First Boer goats in area being farmed in Quyon: A Quyon resident is the first person in the area to raise Boer goats, an animal indigenous to South Africa.

Sundy Roderick owns six Boer goats, which she bought for $3,000. A top quality offspring can fetch up to $1,200. She first saw them when she went on a trip out west, in Alberta.

“I wanted one the first time I saw them,” said Roderick.

After visiting several farms she purchased six of them, one buck and five does. She had them delivered to her about a month ago. Boer goats eat hay and oats and if kept in a closed area will develop the habit of eating out of bins or a trough. People can buy special food for does for nutritional value, but that is not necessary. The goats tend to get along well with other farm animals and are very adaptable.

Roderick said that her goats won’t be ready for breeding stock until next year because they need time to breed and increase in numbers before they are ready to sell.

However, they don’t take long to breed, for does can breed three times within two years and are off season breeders. They can get quite large within a short period of time. A buck can grow up to 240 pounds within three years. 

Two recounts in Quebec may change totals: Now that the mud has settled and most of the election results have been submitted and tabulated, it is safe to say the Liberal Party did win a majority government.

As of press time, two ridings in Quebec are under the recount knife (Champlain and Laval Centre), the outcomes of which could take away Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s bragging rights of having won Quebec.

Curlers curl for dollars at Cashspiel: Curlers were curling for dollars on the weekend at the annual Cashspiel at the Shawville Curling Club.

The Cashspiel has been going for several years now and brings curlers from around the Ottawa Valley.

Each rink pays $150 to enter the tournament and the winners receive cash prizes from the pool of money.

“The Cashspiel is a way for curlers to compete with each other as well as earn money for their team expenses,” said Gerry Desabrais.

This year they had 12 rinks enter the tournament, though they usually have about 16 rinks. Some of the teams could not make it because they had previous commitments.

The winners of the Cashspiel were the following rinks: Ted Butler, Buckingham, division A; Jessie Rupple, Granite Curling Club of Ottawa, division B; Garry Harris, Shawville, division C.

There will be another Cashspiel in the spring and organizers are hoping that more rinks will enter the tournament.