Our First Goats | Chickens in the Road

Jul
10

I love all the goats. They’re so beautiful! Their coats come in so many different colors and patterns. How do I choose? Which will be ours?

They are such friendly things, too. And they love treats!

I think this one’s coloring is really interesting.

She has babies, as do they all.

It’s been over two months since our first visit to the goat farm. We went back last month after the first round of babies was born. We decided we would take three babies, two doelings (girls) and a wether (neutered boy). I’m looking forward to someday milking my goats, learning to make cheese and soap. Doesn’t that sound like so much fun? We’ve been preparing, constructing the enclosure and reading up about caring for goats, and we got a giant puppy, a livestock guardian dog, to protect our goats. We went back again, this third time, to bring Coco to meet the goats.

And it was time to choose our goats.

Then the goat lady brought these two babies, the newest born, out from the barn. Their mother’s name is Clover.

I took this picture of the lovely, caramel-colored Clover on our first visit to the farm. I love all the colors and patterns of the goats, but I have to say, this coloring was my favorite.

And the goat lady surprised me by offering instead of taking two baby girls and a baby boy, would I like to take Clover and her two babies (a boy and a girl)?

Well, I almost knocked her out, tied her up, and locked her in the barn for fear she’d change her mind and not be able to part with the gorgeous creature that Clover is before we are ready to take her. I said, yes, of course! I love Clover! She’s beautiful, and not only that, since she will come with her babies, we won’t have to wait for them to be weaned. We can take Clover and her babies as soon as we have the enclosure finished. But wait, there’s more! Clover has MILK! Now! I won’t have to wait till next year for a baby to grow up and have a baby of its own to have my own fresh goat milk–I’ll have it as soon as Clover comes!

And so…. These are our new goats. Clover and her doeling and buckling. Hopefully, we’ll be ready soon to take them home. (Maybe in about a week?) I must speedily (and with panic!) study up on milking goats.

And Coco– Well, she’d just better hurry up and get ready, too!

We brought her to meet Admiral.

Seeing Coco with Admiral, I remembered that even if she is a giant puppy, she is still small. I think Admiral gave her some tips and whispered in her ear that everything would be okay, she could handle it.

And then we went home, to work on the fence and study up on milking.

See you soon, Clover!!!!!!!

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62 Responses
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7-10
5:17
am

Good Morning!

AAWWW, there is so much cuteness factor in today’s entry, I give it a 10! Love the shot of Admiral and Coco touching snouts through the fence. And I love your choice of goat baby mamma with Clover. Here’s to goat cheese and goat’s milk soap! :bananadance:

Julie Andrea in Englehart, ON - Reply
7-10
5:38
am

Too adorable! I look forward to seeing the homecoming photos.

Sarita Leone - Reply
7-10
5:57
am

Woo Hoo! A full grown goat mommy and her two babies! I’m sure Coco will be so happy to have her own herd. She’ll rise up to the challenge. I’ve never had goat’s milk. Is it good for people that are lactose intolerant? I love cheese and ice cream, but usually don’t drink milk. (Yes, it’s 4:52 am in Texas… we had an all night computer exercise… so I haven’t been to bed yet. That’s the only way I’m ever up at this hour. Trust me.)

Jodie - Reply
7-10
7:12
am

Goats are SO much fun! Those look like Pygmy goats, are they? We had Nubians for milking, but I dont think that goat milk is any differant from one breed to the next! Like Holstiens, Brown swiss etc…. I do know that where pygmys come from the **gulp** eat them.. I was glad to see you did’nt pick the ones that were trying to give a sex education lesson – COCO would have been exposed to the birds and the bees a little early!! LOL I am so happy for you Sue! When you write about your life as a farm mom, a person can read the joy in your ‘voice’. You are truley happy about where you are at in life arnt you? There is nothing more comforting than being satisfied and content!

Now if we could just get a picture of 52 – WE would be satisfied and content (and maybe some pie) LOL

Heidi - Reply
7-10
7:15
am

What exciting news. They are so adorable. Now you will have goats! I can’t wait!

Lisa L - Reply
7-10
7:28
am

Goodluck with the farm critters. Your gonna be busy. Canning, milking, feeding….
But it’s so much fun!

