|
|
|
Marketplace
|
|
Sections
|
|
Customer Service
|
|
 |
|
Twins share spotlight with growing goat biz
By Mary Madewell
The Paris News
Published April 29, 2005
Two heads are better than one when it comes to butting heads in the goat business.
Eleven year-old identical twin brothers Fillip and Bradley Gann have a flourishing goat business with their sights set on college.
“We both have to agree before we buy or sell, Fillip said of strategies the brothers use in the management of 2 G Livestock, the name of their growing goat operation.
“We started three years ago with a Boer buck and two does,” Bradley explained shortly after the two finished competition Thursday at the Lamar County Junior Livestock Show. The herd has grown to 49 with more on the way.
“I’m just glad they didn’t decide to raise rabbits,” step-dad Bryan Raper said. Raper, who works in Iraq as a contracted employee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, scheduled vacation time to return home for the livestock show.
Both boys made the sale, which means each can expect top dollar for their withers, the name for a castrated male goat. Withers are the most common market goat show animal. The boys chose the Boer breed because the animal is known for high fertility, pasture hardiness and meat production.
“Withers muscle up better and stand a better chance of winning,” said the boys’ mother, Windy Raper.
Both boys sport shiny belt buckles. Bradley won grand champion at last year’s livestock show, and Fillip won his buckle mutton busting at the 1999 Bogota rodeo.
Although their mother lends a hand now and again with the goat operation, she said her sons have full responsibility for their business.
“They are up at 5:30 a.m. every morning and go to work as soon as they get off the bus in the afternoon,” Raper said. The family lives in the Lowman community on a 37-acre place near Kimberly-Clark. The boys are in the sixth grade at Chisum Junior High School.
In addition to feeding, grooming and overall care of the animals, the Ganns keep both birthing and medical records. Second-year nannies often have multiple births; twins are quite common and triplets come about often.
Herd management is important so that inter-breeding is avoided, a challenge that adds to record keeping requirements. With two bucks in use, nannies are separated into two groups and the bucks are switched after a breeding period. New bucks must be purchased at least every other year.
A goat’s gestation period is five months, which means it is possible to get two kid crops a year.
“We don’t breed our nannies that often,” Bradley said, explaining they try to time breeding so that kids are not born during winter months. They also breed according to livestock show dates so that animals will be the correct age for shows throughout the year.
Although the boys have not yet joined show circuit competition, major shows are definitely in their plans.
“They haven’t yet produced the quality it takes to compete at the big shows,” their mother said. “But we’re working on that.”
The twins dipped into operation account money recently to purchase a new trailer and have plans to build a goat barn with inside birthing pens to extend their production capabilities in winter months.
Asked if they get sentimental about their herd, making it hard to part with their animals, Bradley was quick to answer, “Money talks.”
The twins said they were beginning to build a little savings for college but that the new barn would set them back.
“We have to make good decisions and not spend too much,” Fillip said. After last year’s livestock sale each took $50 out of profits. They both bought wallets and pocket knives.
“Other than that we put our money back into the business,” Bradley said.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Letter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
