This week we received an offer we could not refuse .

We were given the opportunity to essentially triple our goat herd. Over the last few months, our herd dwindled to just three via the trading acumen of The Beekeeper. Leaving us with our buck, Pepillo, aka “The Goat Who Thinks He’s a Dog” and two sweet ladies, one of which we suspect is currently carrying twins.

So when our neighbor came by with the proposition, it didn’t take much deliberation on our part to take him up on the chance. But jumping on any good deal takes some consideration and below I will explain our thought process on the deal.

Thoughts to Consider When Expanding Your Goat Herd

1. The Source We were very lucky that our source has been a neighbor and trusted friend from some time now. We have also already obtained goats from him in the past (the two lovely ladies) with great results. But buyer beware, we’ve heard horror stories of people having trouble with the sellers, sellers selling sick goats or people who sell goats just because they are hard to handle. 2. Breed For us breed is not a big deal but it can be to others. We don’t mind that these goats do not have a pedigree as our plans for them do not require one. We are looking for healthy low maintenance goats and that is what they are. You want to keep in mind what you intend to use the goats for. For us, they are helping us keep the property clear and hopefully will produce milk for cheese and soap making and eventually meat . 3. Cover The goats need a place to stay dry when it rains and warm if the temperatures drop. Right now we have them in a temporary set up while we build something more permanent . 4. Fencing Again we lucked out here, as we are currently working on a fencing endeavor which will allow the goats plenty of room for foraging and play but still keep them safe from “people”. Yeah, you know, those “people” who try to reach over your fence and grab a goat from your property in broad daylight to steal them because they don’t see that your Husband, The Beekeeper, is outside and he sends our 100+ pound Livestock Guardian Dog to say “HELLO” and scare the BEGEEZES out of them. Yep, that happened. 5. Enough Foraging Space There is a common misconception that Goats are good lawnmowers, but they’re really not. Weed-whackers would be a better analogy as they prefer overgrown brush and weeds, which we have plenty of. You can even hire out goats to clear brush But don’t be fooled, plenty of forage doesn’t mean you don’t need to feed them! They also need a good all around goat feed, a salt block with trace minerals, and the occasional treat doesn’t hurt either. 6. The Other Animals And don’t forget to introduce all the animals and make sure everyone plays nice together. Below you can see our Livestock Guardian Dogs. They were a little weary of the herd at first but quickly warmed up to the new arrivals.



All of that considered, I am very happy to finally have baby goats on the farm. They are so cute … even when they pee on your shirt. Yep, that happened.

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