# More changes



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Since my website is being redone right now and I don't know what day it will become active, thought I should make an announcement here and also on facebook.....

This is my last kidding season and my last months with goats. I have deposits on all the milkers, so they are all sold as soon as the last one kids, I am not taking anymore kid deposits after the 20th, just get put on a list for phone calls if triplet or quad bucklings or doelings are born and there is an extra kid. Both bucks, Lynnhaven KB The Watchtower out of the beautiful Portia is for sale for $800 also Lonesome Doe Brette out of Lonesome Doe Minuette and Lynnhaven Great Expectations $500, which oddly if I was going to keep anything around it would be my two last boys  

It's been 27 years of goats, and now my soap company and new retail space is stepping forward. I have made some great friends, and even more entertaining enemies, I will miss the continuous soap opera that comes with raising competitive stock, it's been in my life since I was a child. But I love my soap company, love the new shop space, and my new retail store, and anyway you slice it if I step further away from the show ring, and don't appraise, my soap company is going to have to pay for the goats or I have to move back to commercial milking and there is NO way I can do both. So NubianSoaps.com wins  After the last goat is gone I will be selling all my tack, milking machines, stands, everything (my personal Goat Medicine book with all my notes is already sold). I am also putting LonesomeDoeNubians.com up for sale, my ADGA herd name and also my facebook page and logo. The first leap of faith was my new retail space, the second, I sold this forum, dairygoatinfo.com, the next will be the sale of all my stock and tack......so now you can see that at 55, CHANGE is my new mantra for 2013!

I will stay on the forum until it is no longer fun, answering questions where I am needed but offically taking off my owner/admin hat having done all I can do to make this change successful. Happy soaping  Vicki


----------



## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

So pleased for you to make positive changes. You have been a fantastic asset to the goat community and helped innumerable people in those 27 years. Everyone will miss hearing from you I know !!! Love the "entertaining enemies" but it is ever so in the livestock world. Congrats on building such a great soap biz and for including our pottery in your new shop.

Lee


----------



## Halo-M Nubians (Oct 26, 2007)

Have fun Vicki! :biggrin


----------



## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

wow, those are some big changes!
you must really love your soap indeed!

best of luck to you, I'm sure you'll be great at whatever you take on.

thanks for your help and for helping to clarify ideas when we had a difference of opinion. I'm glad that I got a few years while you were here.


----------



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Best luck in all your endeavors! I hope you find the forum fun for many years to come.  I know well the importance of specializing. It's hard to excel at too many things at once.


----------



## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Congratulations Vicki! It is always hard to change when there is so much that we could do. I am glad your Soap business finally gets all your attention. Heres to a successful venture in life!

Tam


----------



## Blackbird (Jan 11, 2013)

I know we talked about this a bit before, but might as well say congratulations to the soap business on here as well. I only wish I had known you about eight years before when I first got started in goats! Of course you can't get away from me that easy, since I'll be on your FB, adding my political commentary


----------



## fattyaddie (Oct 24, 2011)

So glad for you! Congrats! and I hope you stay here for many years to come. Good luck 
Jenene


----------



## cvalley (Apr 15, 2009)

Congrats to you, Vicki! Many thanks for your insights and setting this site up. Really, really appreciate all your collaboration, research, and advice! Best of luck to you on your business.


----------



## Drycreek goats (Sep 8, 2009)

Best of luck in what ever you do?Where will you get the milk for your soap?Will really miss you,you sure made this forum an learning experience.


----------



## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

You have been such a valuable asset to the goat community and I'm sure you will continue to be, even without the goats! Wishing you the best in your new endeavor- it takes guts to follow your dreams.


----------



## happy vagabonds (Jun 24, 2012)

Wow! Good luck to you, Vicki!


----------



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Can I have a different reaction? AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhh, NNnnnnoooooo! Crap! Bummer! 

I just can't believe it. I'm in shock. And I have tears in my eyes. You BETTER stay and help on the forum! P-L-E-A-S-E! You MUST. What will I do without you? What will we all do?

I think I better take a valium or something.


----------



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Of course, I do wish you the best. That is very exciting!! Good luck and please keep in touch.


----------



## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

That was my first thought also, Cindy.


----------



## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

ROFL Cindy  You have a way with words!


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Thanks everyone and Tammy I sold 2 of my does to a local gal in exchange for milk. I also have a very large miniature lamancha herd about 15 minutes away, I will be buying milk and whey from her.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Cindy, 'and I will miss you most of all' from my favorite show of all time, The Wizard of Oz 

No really....it's a matter of time, without goats I will have more time, and since we have this weird thing in ADGA that the moment someone sells out, no matter how much time they spent in goats, spent in genetics, spent even on the board of ADGA, the first snide remark is "When was the last time you registered a goat' or ' Do you even have goats anymore" as in you must forget about everything the day you retire  And I do love the idea of sticking around, because with no more goats, and 27 years of skeletons in closest's...boy do I have stories I can tell  Vicki


----------



## Horsehair Braider (Mar 11, 2011)

Congrats on your new adventure, and I do hope you'll stick around for many years to give us the benefit of your wit and wisdom. 

