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I’m asked pretty often where I get my goats, so here’s the quintessential post I will refer to from now on!
Of course, I live in West Virginia, so if you’re looking for goats in California, where I get my goats may not help you much. It’d be a pretty far drive. For those of you out there who raise goats, if you have a website for your farm and you sell goats, please leave a comment here with a link to your site, the state where you are located, and the breed(s) you raise. (Free advertising. Go for it!) If you’re looking for goats, check the comments on this post and maybe you will find someone raising a breed you’re interested in who is near you.
You can also look around where you are. Check your local listings in newspapers and market bulletins. Put your location and the breed you want in a search engine. Ask your friends and neighbors and feedstore clerks. Research the care, housing, fencing, etc, of goats and prepare in advance if these are your first goats. Expect to fall in love with them and be completely under their spell and control. You can read all my goat stories here.
Clover and Nutmeg are Nigerian Dwarf goats.
Nigerian Dwarf goats are miniature milkers. Unlike pygmies, Nigerians are proportional in size. They make fantastic dog-like pets except for the part where they will eat your flowers. And your shirt. You can get about a pint of milk a day from them and they are easy to care for because of their handy size. They are also very bossy.
Buy Nigerian Dwarf goats here. (Location: West Virginia.)
Sprite and Fanta are fainting goats.
Fainting goats have a hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia congenita that causes them to abruptly fall over when they’re startled. They’re classified as meat goats, but they aren’t generally raised for that purpose. They’re novelties, and while they aren’t miniatures, they’re smaller than standard-size goats. They can be pretty funny to have around.
Buy fainting goats here. (Location: Tennessee, but will deliver to West Virginia and points in between.)
And now for an update on my eternal quest to successfully raise bucklings.
You met Clover’s blue-eyed boy toy in this post. He’s not here yet, but he does have a name.
Eclipse.
Here is Eclipse, our growing Nigerian Dwarf buckling, still alive and well and safe at Destiny Groves Farm.
I’m afraid to bring him home.
My farm + bucklings = THE SHADOW OF DOOM.
I’m working on getting over my fears. Perhaps some therapy…..
See this pretty little fella pictured here with Eclipse?
That’s Rhett. He’s going to be wethered and move to our farm with Eclipse. That is, if I ever let them move to our farm.
And that’s not all.
This is……. Root Beer? Dr. Pepper? Big K? Crush? Nehi?
(Photo: Bob Lewis.)
Can you think of any more soft drink “boy” suggestions? I’m going to put up a poll (in an upcoming post) and let you vote to name our new fainting goat buckling!
Posted by Suzanne McMinn | Permalink
