Ken and I went to camp Sunday and had a beautiful three days of riding in spite of the mud and downed trees on the trails. And when we got home late yesterday we found that our old milk goat who hasn't kidded in several years had dropped two. We had borrowed a billy but didn't think she had taken until very recently because Sally is just normally a very fat goat who looks pregnant at all times. We even argued about whether or not she was pregnant. I've been saying for over a month that I thought she was and Ken was saying not. On April Fool's Day he went fishing with his son and I sent him a text saying, "Sally had three babies." Ken was so disappointed when he realized it was a joke, but I don't know why because he never thought she was pregnant in the first place. Anyway, we were both pleasantly surprised with the new additions to our farm. They are both little girls and I hope they give milk as sweet as their mom's when they grow up. One is weak in one hind leg, We have her splinted up but she is eating well and seems strong otherwise so I believe she will be fine in just a few days. I love little goats. It's been a long time since we had any around and I want to thoroughly enjoy watching them grow.
They are adorable ! I miss having a milk goat, and having the fresh, pure milk. We live in town, so there is a regulation about pets only, and then only the ones that the city considers as a pet. When I lived in Idaho, I had a milk goat, and she would follow me around the farm like she was a puppy dog. When we went out for evening strolls on the back of the property, she and the llama always came along just like the dogs did. Thank you for sharing the pictures of the new babies, Allie. Are they part nubian or maybe boer ?
They are boer goats. I know they are not typically thought of as milk goats but Sally is a good one. Actually, I think most people who have bothered to milk their boer goats have found their milk to be very sweet and good. They don't produce as much as some of what you'd call dairy goats. For two people, however, Sally produces more than enough. Or she did before we decided to quit breeding her. I don't know how old she is, but I know she's up there. She's such a good girl that we thought we'd give her one more go for the babies and we are so happy that she gave us two little girls. I look forward to breeding them in the future. I've named one of them Dot but haven't come up with a name for the other one yet. I'm still waiting for her to name herself.
I've always liked goats. When I was a child in Indiana, we had friends who had a goat on their property. You never saw it until you opened the gate and it made a squeak...then you made a dash for the house before it came charging around the corner. I now live in an area where you'll routinely see goat milk advertised on Craigslist...for hobby use only (wink wink.) I'm on a property where I could have goats if I wanted to put in the work, but I don't. Nor do I want them on top of my car. So I get my goat fix at an Amish market a couple of counties over that have a petting zoo out back: This elevated Goat Walk spans the human sidewalk and starts in the barnyard where these guys reside. There are Food Vending Machines for all the various critters scattered about (click for the complete photo gallery) with one machine being located at the base of this elevated platform. There's a bucket with a rope on a hoist so you can deliver the food you just purchased up to them...they're waiting for you.
Nope. No goats. I have thought about getting one of those mini breeds but I don't want to have anything that would be tempted to jump on my car either. I have chickens trying to get in when I open the door!