Goats: Round 3

Last week Lamech brought another shipment of dairy goats into the district. This is the 3 shipment of goats from the Christmas order.

It was another long day, beginning early morning and arriving at 11:30 pm. A problem with the windshield wipers of all things, delayed them 3 hours on the road, as it rained heavily and welding was required.
These were the goats that had been quarantined. This may be the last of the females that we need to have shipped into the district, as the breeding within our district is beginning to gain momentum.
We have bought a few goats already that have been breed locally. This eases the burden of transport and also adds local blood of goats from this district, making them even heartier.

There is no ceremony this time, but some women are coming each day to pick their goats. Thank you to all those who gave goats!

Stinky Boys

Yesterday 16 male goats left our farm. I am so HAPPY.

They are key in making milk accessible to the masses. Not being monogamous, they can serve hundreds of local female goats in their areas, creating tons of dairy hybrid females, in turn providing lots of milk for children. They were an incredible gift from Joy Children’s Centre.

Selfishly, I’m glad they have moved on because, as any 8 year old girl can tell you: Boys are stinky! One male goat is strong, but with 16 next door, the pungent smell wafting in my windows was something else!

It was a sight to see them go on foot, motorcycle and truck.

Off Layers

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We have enjoyed eggs from our 39 chickens for almost a year. Each chicken lays roughly an egg a day. Basaija has feed the birds and collected the eggs. Pauline would see that they were delivered to the health center for HIV+ moms to feed their children. When patients are in the hospital, there are no meal plans. Parents have to bring their food and find a way to cook it. This is always a challenge. Many of the eggs these chicken have produced have nourished young ones with nutritional deficits during their stay in the hospital.

Since their production has dropped, we have sold them off – a good chicken dinner for some. We are grateful for their service.

Our 200 new chicks are doing well and have successfully passed the age when we lost 75% of the last group! By October they should start laying eggs.

Goat Gifting

Women, children and men whose lives have been affected through loss and disease gathered together last week for the latest goat distribution. I shared from Scripture about how Jesus is our Good Shepherd, with us in hard times, caring for us gently, and laying His life down for us. I encouraged them to be reminded of their Good Shepherd whenever they are caring for their goats that God cares for them more completely then we can.
Scott Myhre, WHM Team Leader, used the illustration of animal sacrifice, which people practice regularly here. He shared how Christ is the best and final sacrifice for our sins, doing for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. He also alluded to the sacrifice of the donors who gave generously to provide the dairy goats, which they were unable to provide for themselves.

41 females were distributed, including some of the females that have been passed on (offspring of previously distributed goats).

4 males were also place in the villages to continue the breeding in the communities.

Goat Delivery

Tues night 51 goats arrrived. With the help of our truck's headlights to illuminate the area, 35 females were handed out of the huge truck and carried to their pens. Most of the 16 males were quite large, so after they were lowered from the truck, a firm grabbing of the horns and directing to their pen was needed.

Cooking it up

Scott Ickes has been observing how the caretakers prepare the food they receive from BBB for their children. Some cook it with bananas and tomatoes over the fire. Others boil it into as a porridge.

Quarantine

Today Lamech is in Masaka preparing the trucks by creating multiple goat pens in the truck bed.
When he was getting the moving permits that allow livestock to travel within Uganda, he found that 18 of the goats he’d bought were within a sub-county with a recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD). Despite the fact that Lamech had previously vaccinated them against FMD they are unable to be moved at this time.
The 35 female goats from other sub-counties as well as the 16 donated males will still start their long journey to Bundibugyo tomorrow morning.