Greetings and welcome
to Morningstar Farm!
I started
with Dairy Goats back in 1987 and maintained a "one
breed herd" until 2004 when I won a Toggenburg doe
in a raffle at the Clark County Dairy Goat
Association show. Last year we started building our
Togg herd with some of the finest milking lines in
the country. Yeah, that sounds so snobbish, huh?
Well, it's actually true, but not meant to be rude.
I retired from
the Coast Guard in January of 2007 because of
multiple injuries. I received a regular retirement,
however, because I'd served 23 years with 20 Active
Duty. I am presently going through the VA
Disability system. Because of the disabilities I'm
not able to do a lot of things I used to enjoy.
With Zack's help we're able to continue to raise our
beloved goats as a hobby rather than a vocation.
Zack also has his own struggles with Autism, but has
proven himself to be a great herdsman and, when he's
not playing around with the milking machine, does a
wonderful job milking the herd and keeping records.
We enjoy
our girls and boys and want them all to go to homes
where they'll be loved. That's the most important
thing. They have wonderful pedigrees and should all
be potential show prospects, but you're not going to
find a thousand-dollar-goat anywhere here other than
a reference to an actual famous animal. I won't
guarantee every goat will be a GCH or milk 5000#,
but I will guarantee that we plan our breedings
carefully and raise our goats with the best care
possible. What you're getting if you purchase
a kid from us is a healthy kid with an excellent
pedigree, great potential for show and milk for a
very, very reasonable price. I don't breed for
the next National Grand Champion, but I'd love to
have one of my gals do that. I breed for does
that I like.
My goal is to breed long, deep bodied does that are
smoothly blended, feminine, graceful and elegant
with a capacious, well attached mammary system that
actually milks well & preferably has high butterfat
AND has a gorgeous, regal Nubian profile and long
ears. Except for the Togg does, of course.
I don't know what I could improve on our new Togg
herd. I LOVE how they milk, how easy going
they are and their work ethics. The Toggies
are nowhere near the "Drama Queens" that our Nubian
girls are. Ha-Ha.
We WILL do Linear Appraisal again in 2008 and
WILL do a 1-Day milk test as well. I
doubt we'll show, but if I'm up to it we might
go to a show or two with a few girls. That
depends upon if we can find someone to help here at
the farm on occasion and if Zack and I are up to it.
I am eager to see some of our girls in the show
ring, so that's another reason to offer kids for a
reasonable price.
We follow a strict CAE prevention program, have no
infectious diseases in our herd and guarantee the
health of our kids from birth to the day they arrive
at their new homes. Should an animal from our herd
prove to be sterile or fail to thrive due to
something that occurred before leaving our
herd, we will refund the purchase
price or provide a replacement if desired. The
diagnosis must be made by a licensed Veterinarian.
Sterility must be the result of a genetic defect and not due to
possible mistreatment of the animal, even if
unintentional, after leaving our farm. We haven't
had problems with fertility or health issues, but
want to make sure that stipulation is made for the
protection of our herd and yours. No one can
ever say "never".
It is my sincere
wish to place kids into herds where they will be
loved and their pedigrees appreciated. I especially
enjoy placing kids in youth or beginner herds
because it's wonderful to be able to encourage
someone to improve their herd with proven lines
rather than start with an "auction goat". I am
extremely flexible when it comes to placing kids
in those homes. I also prefer not to ship by air
anymore, but with the number of transport services
available it's relatively "easy" to transport
goats. I have appointments at the Portland
Veterans' Center twice a month and am more than
happy to make arrangements to meet anywhere along
the way.
We almost
always have PET wethers available for
adoption to homes that will spoil them, train them
for draft/pack or just enjoy having these wonderful
creatures in their lives. We do NOT adopt out "lawn
mowers" or "rental goats". Unless requested ahead
of time We leave wethers horned. Even in pet homes
if they're ever to be tethered then they need
something for defense.
Thank you for
visiting our herd and I hope you find a breeding
that suits you. If not, let us know and we'll
try to help you find one that will even if in
another herd. That's what "Promote the goat!"
is all about.
Enjoy!
Elsa & Zack
