Goats are Growing Up!

You are so lucky Robin, and your youngsters will never forget this experience.
What a wonderful gift to them.

Bob

-- I want to believe in a lot of things but, in the meantime I have to deal with the truth

So cute to see them grow….......I have been getting the same experiance with me neighbors sheep coming up the hill to eat the blackberry. Keep sharing the photos with us.

-- Listen quitely and nature will tell you what to do..Open your eyes widely and you will be amazed..

Loved the pictures Radgal.Those kids are pretty cute.Thanks for sharing your pics of them.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Thanks Bob, Rog and Bon. I am glad you enjoyed the photos. We are enjoying raising the kids. Learning to milk the Doe, that’s an entirely different story…

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

Yes, they can be an “experience”.

-- the day you quit learning is the day you quit living.

I love the markings on your goats. I am getting ready, to get some dairy goats soon. I want to build there shelter and milking area first so I am prepared. I am envious, thanks for sharing.

-- Central Valley California

Thanks, RAH, I think they are beautiful. Our farmhouse came with a barn, so that gave us a bit of a head start. In just over a year, I have become very fond of our goats. They are leash trained and very gentle with children. In addition to shelter (a good sturdy, large doghouse will work for my small goats) and a milking area, you will need a strong, high fence. Goats like to get on the other side of a fence if they can. They can jump incredible high when strongly motivated. They don’t run away but they might eat something you would rather not have them eat. I like the small goats because they are very smart, gentle and easy to manage. Even my young children can help with them. Let me know what kind of goats you choose and the adventures you have because goats are always a good source of stories.

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

theres too old goats here but they walk around on two legs?

I want goats too….......so fun to watch.

Do you milk them?

-- Central northish Ontario

GT, I have started the milking adventure. At this point I am still sharing the milk with the two kids (for two more weeks) so I am getting less than a cup a day. I have been enjoying it in my coffee every morning. With this type of dwarf goat, I can expect to get somewhere between two to four cups a day after I have weaned the kids. My hope is that I can make cheese and yogurt from the milk.

My DH built a sturdy milking stand for me, scaled down to match the size of my small goats. He calls it the “Caprine Lactation Station.” : ) Both of my sons like to feed the doe treats they gather from the garden (apples, carrots, zuccini, green beans) while I am milking her so that she will stand still. They even are waking themselves up and getting dressed every morning so that they can go outside and milk with me. I hope their enthusiasm lasts!

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

Your adventures warm my soul!!!..............

I’ve never tried goat milk but I sure like goat cheese mixed with garlic and parsley, spread out on a crispy cracker, with a nice pice of home smaked salmon, a sliver of sweet red onion and a caper…....yummy!

-- Central northish Ontario

Nigerian dwarf goat milk has a very high fat content. It is more like sheep milk than the milk from other kinds of goats. I think it is like drinking cream. Your recipe sounds delicious. I will have to try it. : )

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

Not to change the subject but do any of you watch “Wingfield”
Last weeks episode was about Walt buying a decent ram for his sheep.
Absolutely hilarious!

-- I want to believe in a lot of things but, in the meantime I have to deal with the truth

He is pretty funny. His style makes me think of Garrison Keillor or maybe the Red & Green show.

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

I have seen him at a live performance and he is every bit as good as he is on the canned versions.
I love the way he can switch into character to give you the perspective and persona of each of his players.

He also seems to have captured a piece of our Ontario culture that would have been otherwise lost to history.

-- I want to believe in a lot of things but, in the meantime I have to deal with the truth

I’m so glad that I get to see you babies here. Brings a smile to my face.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Your pictures of goats are so good it awakened my dream of rearing goats as a hobby. Mahatma Gandhi used to drink only goat milk because of its taste and nutritional qualities. I have tasted goat cheese and liked it more than the cow’s. Thanks for the posting.
Sharad

-- Bagwan-- “If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they have never tried a new thing in their life”.-Albert Einstein

You are welcome, Sharad. I enjoy sharing my experiences in farming because they are so new and real to me. I am really enjoying my goat rearing adventure and hope you can realize your dream sometime. I am not getting very much milk yet because the kids are still nursing for one more week, but I expect I will get much more milk after they are weaned. In the meantime, I am “practicing” morning and night and enjoying the milk in my coffee every morning.

Mahatma Gandhi is one of my heroes. I think goats allow us to live more simply, because they can live off the land and require less land and less resources than cows.

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi