the goats

Even before we moved out here, Mr J started talking about goats.  He was obsessed.  I was worried.  I kept having visions of bare spots around the house where shrubs used to be.  I didn't know a thing about goats, other than they liked to eat everything.

As I learned more about them, I realized that we needed goats.  We had a lot of acreage to tend, and goats are terrific at cleaning out the woods.  I didn't realize how utterly (pun intended) amazing and adorable goats can be!

We were told that it's best to get them young, before they are weaned, so they will bond.  (That in itself was an experience!  But yes, we got them young and bottle fed them.  They were so incredibly cute!) 

We heard about a pair of wethers (castrated males) that were soon to be for sale.  We took Dani with us to look at them.  She fell in love with Domino, but before they were old enough to leave, Domino died.  We still wanted his brother, but now we had to find another goat.  Goats are very much a social animal.  They do not do well alone.

We found another breeder and went to look at the  wethers she had left.  We couldn't decide which ones we wanted, so we took them all!  Yep, four boys and a girl.  Don't forget, we still promised to take that other boy...

Here's a shot of Mr J with his babies...  (Isn't Mr J so cute in this photo?)

This picture makes me sad.  We only have two left out of these five.  I will first tell you about the ones no longer with us...

Rocky (because he was a fighter) was a scrawny little thing.  He's the one in Mr J's lap.  We even kept him in the house for a little while.  I tried every thing in my power to help him survive, but it was all for naught.  He wasn't with us long, but his memory is still here.  R.I.P Little Rocky

The gray and white goat in the foreground is Biscuit.  Mr J named him.  Biscuit loves shirts and cameras.  Whenever anyone was in with them, if you felt a tug on your shirt, you knew instantly who was responsible.  If I tried to take pictures of Biscuit, I always had to stop and clean my lens...  He loved getting his nose up into it!

Biscuit loved to eat... even more than the others.  Goats can die from getting bloated.  It happened on a weekend that Mr J was out of town... the weekend a hurricane blew through Ohio!

RIP Biscuit, you were one of a kind.

In the top photo, Mr J has his hand on Willie.  He was the biggest of the bunch and had a personality to go with it.  He never ceased to make me laugh!   Silly Willie was my favorite, and Lexi's too.  Here she is trying to hold him still for a picture... 

Something made Willie sick last year.  I nursed him day and night, but he finally gave up.  While digging his grave, I found a heart-shaped rock.  I still have it, and he still has my heart.

RIP Willie Boy.  (2009)  We miss you!

When we first met this little guy, he had a big white circle on his belly.  And, since his brother had been named Domino, Dani decided to name this guy Oreo.  As he grew, he outgrew the circle.

Oreo took over as leader of the herd when Willie passed away.   This photo doesn't do him justice... you can't even see his curly hair.  He was a strikingly beautiful creature!   ...and Mr J's favorite.

One day we noticed Oreo was losing weight.   He quickly became very ill and died.  We buried him next to Willie Boy.  

R.I.P. Oreo.  Mr J thinks of you daily.  (2010)

Now, if I haven't driven you away with the sad stories,

let me introduce you to our current herd.

The goat with his tail between Mr J's legs is Derby... my lover boy!  Derby can't get enough of my kisses.  I named him Derby because of his white 'English saddle' he was born with.   (Now that he's all grown up, the saddle doesn't look so much like a saddle.)

Derby has a very laid-back personality... except when it comes to food.  He's a very aggressive eater, and he always eats way too much!

Some goat breeders detest using the name Nanny for a nanny, but here's Nanny.  She's our only little girl.  She was a freebie, throw in with the other boys.  The breeder didn't think she was worth anything because she has an extra teat.  She's worth a lot to us!  She has a very sweet disposition... so different from the boys.  And they really seem to treat her gentler, like a little sister.

Don't mistake this sweet face for something delicate... Nanny can certainly hold her own on the rock 'mountain'!

Last, but certainly not least, is Elvis...

He already had the name.  We already had five goats!  He used to live with Nekoda's former owner.  She hated him.  When I picked up Nekoda, I told her, "Throw the goat in the trailer, too.  If he acts OK, I'll keep him.  If not, I'll bring him back."  He's still here...

He was quite a loner and standoffish when he first arrived.  Now he has found his place in the herd, and is very lovable!  One thing I love about Elvis is his looks... when he's in the woods, he looks just like a young deer weaving through the trees!

The goats have paid for their upkeep in the work they do around here! Our woods was overrun with wild roses and honeysuckle.  We couldn't walk through it.  Now, the area the goats take care of looks almost like a public park.  The grass looks as though we mow it and it's very easy to walk through. And speaking of walking...  the goats take walks with us in the woods.  They follow us like well-trained dogs.  The best part is we only have to feed them in the winter!  Spring, summer, and fall they live off the land.  We provide them with fresh water, baking soda and minerals, but they fix their own meals!

Our goats are as sweet as Sadie!  They entertain us with their version of king of the mountain.   They entertain are guests, children and grown-ups alike.  I couldn't live without my goats.  I adore them.