We are the McCarter family. While all the work that goes on at our farm wouldn't be possible with out the joint effort of the whole family, everybody agrees that the goats are really "Mom's thing". I am grateful for my family's help, support, and muscle power involved in keeping all "my girls" healthy and happy.

My father began raising Spanish goats in 1977. I began milking my first does in 1987 and I am sure if my father were alive, he would be shocked at what a passion this has turned into. Our farm name comes from the Bible in James 1:17. " Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation
or shadow of turning." In Greek, a perfect gift is called a dorema. The gift of my family, our farm and our lives 
together has been a true "dorema".

All through the years, my main emphasis has been on milk production and hardiness. To remain in my herd, a doe must milk well and forage on her own. We do provide free choice Bermuda or Prairie grass hay during the winter months but require that the does graze on pasture and browse the rest of the year. During the coldest of weather or before kidding and in early lactation, I will provide the treat of a limited amount of alfalfa hay. Beginning in the summer of 2006, we started feeding our milkers a pelleted feed from Consolidated Nutrition called "Goat Power". It is a 16% protein feed that is nutritionally complete for dairy goats. We used it exclusively when we lived in Georgia about eight years ago and we loved how our girls looked and performed on it. When we moved, it was difficult to get in this area. We had been feeding a milo based ground feed that we had made for us at the local mill. It was originally a dairy cow ration that I added ingredients to in order to make it more suitable for dairy goats. Unfortunately, the quality of that feed fluctuated widely and milk production did, too. I was able to find another feed dealer who was willing to order the Goat Power for me. The milkers immediately improved after the switch. However, I have kept the dry does, bucks, and doelings on the original milo based feed. It was a good ratio for them and helped us to keep feed cost a bit lower. The main idea of our feeding program is that goats as small efficient ruminants need a high fiber diet to keep them healthy and productive. We try to provide that through a variety of hays, forages, and grazing with minimal amounts of grain.

Does that travel to shows, are treated with alfalfa hay while away from the farm. We sell our milk, make cheese and soap, as well as raise calves, colts, fawns, pigs and puppies with our excess milk. We strive to make our girls support themselves. The 2006 show season was very good to us. We worked hard and traveled a little further from home than normal.

We also had our very first Linear Appraisal. Again, I cannot stress what a wonderful learning experience this was and how much I enjoyed having Jon White critique my herd in such an honest and forthright manner. I am so grateful that this tool is available to dairy goat herds and will certainly do it again in the future.

In May of 2007, some dear friends and I are planning to host a goat event in Dewey, Ok. We are calling it the, "Outlaw Goat Jamboree" and it is scheduled for May 12&13, 2007. It will include a two day ADGA sanctioned show but the main emphasis is for a big youth show planned for Saturday. The goal is to use all money from both days after expenses to use as prizes for the youth show. Our goal is not to make a dime of profit. We want to pay it all out to the youth exhibitors. It is still in the planning stages but please feel free to contact me for more info.

I am looking forward to this coming year and invite you to take a look at my does and their planned kids. To my great sorrow, I simply cannot keep them all. Some milkers and some kids will be for sale. Pricing will vary but the base price for a first 
freshener is $250 (tested CAE free) and doe kids start at $200 started on CAE preventative program.

Thank you for looking and feel free to contact me for questions or just to "talk goats". We are adding winter pictures of the goats as we have time to take them. We will add spring pictures in the spring.

Tana Mc

Yetti-Chief of Security

The McCarter Family
4848CR 1900 Elk City, Ks 
620-627 2392
                                                        

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