Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Yes it can be necessary, but as Ken pointed out the test interpretation is
too often iffy. I'd question the cause and effect of the kid loss. Goats
survive in the worst places. And again, I'd suggest studying what kinds of
vegetation grows there first, and decide the condition of the soil from
that. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 5/30/2007 at 10:20 PM Norma Sutton wrote:

>I don't soil test, but on occasion it is necessary.  I have a friend that
>raises dairy goats and the first 2 years on her property her babies did
>really well until they were weaned and put out on pasture.  She had a 100%
>kid loss both years.  When she finally broke down and had her soil tested
>it
>had virtually no minerals left in it.  She is slowly bringing it back to
>production, but what a hard way to learn what over farming can do to a
>piece
>of land.  I think the last 2 years she has had better luck with her kids,
>but I'm sure the soil is still not where it should be.  Each winter she
>uses
>the cold pack method of bedding her goats and supliments them with the
>minerals they need.  Every spring she spreads that bedding in a specific
>area.  She can now run her babies on those areas.
>Norma
>