Welcome to our new French Alpine herdsire ~ Pleasant Grove Ember's Bugs Moran

Bugs was born in mid-February and made his way here last weekend. Thanks to Jean for transporting him from  Iowa and Blanche for allowing me to visit your beautiful farm  near Louisville to pick him up.

Bugs is sired by +B Qu'Appelle Ember, whose progeny speaks for itself. In addition to several finished milking daughters, he boasts several daughters who have superior genetics status as well. Most notably, he sired SGCH Redwood Hills Ember Amicale 8*M (LA EX 93 EEEE), 2009 National Grand Champion Alpine, 2009 Best Udder, 2007 Reserve National Champion and 2007 Reserve Best Udder and also 2009 Reserve National Champion Alpine, GCH Shining Moon Sine Qua Non 4*M (LA EX 93 EEEE).

His dam, Pleasant Grove Mountain Muave (LA EX 90 VEEE), pictured above, has tremendous rear udder height and is getting better with age. She will definitely be in the showring in Iowa in 2011. Photo courtesy of Craig Koopman, Pleasant Grove Farm.

Bugs is settling in well. He is a bit of a hog, so we expect him to grow well. Mealtime is definitely the highlight of his day! He's very clever, as you can see here, he's trying everything to steal some milk from the girls' bucket.

Already a ladies man, he's checking out his future prospects.

He has Rog's stamp of approval!

Kaelyn, however, is still thinking about it.

We look forward to using him this fall and are excited about the impact he may have on our small herd of Alpines. I'll update with new pics as he grows. . .

For now he'll be in the main barn, keeping our friend Megan's 4H market goat company. Once he matures and the lovely buck-stink sets in, he'll move into his new pen in the buck barn with Capone and Enzo. Hopefully the Capone x Bugs Moran rivalry doesn't translate in the Mafia- goat world and we maintain a peaceful community buck barn.

Kidding is finally over!

And just in time to start spring fence repairs, building the new chicken coop, enlarging the buck barn, controlling mud and flooding.. . .

Catalpa, a sundgau alpine was last to freshen, she was bred to our Togg buck Capone for experimental kids. We decided to dam raise them, as they will be going to auction, we've definitely reached our limit for keeper-kids for the year. Here they are cuddling in their nest.  Cat is a great mom and is slowly developing an impressive first freshening udder.

The rest of the kids are growing great! They are eating over the feeder now instead of nibbling through it, they're all enjoying their grain and the brief period of sunny warm weather we had last week.

Only 3 kids left to sell for the year, Camille's sundgau doe kid and 2 Togg/Saanen cross kids that are just enormous. Magpie went to her new home in Fremont last week and Clementine will leave this weekend to rejoin her roots at the Seau a Lait herd.