Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/575902
6 WINNIPEg FREE PRESS, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2015 B R A M B L E S N U B I A N G O A T F A R M P.O.Box309McCrearyMb.R0J1B0 Telephone204-835-2067Fax204-835-2426 We Have Your Best Interests In Mind 701MainSt.Dauphin,MB R7N1L6 204-622-7776 YOUR LOCAL FARM INSURANCE SPECIALIST CustomCutting Firewood Gravel RoadConstruction GrindingWasteMaterials DarrenM.Atkinson President Box176 SwanRiver,MB R0L1Z0 Office:NE193627 Shop: 1650MainStreet Office: 204-734-4222 Cell: 204-734-8187 Fax: 204-734-5052 Email: imc@mymts.net A Relaxing & Rejuvenating Retreat LocatedatElkhornResortSpa&ConferenceCentre, the��������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� ��������������������������������Equ���� �����������willprovidea��������������foryou! 3MooswaDriveE.Onanole,ManitobaR0J1N0 1.866.ELKHORN(1.866.355.4676) www.elkhornresort.mb.ca/spa ������������������������������������� FreeSuperStart ® breakfast ���������������������� Jacuzzi ® tub&specialtysuites �������������������������� ������������������������������ ������������������������������ ������������������������������� Clean. Friendly. Affordable. SWAN VALLEY ���������������������������� ������������������������������� ������������������������ ��������� ��������� ������������� �������� ��������� DAUPHIN ��������������������������� ���������������������������� ��������������������� ���������� | �������������� | Fromthemomentyouarrive, untilthelastsecondsofyour visittotheParkland,you'llmake memoriesthatwilllastalifetime. Wehopetoseeyoursoon! Manitoba's Parkland Seeitforyourself Visitourwebsiteto downloadacopyof Manitoba'sParkland ExplorerGuide, ortobrowseour EventsCalendar. parklandtourism.com 1-888-528-6484 you could think of Brambles nubian goat Farm as a little farm within a farm. Rebecca Lange, 34, is the woman in charge of her own herd of nubian goats at the Roblin-area farm owned by her parents. L ange helps manage their commercial herd of Red Angus, and she decided to diversify with her first goats in 2001, not long after moving to Canada from the United Kingdom 15 years ago. "I always lived in the countryside," says Lange. "My parents had sheep and cows in Scotland. I am not Scottish," she adds. "We just happened to live there." Along with goat milk, Lange sells all natural, organically produced goat milk soap, which is available by special order. She is hoping to add beekeeping and honey sales to the mix, as well. It's all a far cry from her original career plan. Before coming to Canada, she was working toward a teaching degree. "Do not ask me why some days ... but I chose to farm," she says laughing. Lange's goat operation started with a Saanen doe named Willow and a second doe, Bramble, for whom the entire herd is named. The tattoo letters WBR, which identify the herd, come from the names of those original goats. goats usually get their names from their family line. "For example, garden gate Northern Belle's dam was Mon Cheri, so to keep that going I named Belle's kids Fleur-De-Lis (Lilly for short) and Rosamonde," she says. "Silver Lining is so called as her dam, Rosalee, is my favourite doe for so many reasons, but rarely has female kids. Likewise, Summer Sunshine comes from a line of sun- type names, so her daughter is Morning Star." Lange bred the registered, purebred Nubian bucks to her foundation stocks and then in 2007 decided to include purebred Nubian doelings. This was the beginning of the registered herd. "Nubians are traditionally dual- purpose, and are good for both meat and milk production," she says. "They are distinctive because of their Roman noses, and long pendulous ears, although there is no set colour pattern for the breed." Throughout the year, the goats are fed a dairy ration, along with alfalfa pellets and corn for the milkers. In summer, the goats are allowed access to pasture and in winter, they have a blend of alfalfa and grass hay. Lange continues to raise both purebred, registered Nubians and "grades," which are crosses from her original Saanen goats, a white or cream-coloured breed named for the Saanen valley in Switzerland. In 2014, Lange classified her herd through the Canadian goat Society. Type classification compares a selected goat to the ideal breed standard and is given a score. "The enjoyment of the purebreds is knowing and learning the pedigrees, conformational traits and applying all of that to your breeding program," she says. Pedigrees refer to the record of descent of an animal, and conformational traits refer to the shape or structure of an animal. The emphasis in Lange's breeding program is on milk production, so she strives for does who are heavy milkers that produce milk high in butterfat. Temperament is also a consideration so the goats will be easy to handle. "The challenges of raising goats are similar to that of raising other animals," she says. That includes establishing a vi- able market, adapt- ing to the seasons and changing weather, and dealing with all the un- expected things that can happen on a farm. "And with goats, there will be the unexpected!" she says. Lange says it's easy to become attached to the goats as they are extremely personable. When she started out, she was never entirely prepared for the personalities of the animals or how affectionate they could be. "Each has their own quirks. Lilly was quite ill as a kid, so she got really attached and would follow me all the way up to the house and once even into the kitchen," she says. "We have a bond I think, which could be described almost like the bond between a dog and its owner. "Some goats stay with you for their entire lives, no matter what." To learn more about the farm, or to place an order online, visit www. bramblesnubianfarm.com tHe kiDs aRe aLRigHt roblin GoaT farmer raises a special breed By Wendy King For the Winnipeg Free Press " "Nubians are traditionally dual-purpose, and are good for both meat and milk production," she says. "They are distinctive because of their Roman noses, and long pendulous ears, although there is no set colour pattern for the breed." Clockwise from top: Lange's herd on the move; goat milk soap, which is available by special order, usually only at Christmas; a kid who is just a few hours old.