Goats

I enjoy going to the Fishers Corner livestock auctions. They are held on the last Saturday of every month. The auction site is about 30 Km out of Port Elizabeth at the intersection of Old Cape Road and the Rocklands road to Uitenhage.

Other people like going to the mall to browse and window shop, I prefer the farmers auction.

There are three sections to the auction. There is a "small goods" section where anything from fencing wire, to pumps to lampshades are auctioned off (all usually at very low prices)

Then there is the small stock auction, which includes, chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, dogs, parrots, you name it.

Then the larger live stock, including, cattle, sheep goats and sometimes horses.. Great outing.

I had my eye out for Goats this month. I would like to use them to do some bush clearing at Goedmoedsfontein.

Beautiful Boer Goats were selling at around R700 each at an average weight of 27 Kg.

If I can get to buy some by next month auction I will be a very happy man

some interesting websites that may be useful:

Backyard Herds
indigenous breeds.co.za

themodernhomesteader.comhttp://www.themodernhomestead.com/

Goedmoedsfontein

I have been looking around with the idea of building a working farm of indigenous breeds of sheep. goats, pig, poultry and and cattle . Windsnyer pigs are an indigenous breed. they are reportedly very good foragers, good mothers and have a good feed conversion rate.I would like to see if I can find some to work with.

I found an interesting write up about them here.

Goedmoedsfontein

A view from the top.Went out to the farm with Litha.

Goedmoedsfontein

Sent from my iPhoneThe uppermost spring was almost lost in the overgrowth of the alien invasive trees. We have cleared it now.

A view from higher up on the hill

Goedmoedsfontein

This weekend we have been cleaning up the rubble and debris inside the house. It's slow going, but we have to be careful not to damage anything further than it is already.

Goedmoedsgontein

We have been looking closely at wooden bridges. This one at Ebb and Flow National Park at Wilderninss. It seems that the most sensitive way to cross the stream at Goedmoedsfontein would be to build a timber structure.

But this is not something I have done before.