Beckynsc - Reply
7-10
7:34
am

So sweet! Love the goats! :flying:

Michelle Willingham - Reply
7-10
7:41
am

Oh oh, I thought of names for the babies .. Cloe and Vern .. get it? Clover?
:thumbsup:

Julie Andrea in Englehart, ON - Reply
7-10
7:48
am

YAAAAAYYYYY GOATS!!!!!!! :flying:

wkf - Reply
7-10
7:48
am

Wow Suzanne….these critters are beautiful. Your photos say it all. This is so exciting – I could spontaneously combust for you!!!
Cheers – for living the dream!!!

sc - Reply
7-10
7:55
am

Heidi, they’re Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats!

Re names, I’m planning to come up with a list of possibilities and do a poll on the blog so you all can help me choose!

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
7-10
8:12
am

Oh, this is so exciting!

Tell 52 to hurry up with the goat enclosure.

-Kim A.

Kim A. - Reply
7-10
8:12
am

Suzanne, I have read that Pyrs do not get along and will fight to injury or death. Admiral may tolerate Coco as a pup, or vice versa, since male dogs usually will avoid fighting with females. But female pyrs will beat up on males. This comes from their breeding pyrs for independence and territoriality. You never know when it’s coming, but it will, according to:

http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/dogfight.htm

lola falana - Reply
7-10
8:18
am

We actually kept Coco outside Admiral’s fence because I wasn’t sure how Admiral might react if she came inside, whether he might see her as an intruder and think he had to protect his goats, or what. So they just talked through the fence. :smile:

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
7-10
8:20
am

You better get that goat fencing finished soon! I can just tell by the look in Clover’s eyes that she wants to come home with you RIGHT NOW! :elephant:

kacey - Reply
7-10
8:20
am

Don’t forget the goat milk lotion! Excellent for sensitive skin. I can’t wait till I can have some goats of my own. You can do sooooo many things with the milk. I’m happy for you.

Kim - Reply
7-10
8:26
am

I think they are cuter than my own kids. Get it? Kids. Ha Ha. Seriously, I need to get some of those. Too cute for words.

Mental P Mama - Reply
7-10
8:26
am

I want to see a video of your first attempt at milking a goat!

sam - Reply
7-10
8:33
am

So will clover retire now and have no more goats? will her 2 babies have babies together now? dont know anything about goats really. loved your canning picture. I love to can, yes your feet can hurt from standing too. I cant wait for fall to come.

jane - Reply
7-10
8:37
am

They are so cute!!! And I love goat cheese. I can’t wait to get your recipies for that! You’re so lucky.

Stacia - Reply
7-10
8:48
am

:biggrin: Goats milk is SO delicious!!! We used to milk my friend’s goats, and we’d squirt it right into our mouths. Sounds gross, but it was good, farmy fun!! Have a great day! :treehugger:

MARY - Reply
7-10
8:57
am

Ohhhhh! The cuteness level is at full steam today. I’ll second the request for a picture of 52 and video of your first goat milking endeavor. The only thing that would be better would be video of 52 milking Clover.

I love your site and all the peeks into your life in the country. It makes me yearn for my childhood on my grandparents’ farm – cows, pigs, chickens and horses. My daughter (9) loves your site, too. Since we live in the city and don’t get to go back home too often, it’s her chance to see all the animals. Thank you!!

Debbie in Memphis - Reply
7-10
8:57
am

cute

Christine - Reply
7-10
9:00
am

What a treat! You get the whole family so the babies won’t be lonely for their mommy. Beautiful coloring too.

Sharon Elkins - Reply
7-10
9:00
am

So cute! The goats look like they are nice.

peri - Reply
7-10
9:07
am

Jane, no, Clover won’t retire. She is a first-time mommy with these babies and should be able to have many more!

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
7-10
9:20
am

I never knew goats were so cute! And I never knew girl goats had goatees. I’m learning so much! I used to make a nice soap out of goats milk. I used canned, because that’s all I could get my hands on, but fresh would probably be soooo much better. I know you’ll share with us if you give it a try.

Have fun with your “kids.”

Suzette - Reply
7-10
9:43
am

I love the coffee-colored one.

Yay for Clover and her babies coming home soon! Oh, that is so wonderful.

