With just five heads of Boers originally, we now have about 400 goats in the farm as of last count. Our imported breeding stocks are about half that number. Through all of the years that we bred the goats, we have already sold some 300 offsprings along with some of the imported breeders that friends asked us to share with them.

More than the number of goats that we have sold, the greatest reward in our 5 years of goat raising was the grandslam victory that we garnered during the Boer Goat Show sponsored by the National Goat and Sheep Congress of the Philippines (NGSCP) in Cagayan de Oro City, the Philippines in March of 2007.

My premier herd sire, 70 Rocky who was acquired from California's Tom Sevigny as a yearling in 2006 was adjudged as the Best Senior Boer Buck. A locally bred doe, Vina, won as Best Senior Boer Doe and a young buck and doe from our farm also won as Best Junior Buck and Best Junior Doe.

Braveheart Farms has made quite an impression in the local goat industry. In fact, last year, the Bureau of Animal Industry's National Artificial Breeding Program wanted to acquire several bucklings out of Rocky but I backed out of the deal because I found some of the terms and conditions unacceptable.

The honor and recognition should have been enough to satisfy me. But I have always wanted to move forward and explore new horizons. That makes life more livable and exciting.

So this year, 2008, Braveheart Farms is venturing into the breeding and raising (and of course milking) of two of the most prolific dairy goat breeds - the Anglo Nubian and the American La Mancha.

I have acquired several Anglo Nubian bucks from outstanding breeders in the US. From Megan Tredway of Lakeshore Farms, I acquired Lakeshore's Wild At Heart who was leased to Sarah Koehn-Walberg of Minnesota for three years and was adjudged Best Anglo Nubian Buck in the Minnesota State Fair in 2006 and Jagged Edge, a black buck out of ADGA National Champion Julie's Jaguar.

With the help of  Rebecca Cogswell of Moonstone Ranch, I also acquired a young brown buck from Dr. Jeanne Koploy of California which was bred out of a buck from Kastdemur's Dairy Goats of Karen Senn, Kastdemur Showcase; from Nancy Hall a handsome multi-colored buck, N-Bar-D's Rascal whose grandsire is Kastdemur Romeo; from Teresa Wade (through the Green Family of Oklahoma) a spotted buck named Clark whose greatgrandsires include such outstanding bucks as Fra Jac, Frosty Marvin and Kastdemur's Royal Legacy and seven more younger bucks from distinguished lines.

Recently, I acquired Jazz Candalaya, a 2-year-old handsome Anglo Nubian buck from Dr. Koploy along with six does, four of which are pregnant and expected to kid this may.

I have imported 47 Anglo Nubian does and more are expected from Karen Senn of Kastdemur's Dairy Goats and Megan Tredway of Lakeshore Farms this year. Karen Senn is the acknowledged "dean" of Anglo Nubian breeders in the US today while Megan Tredway, who acquired most of his breeding stocks from Karen, has blossomed to become one of the most outstanding young Anglo Nubian breeders in America.

Our first four fullblood La Manchas came from Dr. Koploy DVM, a friend of Karen Senn and I feel lucky to have acquired three of the offsprings of a buck named Kastdemur's Slice of Life which on record is the most expensive La Mancha buck ever sold in an auction - $9,500.

The La Mancha buck who was only 6 months old when I acquired him in November of 2007 will be registered as Slice of Luck. He is now being bred to 3 fullblood La Mancha does, two of which are his half-sisters, and two black Anglo-Nubian/La Mancha does from Rebecca Cogswell.

I have also acquired another La Mancha buck, Explorador, a huge black goat, and six does, two of which kidded before they were even shipped to the Philippines from California.

Two of the La Mancha does, Betty and Love Letters, have 3 newborn kids between them while three of the does are expected to freshen in May this year.

From the dairy goats, I intend to produce breeding materials that I could share with other goat breeders in the Philippines and of course, milk, for the local market. In fact, in preparation for the milking program, I have already acquired a Hoegger's Milking System.

At the end of this whole endeavor, I am hopeful that I will be able to establish a farm activity that would ensure my children a better future and an enterprise that they could take over when I grow old, and in my small way, help other farmers like me discover the potentials of the meat and dairy goat industry.

It has been 5 years since I ventured into the breeding of the beautiful South African Boer goats that I acquired from the State of California.

I have not regretted the decision to acquire the Boers as the five-year experience did not only open up for me a new horizon in my agricultural endeavors but also proved to be a learning experience that taught me very important lessons on genetics and herd health management, not to mention the modest financial gains made.