Welcome to Waltz's Ark Ranch!
Waltz's Ark is a small ranch located outside of Delta, Colorado, at the foot of the world's largest flat-topped mountain, the Grand Mesa. This area of Colorado is a semi-arid desert region - which means wide seasonal temperature extremes and a wide range of climatic conditions to deal with - and the Ark sits at 5000 feet elevation.
We love our goats! We raise them naturally on grazing and browsing, alfalfa mix hay, natural grain mixes (controlled amounts to lactating does!), medicinal herbs, natural wormers, and treats from the organic gardens. NO chemical additives!! The lady running this place has been raising goats for over 19 years, and is a Naturopathic Doctor and Certified Nutritional Consultant, so she knows a thing or two about how to do it natural.
Waltz's Ark can provide you with high quality South African Boers, Nigerian Dwarfs, and Oberhaslis. We work hard at breeding meaty, well conformed animals that possess excellent parasite and disease resistance - our focus is on providing high quality breeding and show stock as well as top food animals. We do not sell our culls as breeding stock! Every animal offered for sale here is something we would happily keep in our own breeding herd, or it just isn't advertised for sale as a breeder. We have a meat market for the rejects from the breeding program. "Average" (or below average!) Just Won't Do!
Of special interest and pride are the does of the Ark that are sired by some of the finest Ennobled Boers and champion milk lines to have entered a show ring. And they are producers - both for show and for actually producing what is needed to put food on the table. Does that live here have to be able to feed the hungry population, not just look pretty! They are a very tough bunch that have been selectively bred to thrive in a low-maintenance manner in a tough environment. They must be able to kid easily, feed their kids well, survive and thrive without constant attention and intervention, have good hooves, great parasite resistance, great disease resistance, excellent maternal instincts, good to excellent milk production, and produce at least twins each kidding - or they just aren't going to be calling the Ark home! We are ruthless when it comes to culling! They aren't worth the papers that come with them if they can't work for a living - after all, "Average Just Won't Do"!
Since we know what goes into these goats, we are never worried about what we are serving our family or our customers when we utilize our caprines for food, be it for meat or for dairy products. Our caprines are a healthy, hearty bunch, ready to entertain you, be your loving pet, chew your weeds, pack your belongings into the mountains or down the trail, haul you or the kids and grandkids around in a cart, give you milk or meat or add valuable kids and fresh bloodlines to your current herd, or help you excel in the show ring. They are of a high enough quality to take to the biggest goat shows and breed to your very best goats.
While we appreciate a well-bred animal's pedigree, we most appreciate the ADG's (average daily gains) and the meat and milk we can obtain from the goats with or without the registration paper - after all, we don't eat or drink the papers! That said, our breeders are registered with their respective registries and they are all excellent examples of their breeds or they wouldn't be here. Rest assured you will get what you pay for!
No, we personally do not show. Both of us are disabled, travel and the rigors of the show ring are just too much work for us, and our children are long past the ages of living at home and showing for us. That does NOT mean that we do not have show quality animals!!! It only means that showing is too difficult for us at this stage in our lives. Our stock is from the top caprine genetics recognized around the world for excellence. We don't flush, we don't do embryo transfers, we don't do hormones to cycle does unnaturally - we produce our top quality stock one intelligently considered and arranged kidding season at a time. No different than what Mother Nature and Great Creator originally intended.
Genetics
We have been fortunate enough to obtain some of the top genetics available in all of our chosen breeds. You'll find many ennoblements, champions, and well known foundation lines. Genetics have been chosen to put the most meat on a substantial correct frame with our meat goats, and the best milk production and breed standards from our dairy breeds. We are the proud home of two incredible Ennobled Boer bucks and an assortment of very special imported caprines - not just pretty faces, they can and do produce hearty, CORRECT animals in addition to show winners!
reminder
Don't forget to check out the information regarding natural goat production, medicines, etc. There are links to the lectures Dr. Waltz gave at Langston University and in Canada as well as some info added from many other smaller lecture series and questions posed most often by our customers.
We invite you to procure yourself a beverage and/or a snack, settle into your chair, and enjoy your visit here at the Waltz's Ark web site. We'll be happy to answer any questions you have after your tour through the site!
additional information
"The Herbal Encyclopedia - A Practical Guide to the Many Uses of Herbs" by Rev. Dr. Waltz is available for purchase!
Click on this banner to go to a description of the book with ordering/purchasing information
All 4H and FFA members receive a discount on livestock at Waltz's Ark every day of the year. Just bring along something to prove you are a member!
Scenes from Waltz's Ark
