Others contain mica and oxide colors and are scented with fragrance oils. We still have time for special requests.

 

Bliss- Naturally fragranced with a blend of essential oils including jasmine, orange, lavender, rose, and ylang ylang. 

 

Dragon's Blood- This spicy, exotic scent is one of my favorites. 

Apple Pie- with a cinnamon swirl and lattice top 

Love Spell- A bright and fruity frangrance

Relaxation- a herbal EO blend with oatmeal and activated charcoal.

 

Orange Patchouli Cedarwood- Lightly scented with EO's and decorated with cocoa powder, this bar contains both colloidal oatmeal and ground oatmeal for texture.  

 

Purification- Lavender EO and swirled with activated charcoal. This one has been a hit. I already need to make another batch.

 

Dirt- for the hunters in your life. Camo colored and dirt scented. This bar smells like potting soil and is supposed to mask human odor. 

Whiskey Baron

I received an email this week letting me know that our new buck, Three Bridges TP Whiskey Baron, qualified for ADGA's Young Sire Development Program.

See, all the hassle and expense of getting him from New Jersey is paying off!

This is quite an honor and a great opportunity for our herd. It does put a kink in my breeding plans though. To fully take advantage of this, we need to use him as much as possible early in his life so his daughters can be evaluated. Therefore, most of my does will be bred to him this fall. 

I am still very excited about Bubba and plan to use him on a couple does as well. I just need to decide who. 

Keep making us proud, Whiskey!

Feeling Sad

I heard through the grapevine that a doe I sold last December died yesterday. Her owner has been in touch a few times over the months and I truly believe had the best intentions for her or I would not have sold her to him. However, I don't think he fully understood the danger of a heavy parasite load. The recent heat wave and wet weather has been really hard on the animals.

The thing is, these animals require some work. They are not throw-out-back-and forget-about goats. They have been bred for production and they are going to produce even at the expense of their own health. They need the calories and care to support that production.

I've heard people call sheep "Four Hooves Looking for a Place to Die". That is not how these goats are at all. Some (even most) of my girls only get wormed once or twice a year and require nothing besides food, basic grooming, and daily milking.

Sometimes things pop up. This year, I had some of my adult does come down with coccidiosis. I've had to deal with pregnancy toxemia, heavy worm loads, broken leg, scours, and several other problems in the past. Problems are not the norm, but you have to be attentive, watch for, and treat things as they come up because they will come up.

I have decided that I will not sell a bred doe again without very good reason. Dagny's kids were not disbudded and now there is an issue with their new owner about getting them registered since Dagny was never transferred out of my name. It's just not worth the headache.

I'm sorry things went this way for you, Dagny. You were a sweet girl.