I’m Rich and my wife is Laura. We have been married now for 21 years. We have five boys and one girl, ranging from 6 to 17 years old. I grew up here in Georgia and now I work as a doctor at Tanner Health System. My wife and her family moved from Missouri while she was in high school. She is a fantastic cook and loves to bake. She’s also a supportive wife, evidenced by the fact that she has joined me in this endeavor. Several times I have watched her make a diving snag of an escaping kid we needed to examine. She looks just like a shortstop diving for a ball behind second base. That’s why we like to call her the “Goat Wrangler.”
Our farm sits on 140 acres just north of Carrollton, GA-about 15 minutes south of I-20 and about 11 miles from the Alabama border.
Our focus has been to emphasize the Kiko goat traits we find most important. For those of us in the South, parasite resistance is paramount. If a goat needs frequent deworming, it won’t be staying long here. For us strong maternal instincts are of particular importance. We have worked hard to find and incorporate bloodlines know for great mothering. These lines include Moneymaker (through Sunboy 117 or Loverboy), Sports Kat (known for his thick frame, but also outstanding daughters) and Tasman Toia (whom we like for durability and production). Rapid early growth is also important. After all, these are meat goats and they need to put on weight quickly and efficiently in order to be profitiable. Interestingly, this trait reflects both the health of the kid and the quality of their mother (nurturing, milk production, etc.)
We are trying to implement the best and most current pasture management stategies. We have placed a lot of internal cross fencing, using intensive rotational grazing to maximize pasture usage and also minimize parasite exposure. Next year we plan to fence in some of our wooded areas and will rotate our goats through this area in the peak of summer, providing shade and primarily browse.