(Hmmm, you really need a goat smiley.)

Are the goats’ pupils really rectangular? That is so cool!

Amy - Reply
7-10
9:58
am

I am so excited for you! Clover is indeed a beautiful goat. I love that color! It is so cool that the goat lady offered you the family package.Can’t wait to see pictures of them when they get home!

Claudia W - Reply
7-10
10:01
am

That’s great Suzanne. They are beautiful.

Crystal B. - Reply
7-10
10:28
am

Ohhh, are they not the cutest babies!! Clover is such a cute name too! Pretty coloring! I LOVE goat cheese and it goes well in pizza, with Basil, sliced tomatoes, olive oil…YUM I have been around goats before – once, a long time ago and they ARE playful. My husband has a coworker with a farm and she has goats – she was up all night one night with baby goats, burping them or something. LOL
I am happy for you! Coco is precious, as usual – love to see the pup!
I LOVE your kitchen…I am envying your gas range..I just got a flat top one, but I wanted gas. I also love your Lazy Susan, by the range – gave me an idea, so I don’t have to keep knocking over spice bottles in my cabinet, searching. :mrgreen:

Donna - Reply
7-10
11:09
am

Clover and her babies are darling!!!

Tori Lennox - Reply
7-10
11:09
am

:elephant: Woot Woot!

Congratulations! This is my first time posting but have been a reader for quite sometime now.

I have yet to get my goeats but hope to in the next year or so! Thanks for your blog… I read you every day.

Itsme in Wi - Reply
7-10
11:15
am

Yeah you got THREE caramel colored ones. That is great that you are taking momma and babies. They will settle in better at your house if they have their momma with them. It’s not so hard to milk a goat but it does take some practice. Nigerian’s have small teats too. When you get them home and the babies are still nursing on Clover make sure you handle her udder and practice so she gets used to being milked before the kids are off of her and you NEED to milk her.
Can’t wait to see what names you come up with. The closest doe that I have to caramel is a chocolate and white doe named Semi Sweet which fits her to a tee.
Have fun. Sounds like you have a good goat mentor. Very important when first getting started as most vets know next to nothing about goats.

Wendy - Reply
7-10
11:25
am

Congratulations, Suzanne! I love Clover’s coloring. Do you know which is the doeling and which is the buckling in the photo of the goat lady holding them?

Hopefully Admiral explained everything to Coco, including what she saw on her last visit there!

Susan - Reply
7-10
11:28
am

Excellent! Such beautiful goats!

I’ve never personally had much to do with goat’s milk, but I *have* had goat cheese on toast. If you figure out a good recipe for that you must post it at once.

Robin G. - Reply
7-10
11:35
am

You got a deal on the momma and babies. Looking forward to homecoming pictures of them and Coco too. They are so cute.

Treasia - Reply
7-10
11:35
am

I can’t remember for sure which was the doeling and which was the buckling. One of them has a white spot on top of its head, but I lost track of which was which!

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
7-10
11:58
am

Congratulations!! Those babies are so cute. And MILK NOW!! Woo hoo! I’m so excited for you. (I loved the Admiral and Coco pic. too cute!)

Shimmy Mom - Reply
7-10
12:06
pm

With the package deall you have two goats that can breed (Mom & daughter) and a baby brother that will become a wether (whether or not he wants to be – pun intended.) Mom has already proven she can give birth, and that she produces twins. (Good to know.) Now you only have to keep yourself from ending up with a herd – the young ones are so cute it will be terribly tempting to have two (or four or more) little ones each year!

You’ll get your practice milking, but meanwhile your mom can keep nursing until you want to take over. In fact, if you didn’t want to milk at all they could nurse until they wean themselves. I think you have the best of all possible worlds, Nubians for their milk, and pygmy size for ease of handling. Princess will enjoy learning to milk her, too.

More pictures — soon!

Kathy R - Reply
7-10
12:19
pm

You lucky dog! I used to milk a goat, but I never got to use it myself, because a friend had a baby than needed the milk, so she’d come by everyday to pick it up. You’ll be able to get started right away!

