Our First Casualty

We're expecting wee goatlings starting in February out to possibly April...

So when one of our goats took sick, we did not think she was in labor. Instead I made the brilliant deduction that her labored breathing was because she had pnuemonia.

She was standing alone away from the herd for a long time and would not eat so we put her in the garage with some straw to sleep on, and hay and water. In the morning - she was better - but she had a very small dead baby.

It was awful and has left me questioning my capabilities as a goat farmer.

The bright side is that we are now flung head first into the milk business without even so much as a how-do-you-do.

Two more of the lovely mama's are looking like they might kid any time now too.

Yikes. :)

More later.

Now I know why I LOVED the Billy Goat Gruff story when I was a kid!

Seven Nubian does and two doelings showed up at the farm yesterday; and as soon as my son gets home with his camera I will post the pictures of the girls.

We estimate that between February and March somewhere between 22 and 27 babies will be born. Yikes. And to top that bit of daunting news off, is the fact that one of the does had 5 (YES 5!!!) babies last year. Uhm.

Oh my.

I guess I really am in the goat business.

One little brown doeling fell in love with my 18 year old son yesterday. She followed him everywhere and gave him longing glances when he was on the other side of the shed he was building for them. We have renamed her Elizabeth and we joke that she is our son's new girlfriend. She's very cute, but somehow I think this relationship isn't going to go very far :o).

My fiance is a city boy. I mean, seriously a city boy. He has no farm experience at all but I am learning that he is very open and willing to my farm inclinations.

Yesterday as he worked on the shelter for the girls, they massed around him - helping him - and he just looked at me with the biggest smile on his face and said "I like goats!!"

He also keeps showing up with goatmilk yogurt, kefir and milk from Whole Foods. He's really getting into this!

Stick with this channel for the most up to date dairy goat adventures that money can't buy!

Cheers,
Heather

A milking we shall go

First off, I am sorry I have been so remiss in my posts. It's 4th quarter and I work for a major chain of stores that really wants to make some money, so I am a wee bit preoccupied working on that.

However, that hasn't stopped me from accidentally finding a herd of dairy goats to buy. Yes, me the girl who lives in the city still has just agreed to purchase 9 Nubian does, most of whom may be with kid.

Luckily this is where the family farm comes in. And my wonderful dad who is retiring next year...he will become the reluctant goat farmer hehe.

You see, there are about 2 acres that overgrow with bushes, grass, tree starts and blackberries every year and these wonderful girls will clear it for us and make us lovely milk.

Lucky they come with their own keeper. His name is Luis.

I am going out to the goat's current home on Wednesday to work out the details of their purchase.

I am - now - one step closer to the dream of becoming a farm girl once more.

Yay.