Hi Reader,

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I hope your week is going well. My week has been a bit rough. My husband was sick last week with some kind of cold/flu bug, and I thought I had dodged the bullet until Saturday night when I started getting that distinct feeling that I was coming down with something. 😳

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Sure enough, by Sunday morning, I was down hard with one of the worst colds (or maybe the flu) I have ever had. It's one of those cases where you can hardly stand up without getting dizzy and all the other typical symptoms.

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I have been doing my best to get through the basic barn chores and whatever else I absolutely had to do this week, putting the rest on hold so I can TRY to get better. I even canceled my farm helper on Wednesday because I couldn't drag myself outside to walk and train puppies. I told her she could come on Thursday and, hopefully, I would be feeling better by then.

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I finally went outside Wednesday evening to "feed the dogs and goats real quick," intending to come back inside, write this email and go to bed.

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But I forgot about the Doe Code.

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Do you know about the doe code?

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​It's a poem you can read here if you like, but the TL;DR is this: it's every doe's responsibility and honor to have her kids at the most inconvenient time, like when their owner is sick with a killer bug. 😆

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And Willow, one of my Mini Nubian does, did me the honor of being the first doe to kid this year. Sick or not, goats do things their own way. And why not? They are queens, after all! Or Willow is, anyway. (She's the first Mini Nubian I ever bought in 2016.)

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Kidding Season 2025 Has Officially Begun!

So, the sick leave is over. Kidding season has officially begun. With about 30-35 does due to kid this year, the place will soon be bouncing with baby goats everywhere! Kiley, Noah, and I will have our work cut out for us.

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​My Maremma team will work hard to keep the new babies safe from the coyotes, who always know when baby goats arrive. (I usually work at least four dogs in with the does and kids and more in the adjacent areas.)

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See the Kids

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My Maremma pups in training will also get a lot of great experience watching the kids from a safe distance behind the fence. (The rule is no puppies with baby goats unsupervised. But talking to the kids through the fence is encouraged and highly educational for LGDs in training.)

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I have a few 7-9 month old started LGDs available. These pups have extensive experience with dairy goats and other animals and come from health-tested, working parents. You can check them out on my newly updated sales page below:

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Available Maremmas

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We are taking reservations for the kids on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want to add baby goats to your life, don't wait—reserve your kids today!

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Reserve My Goats!

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New Feature: Maremma of the Week

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We're starting a new "Maremma of the Week" series to feature one of our Maremmas each week. It could be a puppy or dog for sale, one of our breeding dogs, one of our retired dogs, or a client's dog. We aim to celebrate these amazing dogs and all the wonderful ways they bring joy and peace of mind to us and our clients.

Meet Romeo - The Guardian with Character and Charm

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This week's featured guardian is Romeo, an 8-month-old male Maremma Sheepdog with both impressive working ability and an engaging personality.

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ROMEO AT A GLANCE:

• 90 lbs currently (expected adult weight 120-130+ lbs)
• Health-tested parents (PennHip and DNA)
• Raised with goats since birth
• Extremely confident and social
• Experience with horses, poultry, and other farm animals
• Moderately high energy but appropriate with livestock
• Curious "escape artist" who likes to see what's happening nearby
• Strong desire for human connection

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What sets Romeo apart is his combination of confidence, size, and sociability. He's a guardian who takes his job seriously but also makes it clear he values his relationship with his humans. His maturity with livestock is impressive for his age, requiring minimal supervision after acclimation.

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Romeo does have two specific needs: secure fencing with good latches (he's figured out how to open some gates!), and regular human interaction. He would not be happy in a setting where he's expected to live with only livestock and little human contact.

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Here's a glimpse of his personality: One day, he was spotted peeking in the house window, apparently checking to see what his humans were up to inside!

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Are you interested in learning if Romeo would be the right guardian for your farm? Visit his full profile on our website for more details, photos, and videos.

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Learn More About Romeo

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Ok, guys, I have to take my NyQuil and take my coughing self to bed. 🤧 This will be scheduled to go out in the morning. I always write it at the last minute, no matter how hard I try to get ahead of the game. One of these days, maybe I'll get more organized and have these written days or even weeks in advance, but I feel pretty good that I have consistently sent out weekly emails for so long. I'm more consistent with this email list than any other medium (social media, blogging, etc), so that's something.

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Talk soon,

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Kim

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PS Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or anything to share. Don't be shy. Just hit reply and say hello!

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