Heaven on Earth

I have wanted goats for oh, at least 5-6 years. Problem #1 – no experience with them. Problem #2 – No place to put them.

Well, we came to a point building our house where we had to step away for a while. So needing to get out of the travel trailer, found a house in the country to rent for a while. The land is beautiful. And plenty of pasture!

So Michael and I start talking about wanting goats again. We start poring over Craigslist looking at them. Deciding what breed, how many etc. You know the planning stage.

We decide 3 or 4 goats will be great. I want something small, because they are so cute and that’s how I pick most of my animals, they have to reach at least a 9 on the cute-o-meter. So we go with Nigerian Dwarfs.

I find a lady who is leaving the country for a while and needs to sell her small herd. We agree that we will take 6 (already the power of chicken math has moved over to the goat arena, somehow always coming home with more than intended LOL). We set the date to get them. Well I get a call that they need to get rid of them a week earlier….. uhhhh, we have no fence up yet! So the hubby and I and a couple of really amazing friends, put up a fence within 5 hours, still finishing it up as the goats are arriving! A little stressful… but them I saw these sweet faces! Not 6, but 8 of them! Including a baby!

This is Twinkletoe – she’s the only mix, Alpine/Nigerian Dwarf.  She is the biggest and also the nosiest!

Here are two of the males, Floppy and Brad.  Brad is in retirement. But hopefully Floppy will be ready to be a daddy in the spring.

Mr. Mischievious – he lives up to his name.  Also in retirement.  He is very gentle too though.

I’ll have to get pictures of all the rest later.  I have learned how to milk them, and on my to do list is learning to make feta cheese and goat milk soap. So if anyone has a fabulous recipe they want to share or do’s/don’t’s they learned the hard way, please feel free to share! I’m a willing student!

On a sad note, during the move we lost all but one of our chickens 😦 Lucy, the Rhode Island Red survived, as did Lola the Turkey.  But the rest all had heat strokes or heart attacks.  I guess it’s from chasing them in 100 degree temps and then transporting them in the August heat. So to replace them we got these 12 Frizzle/Silkie mix chicks!  They are a 10 on the cute-o-meter with their bad hair day feathers!  So cute!

We are REALLY on the path to farming and homesteading now…. if I can just figure out how to get the guys to drink the goat milk!