Remudamom - Reply
7-10
2:14
pm

Best wishes on the goat endeavor. My Grandmother, Melissa Bussiere, had a small goat dairy in Massachusetts in the 30’s and 40’s. My mother and her sister had to milk the goats morning and evening. My mom remembers making her dates wait for her to finish the goats before she could go out when she was in high school. My grandmother shut the dairy down when her milkers married straight out of high school. My mom and her sister both say they married early in order to get away from the goats. Clover is the sweetest looking goat ever!

Gloria Jean - Reply
7-10
2:46
pm

I used to work on a goat farm! I had totally forgotten! Goat’s milk and cheese is the best! I’ll look forward to seeing how every does.

Goats love to butt. Just warning you. They don’t mean anything by it. They love it so much that sometimes they just press their heads against you and push.

Sister Mary Martha - Reply
7-10
2:49
pm

pricless!! Congrats on your new additions… :cool:

Mollster - Reply
7-10
3:50
pm

What cute goats. I am looking forward to seeing pics of Coco with her own goats on her own farm.

Estella - Reply
7-10
3:50
pm

I just wanted to let you know I passed on a blogger award to you over at my blog. Stop by sometime and pick it up.

Treasia - Reply
7-10
3:58
pm

Sorry Coco—i’m in love with Clover now. Always gotta go with the “red” heads They are beautiful and i’m sure they and Coco will have alot of fun! Looking forward to all the goat updates.

Joanne - Reply
7-10
4:30
pm

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Any time you want some help (questions or other…) drop me a note, and I’ll be happy to help. We’re down to milking 11 right now, but will be up well over twenty after kidding season. I make soap, lotion and cheese, and can give you plenty of time saving tips.
For now, enjoy those little darlings and their momma!!!
Don’t forget to ask your goat lady about breeding Clover next year. :mrgreen:

Gizmo - Reply
7-10
4:45
pm

Wow, learning so much about goats lol. I’m surprised you can milk her while she is still nursing. Now you need some horses, cows and pigs lol.

catslady - Reply
7-10
4:57
pm

Awww, I’ve enjoyed all the pictures. Clover and her babies are adorable. And the picture of Admiral and Coco is so sweet!

Brandy - Reply
7-10
5:35
pm

How awesome is that? And I love the name Clover!

Lis - Reply
7-10
5:38
pm

A mama and her babies, how perfect!

I’m looking forward to hearing about this adventure

Darlene - Reply
7-10
8:25
pm

I’m so jealous! Caramel coloring like that is my favorite too! Have fun with those cuties!

Angie - Reply
7-10
11:41
pm

Congratulations! They are so pretty!
BW

Bayou Woman - Reply
7-11
3:44
am

They are so cute! I can’t wait for the enclosure to get finished so you can bring them all home.

Jyl - Reply
7-11
9:23
am

Clover is gorgeous! It is really fun to share your excitement. I hope your adorable goats have a long and happy life at your farm with your family.

Lynn Jones - Reply
7-11
11:54
am

The baby goats are so cute and it was great to see Coco and Admiral together…hard to believe Coco will get that big.
Being on a farm sounds so interesting and exciting

Shari C - Reply
7-11
1:53
pm

Oh~I’m SO excited for you!! Clover is such a sweet name for a goat. She evens *LOOKS* like a good mamma, doesn’t she? I’m sure Coco will pick up on what to do right away. It’s AMAZING how those God-given instincts just seem to kick in when you least expect it.

We had a wonderful Sheltie (who just died in January @ 10 years old), named Hickory, and ever as a pup and a youngish dog, when our girls and their friends were playing outside, you could watch Hickory and even though he was right in there playing w/the kids, he was ALSO actaully working a cirlce around them!! It was amazing to see. He was a sweetheart, for sure.

Blessings from Ohio…

Kim W - Reply
7-11
3:06
pm

Oh, how exciting! A momma and her babies, how perfect. I can’t wait to see pictures of her at your house.

Christy O - Reply
7-11
5:44
pm

OMGoodness! They are beautiful! I don’t think I’ve ever seen goats that color. And Coco is such a beauty, too!

Suzanne - Reply
8-26
8:04
pm

:clap: this is a cool blog

sharon akins - Reply
10-18
2:56
pm

Little did you know…maybe that lady had tried to milk Clover?? Oh well, we’ve all had fun watching!

Netherfieldmom - Reply