our goats
We found our goats!!! This little mama and her boy are coming to live with us in one week!
They are African Pygmies, a miniature breed originating in West Africa. The baby is tiny–about the size of a cat–but the mama is little, too, about 22 inches, I think. They are so awesome and just what we were hoping for.
We went to the farm yesterday just to look, or so we thought. It was hard to think of separating a mama and baby, so we kept asking if any does were for sale along with their kids. No, no, we don’t sell does, was the answer each time.
And then we were brought to a special stall where this mama and her two-week old kid snuggled.
He was so perfect, and we loved him right away. Cash had seen pictures of the baby goats at this farm online before we went, and when he saw the photo of this kid, he said, “that’s the one I want.”
The mama had had an emergency c-section and had to be isolated from the herd so she could heal. The plan was for her baby to be sold (at any time), but she would stay alone in this stall until July. Kind of sad, right?
At the risk of being annoyingly persistent, I had to ask one more time, just to be sure.
“So…you wouldn’t sell them as a pair, would you?”
Yes, they actually would sell them as a pair, if we promised never to breed her again. She wasn’t much use to them now, since the c-section. Yes, we could promise that.
We bought them, and we can pick them up in a week, as soon as her stitches are out. We just need to keep her nice and warm until her coat grows back. And so Cash got his kid, and I got a mama.
But…that’s not all.
This little black and white doe will be weaned in a month. Although they wouldn’t sell her mama to us, at least she would have goaty friends at our place…
So Zia got a goat, too.
She is one month old, blue-eyed, and so lovable and friendly. We will pick her up three weeks after the other pair.
We are pretty excited about our three goats. This week we will turn our place into a little farm, get some supplies, and learn as much as we can about being goat farmers.
I can smell adventure in the air–and it smells like three happy goats. 😉
Hi honeeeee…..how CUTE are those Little goats !!! ………lil Zia is growing into quite a tall beautiful pre-teen ….. The grandbabies look so happy and I know u r really looking forward to this new project 🙂 ) 🙂 Luv u /mom ( hope u r feeling better 🙂 )
Hi Mom! Yep, we are pretty excited about the goats! It should be a really fun endeavor. Zia is so excited and can’t stop talking about them. And thanks for asking…I’m looking forward to my shoulder healing…soon!
Can’t believe those little tiny goats! The ‘kids’ are gonna love taking care of them…So nice for them!!!
It’s more exciting than all the birthdays and holidays combined for Zia…and we’re all counting down the days!
I’m so excited for you! I just saw your latest post with Goat Hallow. Will you be milking them? Combing them for fibers? What are your plans with these goats? Sorry, So curious. I want goats soooo very much for both of those things. Panda can’t drink cow milk and goat mils is expensive.
Goat Hallow–that’s hilarious! We are mostly thinking pets right now, but I’m sure I will sneak some milk out when I can, between kid nummies. I SO get your excitement–I have been wanting them for years, and I can hardly believe we’re getting them now!
How exciting!!
We goat sat one summer when I was in high school. My parents had heard that goats eat willow bushes and we had a ton of them along the creek where I grew up. The goats ate everything but.
How funny. I’ve been reading about goats and goat care, and so much of it has proved to be either not quite right, or actually the opposite of what I found when I finally got the goats! Experience is the best teacher, I guess. 😉