Horses, Chickens, Rabbits, Cats...how about Goats!

New Additions to the farm - 2 Nigerian Dwarf Goats. They go by the names of Blue Bell (black and white) and Moon Lilly (apricot color). Why Nigerian Dwarf? They are small and easy to Handle (Does' are 22" at shoulder) which means they are not intimidating to children. The goats will produce a good amount of milk for consumption thus in2010 we are looking forward to homemade yogurt, ice cream, cheese and of course...raw milk :) After much input from our whole family the official herd name is 'Good Iron Goats.'

Hannah had her first goat show over the weekend. It was simple and fun; much easier than showing horses. To prepare the goats we shaved them from head to toe, trimmed their hooves and bathed them (bathing them probably was not necessary for they are clean animals). Blue Bell looked a little funny shaved because her black coat showed her gray skin. Next time we will make certain the clippers are in working order and will shave Blue Bell a week prior to the show. Moon Lilly looks like an angel with her coat shaved.

Teaching the goats to lead has been an arduous process. Blue Bell got the hang of it within two days and Moon Lilly still jumps around, lays down, and screams as you drag her across the ground. I always know when Hannah is leading the goats with all the screaming that goes on. I can't imagine what the neighbors must think. Besides leading, Hannah is determined to teach them to jump over obstacles. Going pretty good so far...and can they jump!

What do the goats eat? anything they can get that nibbler on but really love their milk replacer twice a day from the bottle :) When finished drinking they look like bloated ticks with wagging tails. They nibble hay and grain and love twigs, dried leaves (anything crunchy that sounds interesting when they eat it) and raisins. What a great addition to the farm and wonderful pets.