Ready and waiting for their turn on stage

Sunday was the day for all parts of this road trip to come together.  Cullen was picked up at the hotel at 6 am and taken to the studio.  Jeff stayed behind to milk the goats and get them ready for their moment in the spotlight.  Cullen's day began with wardrobe, makeup and photos.  Then the wait began.  He and the other contestants sat in a lobby for hours waiting for their turn.  Jeff arrived with the girls at the studio late afternoon, set up their pen and began to do the final grooming.  And still they waited.

The nerve wracking part of this for me was that we really had no idea what to expect. Because we didn't know, my worry was about how Cullen was going to handle this.  Was he going to be tense?  Was he going to experience nervousness or stage fright?  Was he going to keep a solid hold on his sense of humor?  As many have said, Cullen is pretty much bomb proof  and I do know my son, but from my side of the country sitting at home and waiting, the stress was taking me over the top.

Around 7:30, Cullen and the does were on stage in front of a live studio audience.  Jeff got to be part of the audience and watch the show.  Cullen claimed to be completely calm with no nervousness.  The girls played their parts.  And then it was over and it was back to reality.  Once again, it was time to milk the goats!

The goats seem to be enjoying their accomodations at the ranch in LA.  They have big box stalls and plenty of room to move around.  Jeff and Cullen are enjoying being able to use the milking machine and rest their hands!  After morning milking, the guys headed to the beach to relax, see the sights and put their feet in the Pacific Ocean.  

Cullen also spent time today getting his wardrobe finalized and getting the lay of the land.  Tomorrow morning, 6 am, he'll be picked up by a driver and taken to the studio for the day.  Jeff will be managing the goats and bringing them to the studio for their appearance later in the afternoon.   We're all nervous with the so many unknown elements to deal with.  LA is truly another world.  It would help if we watched reality TV shows and knew a little more of what to expect.  Ah well!  The most important thing to remember is that we came into this with no expectations other than to have some fun traveling and enjoy the adventure!

Oh My My, ready for the road in her new faux fur

12 does from Spinning Spider Creamery were chosen to make the trip to Los Angeles in search of fame and fortune.  Normally, when deciding which does should travel the long distances to large goat shows, we choose the "fancy" girls.  The fancy girls are the ones that have the showy udders, the well proportioned bodies, and the high headed presence that is so appealing in the show ring.  But for this trip, a different type of girl was needed.  This trip called for the "working girls" to step forward into the spotlight.

The working girls are the money makers on the farm.  They literally, are the does that put the milk in the bucket.  When it comes to the other points that make a show doe, some of these girls more than qualify.  Several of them have gone grand champion, best udder and even best in show.  But they still aren't the ones who are normally chosen for the big events.  Instead, they're considered the backbone of our family farm.

So how did we choose who got to travel with Cullen and Jeff?  We evaluated our does in several categories.  The first priority was if we thought they could handle the stress of travel.  No prima donnas allowed!  They had to have strong, healthy, well supported udders that were not prone to mastitis.  They had to have strong feet and legs that could handle the rigours of the road.  And of course, we wanted them to look good on camera! 

Bang Bang producing 16+ lbs of milk a day

This post was supposed to be the one where we introduce the individual Spinning Spider Goats on their way to their Hollywood debut.  Instead, after numerous phone calls with Cullen this morning, I've decided to write about the reality of traveling with goats.

Goats are not the tough cookies everyone assumes them to be.  They don't eat cans or laundry (well, they may nibble and experiment!).  They aren't even really grass eaters but are instead browsers, preferring twigs and stems to leafy grass.  Dairy goats in particular are notoriously tricky to manage.  Their relatively small bodies (150-200 lbs) can produce an astonishing 8-16+ lbs of milk a day.  That translates to one to two gallons of fluid milk, every day.  Their metabolisms are delicate to manage when they are heavy producers.  The key is nutrition and minmizing stress.  Enter the road trip...

Yesterday found the goats loaded in the trailer and ready to go with fresh bedding, room to lie down, access to alfalfa, fresh water with electrolytes, minerals and baking soda.  This morning's milking found one of our does, Serenity, down with hypocalcemia (milk fever).  Essentially, this reflects a doe having a problem metabolizing calcium.  The solution is to make calcium available to her, get her eating, minimize stress, and give her lots of supportive care.  Cullen was able to handle all of this and by the time they were ready to get on the road again, she was on her feet and feeling much, much better.  She's not out of the woods yet and Cullen and Jeff will have to stop often and make sure she's holding her own but as things look now, she's doing fine in her own private stall in the trailer, back on the road to LA.