More Goats is Better

I overheard Brandon talking on the phone to a friend who must have asked why they never see us anymore.  Brandon said "We've made a series of strange life choices..."  and I think he was referring, in part, to the fact that on Friday I brought home two more goats!  Peaches, our female Nubian, now has two little Nigerian goat friends.  They are twin brothers with blue eyes, and came with the names Light River and Dark River.  

Peaches is relieved to have goat companions.   Rufus the donkey and I are relived that we don't have to be goat companions.  Unlike the River Brothers, who's little cries sound like a baby goat from far away, Peaches can project her loud goat scream directly into the brain of whomever she thinks should come pay attention to her.  Ack!  I wasn't sure how the answer to an obnoxious and pushy goat could be getting more goats, but that's what I was told, and so far, it's worked wonders.  

In my quest to find a goat, I made contact with a lady who breeds top notch Nigerian milk goats.  Her does were out of my price range (my range was right about even with with an obnoxious and unwanted goat that had been mauled by dogs and trampled by horses - hello Peaches!).  But even still, this lady offered to have me come to her facility and learn about goats.  On Friday I spent three great hours watching her and a team of young people manage her heard of over a hundred adorable goats.  These goats were fat and glossy and treated like thoroughbred horses - extensive barns and paddocks, top notch hay and grain, daily monitoring of their condition and milk production, plus they were doted on by the farmer and her crew, who knew every name and their bloodlines. 

I got to practice milking a goat, trimming hooves, and squirting an herbal mixture down a goats throat as a preventative against worms.  I got to meet the stinky male goats with their impressive beards and silly expressions, and see the breeding pens and watch an attempted goat mating.  I even got to give a tiny baby goat a bottle!  We lounged in the grass and played with an entire herd of mamma's and babies while we talked goat and they chewed on our clothes and climbed in our laps.  

At the end of my visit, I was gifted a bale of excellent hay, an entire bag of top quality goat feed, some mineral supplements, some herbal wormer and the required syringes, and Light River and Dark River.   The farmer said she was thankful that I would give a home to two of her wethers (castrated males), since she had extra's, and said she hopes I will call her whenever I have goat questions.  Peaches and I are thankful, and my goat keeping confidence has been boosted after getting to watch professionals in action and getting some practice.