While the flooding around Forbes did not claim many animals at Paul and Jan Ormsby's Mugambi Boer Goat Stud, it has left them in a precarious situation as to how they are going to feed their goats.
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All but just over a hectare (three acres) of the 40ha (98 acres) Sandhills Road property went under water, destroying pastures and ruining some baled hay.
The Ormsbys run 60 breeding does and, with kidding just completed, had 120 kids on their property too.
"All the bucks went up to the embryo centre, which is on higher ground," Mr Ormsby said.
"We are really fortunate that all the kids and does could be moved to a mother of a friend's property on Parkes Road, which is on higher ground too."
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Mr Ormsby is very appreciative of the fact that the animals are safe but now has the task of working out how to feed them into the future.
"Only one, three acre paddock survived the flooding with the rest of the pastures ruined," Mr Ormsby said.
"Our paddocks copped the brunt of the water before it hit Forbes.
"They are just covered in mud and silt.
"I had a paddock of oats that I was going to cut for hay but there is Buckley's of doing that now.
"We will have to slash and burn pastures before we look at maybe sowing some peas when the ground dries out enough.
"We may look at some quick oats or millet, but that can get a bit toxic at the wrong stage. The problem could be getting the seed to sow anything."
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A big part of the business at Mugambi is export and the flooding has played havoc with that as well.
"There are many factors when it comes to our export business that are affected by the floods," Mr Ormsby said.
"We are not able to get animals into quarantine due to road closures.
"We usually take them to a quarantine between Orange and Bathurst but can't get there.
"People usually fly into the country to come to the farm and have a look at the animals but can't get in.
"The genetics are safe in the tank in the embryo centre, but I have had to wade through deep water to refill the liquid nitrogen to keep the tank cold.
"The water was stronger under the surface than it looked which makes it hard work."
Mr Ormsby was surprised with how high the water reached.
"The kid shed and the hay shed have never had water in them," he said.
"We lost the bottom level of hay, eight bales, to the water.
"We ended up putting them on a truck and gave them to the garden club for mulch."
