Click photo for an article on the origin of purebred French Alpines... en francais, biensur!
Again on the topic of goat vocalizations, another interesting article – on the plasticity of goat vocalizations! It appears that goats can develop an accent. I wonder if my purebred French Alpines have lost theirs?! Goat Accents
The usual "sniff" helps a dam recognize her kids.
Kidding season is here or just around the corner for most of us. A recent listserv discussion on the “goat’s brain” has led me to some interesting information… that most of us know already! This podcast on vocal recognition of does and their kids is interesting AND has some really cute baby talk! “Are you my mother?” podcast It’s worth listening to just to hear those sweet little voices!
Quickly googled, Mugwort
Before I had goats of my own, I was having my kids! I was very taken by a certain Susun Weed and her books Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year and Healing Wise. Susun is ne of the great herbalists and healers of our time. It just so happens that she also raises goats. I really like her mix of common sense and spirituality when talking about goats in an interview that I found online. Especially noteworthy is the discussion on death. Enjoy! Click for the Susun Wise goat interview.
It’s official baby watch is now on! We have Lola the ewe due the 23rd, Lulu due the 7th of February. We might have some more ewe’s lambing but we aren’t sure. Then in April we have our goats, Clair, Candy and maybe Daisy to! This is going to be an exciting year! 
In the picture we have Lulu on the Left and Lola on the Right. This was taken about a week ago
It’s getting to crunch time for the Christmas season, but I thought I’d throw some ideas out there for the “better halves” who don’t know what to get their aspiring goat raisers! Personally, I love practical gifts – things of quality that will last for year of service. Here are the things that I have or would like to add to my caprine toolbox:
This is the top of the line, butane disbudding iron from Hoegger’s Goat Supply. A lot of people prefer this model, including vets, as it is portable and supposedly gets hotter than the electric models, the Rhinehart 30x and 50x. Tough decision since you will always need to make sure to have that spare butane cartridge! And if you have dwarf breeds, make sure to get the proper tip.
Pick one up at your local farm store!
This is a beloved tank de-icer. No more buckets of warm water! There are many models out there but I like this one because it fits right into my water tanks by the drain hole with the cord lying on the ground. Our tanks sit up against the fence so there is not a chance that the goats would think to chew on the cord, nor can they reach it. Not that they would gnaw on something on the muddy ground anyway, picky, picky goats.
I happened upon these nice coats from The Goat Coat Shop via a websearch and I like what I see! Made in the USA, velcro for safety, waterproof. Perfect for that sick animal, tightly show clipped kid, or old friend. I have read that goats will consume 2-5% less feed if wearing coats in the winter when feed costs skyrocket! I would love to test them out and see if the goats will actually venture out in the rain with a waterproof coat!
These clippers are wonderful. Period. Done deal. If you need to clip a goat, you want these. Premier1Supplies.
Local hardware store find? Or tackle shop?
This gift is really nice because you will find lots of uses for it. It’s a “kid scale” but quite frankly, it’s a fish scale so I assume it could be found locally. Here’s the link. I simply place the kid in a cloth shopping bag and attach it to the hook.
Happy Shopping!
He is an Elvis wanna-be
Yup, it’s already that stinky, bucky season! Yesterday, we brought the loaner buck to La Paysanne Farm to breed our Alpine girls. This year we will be breeding three or four Alpine does and our Nigerian dwarf doe. In the 24 hours the buck has been here, he has already bred 2 of the does. The first doe is due March 22 , which is good, hopefully it will be pretty warm by then. It’s pretty funny because, last year, this doe was the last to be bred, and she almost wasn’t. She was bred in late January and kidded in June.
When we first put the buck in with the girls, Jacques, our donkey, was a little territorial, but he calmed down after a while. And I hope it stays that way!
This buck is a year old , so he already REALLY smells, and of course he trys to breed everything that moves. For some reason our ram, Hugo, thinks that he is a threat to his ewes and will try to ram him occasionally. But really Hugo is too sweet to do any permanent harm.
Our long awaited family vacation in France… We’ve left the farm behind for three weeks in the trusty hands of some Parisian friends. Not an easy thing to do, but I have managed to catch glimpses of a few french caprines at work.
Driving along the coast of Normandy, on our way to see a nuclear submarine, we spied a large herd of alpines on a dense, weedy incline overlooking the Atlantic. In the distance, we spotted a WWII blockhaus, one of many that dot the D Day beaches. It appeared to be a goat paradise; weedy, public lands kept under control by the goats with ample walking trails for the public. A nice little jaunt for the whole family: history, trails, the ocean and goats. Did I mention that the blockhaus doubles as the goat barn?
goat cheese tarts with leeks & apricot preserves
This recipe is definitely a keeper! Found this in an article in The Christian Science Monitor, and I just must share it. It just sounds so very promising for summer gatherings with family and friends, doesn’t it?
Photo credit: C-Ville
In a prior post I wrote about the benefits of urban goat keeping and how it really is a great idea for various reasons; entertainment, fresh milk, cheese etc., & brush control. In Charlottesville, Virginia, where a new ordinance has passed just this past September to allow back yard goat keeping with in city limits, goat keeping is apparently doing quite well! In this article, goat keeping is shown not only to be growing but doing good for the community as well and a friend of ours, Heidi Passino of Dragon Hill Farms, has a special mention in it too! Very cool
I love trees! Worms don't climb trees!
Nope! We’re not talking night crawlers! If you’ve had goats for any amount of time, you’ll quickly be faced with parasites. Most of us goats owners are not blessed with the facilities and fencing for complete rotational grazing. And dairy goats just don’t lend themselves well to that type of setup anyway…. they need to be near water, shelter and the milk stand!
As I am an advocate of organic food and actually raise these wonderful creatures for their sweet milk, I really shy away from chemical worming strategies. You are what you eat! And it isn’t easy! Here are some very simple things you can do:
If you really want to get down and dirty and organic, please read on for some interesting information that I’ve been looking into…
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