Pretty cool to have all those skeletons in the closet... now you've got all kinds of stories you can regale us with, things that will seem unbelievable. "Oh - you think THAT'S a big udder? Well, let me tell you about..." 

... and next thing you know, you'll be telling us to get off your lawn...


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Oh Jackquee as the kids in the neighborhood, who are now adults with kids can testify, that is the kind of mother I was  now as a Granny, believe it or not I am much more laid back  I was thinking about this actually this morning as my son is putting up the goatlings hoop house and yard, no more worrying about neighborhood dogs and coyotes, and if the ridgebacks are put up because somebody is in heat so I need to run out in my pj's with my rifle.


----------



## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians said:


> And I do love the idea of sticking around, because with no more goats, and 27 years of skeletons in closest's...boy do I have stories I can tell  Vicki


Oh, DISH girlfriend!


----------



## Goat Town (Nov 20, 2010)

Vicki,

When I first read your post I teared up. I feel like I'm losing a mentor because your advice as well as the advice of the forum has made such a profound impact on my herd management. After some reflection I applaud your move forward. I wish you all the best! But, who am I going to argue with over Surge milking equipment? No seriously, maybe I can buy one of your machines and finally upgrade.


----------



## SherrieC (Oct 26, 2007)

Holy Crap


----------



## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

It's just hard to imagine you without goats because you have been so devoted to them all these years. I do understand things can change. You are a smart business woman and I'm sure your soap business will thrive. I know first hand all the time raising a herd of goats can take and also how hard it can be to make money off them, especially in this economy. I think all the time about reducing my herd. Not just because DH complains. I'm getting older and chores that seemed easy to do pre menopause are harder to do now. Hay and grain costs are going up and rules are getting stricter at my job regarding attendance, production, etc. I want less goats and even have folks interested in milkers, but who to sell? Hopefully, the retired ministers down the road will be ready to start their herd this year and I can still see does who are hard to part with.


----------



## lorit (May 10, 2010)

CONGRATS! but wow - huge changes.  I do hope that this forum keeps going - with the "old" folks still here to provide their wisdom and experience for the rest of us.


----------



## Fiberaddict (Jun 4, 2009)

Wow! I wish you all the best, and hope this forum stays fun for a long time!


----------



## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Wow, congratulations on such an exciting new turn in your life! I wish you the best.


----------



## Tracy in Idaho (Oct 26, 2007)

There really IS life after goats! ;-) I'm sure your new venture will do well, and I have to say, I am half envious!


----------



## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Oh no, Tracy, don't get any ideas!


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Tracy has been threatening for several years now  Vicki


----------



## todog (Dec 10, 2011)

omgosh! congrats vickie on the changes. your more brave than I. unfortunatly i will be doing the same thing on over the next two years. my husband has been ordered by the doctor to retire and the bad economy has left us less than floating. so everything goes and we leave the homestead to the bank. 
1 question, how will you make goats milk soap with out goats? 
anyway congrats. and good luck in the soap business.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Hi Darlene, a good friend of mine, she is on the forum has minimancha's and I will be purchasing milk and whey from her. I also sold two does to someone local to me who has been making cheese for about 12 years, I get 3 gallons of milk a week for life for the does or the does back....so between the two I will have enough milk. Sorry about your husband and losing the homestead, I couldn't even imagine. We just burned our mortgage on our land, and will be having a bust out party this early summer! We have always lived debt free because of the economy. Vicki


----------



## grandmajo (May 22, 2008)

I'm a bit surprised about the goats, but Good luck to you Vicki


----------



## Hearts In Dixie (Oct 29, 2007)

It has taken me a few days to think about this and let it sink in because I was so shocked. I am so happy for you Vicki and hope your soap business thrives. I am thrilled to know you will still be around to give advice because you are a fount of knowledge. Thank you for your service to the goat forum for all these years. Blessings to you and yoru family.

Marla


----------



## ksalvagno (Jul 8, 2011)

Congratulations! Don't be surprised if you have a couple days of crying. I got out of the alpaca business after 14 years and thought I would be so happy. I was burned out from all the birthing that I had done and all the time spent on alpacas and missing out on many other things. Spent the first week crying and missing the alpacas. It was still the right decision and I'm glad to have moved on. Good luck with your soap.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I think the crying will be more about the people than the goats. The reality is, how many of us have talked to any of our long time friends who used to have goats and no longer do? The loss of identity really. And even now, it's sort of a withdrawal, seeing all the kids on facebook, I still will stop and look at a buckling for sale and think wow what an excellent dam...and then go "oh yeah don't need one of them"....or my husband is looking through his farm show catalog and sees a feed mixer a guy made, something he has talked about forever making me...and then goes "oh year we won't need one of those anymore".


