Latte was my third goat here. After delilah she had been here the longest. She came to me after my mentor Riki died. Her husband didn't like the way she milked. Even though i'd had her here the year before to get bred, kid, and teach her to milk she wasn't mine, 'till Sher said take her she is awful to milk. And so I did. What I think happened - she was awful to milk for him. She left here wonderfully polite on the stand. I think she was spoiled. So, she came back. I always secretly wanted her, she was the tallest goat i'd ever seen.
She was the 2nd goat that was raised and taught and kidded out and milked- only by my hands. She was perfect. I made a promise after all to Riki when I had purchased Oreo, Latte's sister. I would take great care to milk them properly. And Yes get a milk stand!
Latte was never sick a day in her life till last month. She was 'my ugliest' goat here but she was by far the sweetest to people. She was the last of the 'old style' line of genetics. A purely southern line. Sandspur Acres had what they call now oldstyle genetics. They were tall, lanky, bred for meat and milk and they were NOT what the appraisers liked. I loved her. But then every year cringed when the appraiser would ask, 'want to opt her out? '.... She never needed her feet trimmed, was never moody, bred out kids easy. All around easy to keep. And big. Boy did they breed big goats. And the one time I showed her the judge said, 'don't bring her back'. They fell out of favor in the show lines. But, I kept her around for Riki, for her size, her ease.
She gave me two really great girls. Noble just improved everything about Latte. And consistently. All her kids were eons above in confirmation then her mother. I have 2 still here. They're the healthiest girls here, fat, not the best milkers but, if that was my only goal i'd have switched to another breed long time ago. They are just like their mum. Look like her. Act like her. Milk better then her. But just enough improved I don't cringe when the appraiser comes.
It just saddened me that its the end of a certain time. She was the last Sandspur Acres goat I believe alive from when Riki was around. There were Sandspur acres Maybelline and Loreal --But I lost track of them when a breeder friend sold them. I wanted to purchase them a few years back.
It's an end to a memory of a friend and mentor. That last tangible thing that connected me to Riki.
And Latte. Her ending. I called the vet early this morning, I couldn't take seeing her about to decline. So I put her down.
Her offspring will live on.
This is farm life. Some days are good. Some days really suck.
Here are some shots of Latte and Riki's legacy.
Click here for more photos
Click her for a post on Riki
and another one here
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| Latte in foreground. Picture taken in January. |
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| Like mother like daughter. Latte in foreground. |
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| Maybelline hours old. |
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| Riki and Sheridan. Latte's breeders. |
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| Latte standing under Roman. |
