The Best Little
Goat Ranch
in Texas!
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Laffin'K Goats...WOW...Who would have thought that two little Pygmy wethers would
start as a hobby and become an award winning herd? From the enjoyment of the
Pygmy wethers we branched out a bit and purchased a few bred Pygmy does. Ah,
and then we had babies. Tiny little, playful Pygmy kids. It was love at first
sight. Then another branch was added to the Laffin'K family tree when we bought
our first Spanish/Dairy cross does. PawPaw bought a small herd of Boers and
percentages. We took our does to his place and five months later we had our
first percentage Boers. So, another branch was added to the Laffin'K tree.
It has not all been good times. We grew too fast and weren't sure what we were
doing. Our second kidding season was disastrous. We only raised six out of sixteen
kids. We buried babies and does. This was due to everything from worms, coccidia
and pneumonia. It was financially a loss as well as heartbreaking. But, we learned,
the hard way, and we didn't loose faith. We began to ask questions from other
breeders and wrote everything down that we were told, much of which you can find
on the Tips page of this site.
Our luck and herd management changed. We began to worm regularly and found a
veterinarian who was willing to teach us as he learned with us. Many thanks go
out to Deason Animal hospital in Floresville, Texas. A good vet is essential in
any breeding operation.
Well, movin' on... We purchased a small herd of percentage Boers with a 3/4 Boer
buck. We now think we are sittin' pretty. Another spring kiddin' season and this
one goes well. So...we take a road trip to San Angelo and buy our first full blood
Boer buck..."R" 'Ol #7 of Laffin'K. What a doll 7 was, a real gentle
giant, but no butt. As our daughter, Micalah, began to show market wethers we
learned more about the market.
So, we bought our second full blood Boer buck and the rest is, as they say, history.
In 2000, we had our first win. A grand champion in LaVernia at our local show. The
next two years we culled and reworked the herd. Everything finally began to pay off
in 2003. We had three market wethers place at the Bexar County Junior Livestock Show.
The spring babies began to arrive. Only a few losses and we, for the first time, are
going to have a great year. By August we had sold everything that we had to sell.
More babies are due in October for the Hunt County show where our second herd is now
residing. Breeding for the 2005 show season has just begun. We have three litters
of Pyrenees puppies and they are going to be here just in time for Christmas. WOW!
We truly believe that a guard dog is the best investment you can have to protect
your herd.
To our small herd of Boers (meat) and Alpines (dairy) we have now added colored
Angoras (fiber) — three totally different breeds of goats with unique marketability.
Each produces a kid crop as well as meat, milk and mohair.
We shared our love of goats with our family in Commerce, Texas. They got a few
does, we supplied a Boer buck and now we have a new market. Fall kids for Hunt
County and the Texas State Fair and spring kids for Bexar, Guadalupe and Wilson
counties. We hope that this is just the beginning.
At our second location in Commerce, Texas, you will meet Blenda and Gary Walter.
They have lived in the same house for 20 years, on 60 acres of land, and raise
goats, chickens and ducks.
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