----------



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

You are going to miss the noise. When we moved from the valley to East Texas, I had to leave my goats behind for a few months. It was so weird not to have them calling to me when I stepped out the door. I think you need a nice little Mini Nubian that can nurse her babies, and not have to be milked unless you want to, that you can steal a bit of milk from for your coffee. With your browse, she'd practically feed herself. Lol, I told my husband when we retire and become winter Texans, I'm going to keep two little traveling goats.


----------



## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

Wow, what planet was I on to not notice this thread the last couple days. Vicki, you are the best and made the best forum, in the goat world, bar none. So happy you will still be around for that and I wish you all the best.


----------



## Horsehair Braider (Mar 11, 2011)

Laverne, that is so true! I've just sold my kids and every single person I sold a kid to, wanted to know where to go to get more info. Every single person was told to come here and read the forum. This morning someone emailed and asked me to dose a goat for cocci treatment... it was so great to be able to say, "Go to DGI and do whatever it says there" because I did not have time to look it up for her. Hopefully all my new kids owners will also come here and read and get informed! This forum is absolutely invaluable.


----------



## Natural Beauty Farm (Feb 10, 2009)

Well I'll miss you, so you better keep us on our toes


----------



## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Just saw this post today. Good luck with your new venture, Vicki!


----------



## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Wow, major changes! At 55 you're still younger than me I guess I must be in a rut!

Congrats on your life changing choices. I hope it is everything you want it to be!


----------



## Bella Star (Oct 27, 2007)

Congrats to you Vicki and "MANY THANKS" for the many years that you have contributed to raising healthy dairy goats for the benefit to enlighten people to the wonderful beautiful dairy goats and their amazing delights of their udder production of milk,cheese,yogurt and soft soap. Without your site,your encouragement and your expertise of goat problems and help ,I would not have the healthy herd that I have. I hope you stick around for years and save more goats lives . 
THANK YOU,
linda/bella star


----------



## Tracy in Idaho (Oct 26, 2007)

Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians said:


> Tracy has been threatening for several years now  Vicki


I threaten it often! It's been nearly 15 years now of constant goating, and quite honestly I daydream about actually being able to travel....to have the MONEY to travel...lol

I told my husband the other night, that if someone actually wanted to buy the entire herd as a group for one cash lump sum -- I'd have to seriously think about doing it.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

So you are not interested in 41 different sales, 41 contracts, 3 or 4 emails sometimes more for each transaction, photos and then visits, shipping (which means health certificates and hauls to the airport, and then a haul out of state (well at least I am looking forward to that one  And then the tack sales start. Yep one person with a wad of cash, sounds pretty good!


----------



## Tracy in Idaho (Oct 26, 2007)

Ugh. NO. That makes me want to scream just thinking about it, LOL

I suppose I'll get there eventually.....but I'll keep hoping for one person with a wad of cash


----------



## todog (Dec 10, 2011)

oh crap! my tummy just did a flip. i only have 14 to find homes for and four are whethers. i am going to go into denial for now! see ya later when reality hits me in the head!


----------



## SherrieC (Oct 26, 2007)

Vicki, You need to post your Goat Medicine book with all your personal notes in the margins on Ebay, and post it every where that you are posting it for sale, it would be fun to see how much it goes for. And don't forget to autograph it. I guess it would also be fun to watch the haters, and whiners flaming that on Nubian Talk. Give them bored old broads something to complain about.


----------



## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I have to admit I'm a bit sad and shocked as well! Wow! It would be weird without you around. I do appreciate all the help over the years and the 3 animals I got from your herd. I have enjoyed them immensely and the bucks have done me well! I love their mild dispositions. 

It all does sound very liberating... seems like it would feel empty-nestish? But empty means you can fill it with something else.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Sherrie!! As soon as a few of my friends knew I was selling out, the bidding started on my Goat Medicine book  Another friend got dibs on all my other books and paperwork. And yet another gets first dibs on my art stuff...I have a cool pregnant ceramic goat, a about 2 foot carved woman holding a nubian doe, a big teardrop vase with a nubian head on it, picture frames............etc.


----------



## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Hey, guess I need to get to the "chit chat" section more often! Congrats on the new adventure! Wonder what it costs to ship the different equipment, hmm.

Tracy, noooooo!


----------



## tendermeadowsnigerians (Sep 8, 2010)

Good luck on your new adventures!


----------



## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

If you have any leftovers, you can always donate them to one of the local dairy goat show raffles.


----------

