Cookie Doe

Aug
17

Over three years ago, I took a trip to a goat farm. Their does were pregnant and I was interested in buying a couple of babies. Note the last photo in that post, which is this one:

The first photo I ever posted of Clover. I had felt partial to her right away when I visited the farm. At the time, of course, I had no thought of buying Clover. Their does weren’t for sale–they were going to be selling the babies.

After the babies were born, I visited again and they offered me the chance to buy Clover with her two babies.

You see little Nutmeg here:

Since I’d fallen in love with Clover from the beginning, I was only too happy to take her home!

In the time since, Pete and Missy have been great mentors to me in learning how to take care of goats. They are the first people I call when I have a question or concern. I think it might be more upsetting to me than to them that they decided to sell their herd. Like it rocks my world or something. But you can live without goats? How? Are you sure? HOW WILL YOU SURVIVE?

It’s so disturbing! Almost like they’re taking my goats away, too! Oh, wait….. This is really not about me, is it?

Pete and Missy have purebred Nigerian Dwarf goats for sale. (Location, West Virginia.) If you’re interested, you can find out how to contact them for more info here.

Back to Cookie Doe! Cookie Doe is Clover’s sister. She’s famous for having quad deliveries.
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And looking like that. She’s going to make Nutmeg feel really good about herself.

I can’t get enough of that picture. She takes after her aunt. (Sorry, Nutmeg!)

As soon as I found out that Pete and Missy were selling, I knew I had to try to get Cookie Doe. That she is a mass producer is a good point, but that she is Clover’s sister is more important. I had a sentimental attachment to the idea of bringing them together. Pete and Missy were selling a number of does on Monday, which meant it was a good time for me to pick up Cookie Doe while they were already in the field loading.

Cookie Doe, not realizing her life is about to change, and looking heavily pregnant already. The earliest she could be due is October.

They have had a buck running with the does for a few months now so they could sell the does bred. The buck’s name is Romeo.

Does lined up for the selection committee (comprised of a family that was there picking out goats).

Admiral, their Great Pyr, stressing over the departures of his girls.

He’ll have to settle for guarding their granddaughter’s pony now.

I suggested he could do what my guard dog does. Sit on the porch.

One at a time, they loaded goats into the family’s trailer.

While I threw myself to the ground, pounded my fists on the gravel road, and cried, “You can’t take Pete and Missy’s goats!” Or maybe that was Admiral.

And then it started pouring down rain, just as we got Cookie Doe loaded into the back of my Explorer, so I headed home. We barely got her into the car in the carrier, by the way. I think she broke the bottom of the carrier. I’m lucky she didn’t break the bottom of my car.

Once I got her home, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about her. Cookie Doe had practically done backflips in protest when they took her out of the yard, and it had taken two men to get her into the back of my vehicle.

I considered whether she might be able to live in the back of my Explorer and what I would have to do to make that happen. I could bring her bowls of food and water and a box of hay. I could leave the windows down. It could work!

Then I went inside and called Morgan. Because she’s so much more competent than me. After we got Cookie Doe into the goat yard (without incident and without even breaking anything!), Morgan–who was still sleeping when I left and had no idea what I was doing–stared down into the goat yard and asked,”Why do we have this fat goat?”

And she didn’t even mean Nutmeg! That’s gonna take some getting used to!

Everybody checked her out.

The babies tried to milk her. (Not successfully.)

There was a surprising lack of head-butting or other pecking order maneuvering created by her arrival.

This may be too good to last.

And Clover may be thinking about rolling her over the hill.

But as long as I keep letting Clover eat on the porch–

–Cookie Doe’s probably safe!





Comments

  1. Sheila Z says:

    Somehow goats know blood relatives. I don’t know how they do it, but they do. My guess is Cookie Doe will move right in without much trouble as long as she respects Clover the herd queen.

  2. leneskate says:

    amazing, glad you got her!

  3. Liz Pike says:

    I love Cookie Doe, and what she’ll add to your future “stories”!! So glad you got her!

    I’m surprised Clover will stoop to eating dog food, knowing how close she is to cookies! Look out, she’ll learn to turn door knobs!

  4. Cheryl LeMay says:

    It’s good you had the opportunity to obtain her.She has quite the beard.I know I’m ignorant but I didn’t think females had one.Pretty girl though and you can see the family resemblance.

  5. Flowerpower says:

    Cookie doe is a pretty goat! Possibly she and Nutmeg could get a
    Weight Watchers meeting started there in the goat yard. Since Clover is not fat she could get all the extra cookies. I am glad you got your doe! :happyflower:

  6. bubbashome says:

    I had a friend like that out here is SD. He was my mentor with my boys. When he and his wife decided to move they called and asked if I wanted any of their goats. Since I had all wethers, I jumped at the chance to bring our Cocoa’s twin brother home. It was so strange since it was like they knew they were brothers and were inseparable right away. I also got a white goat that was part of triplets – Joey. The people who were originally going to take him were just going to fatten him up and slaughter him. He couldn’t do that to his kids since they had bottle fed and raised Joey. So Joey came home with us to continue to be spoiled and loved. He’s my one nubian that stands at the 5-1/2 ft fence and jumps over – just like a deer.

  7. Karo says:

    Her beard is marvelous! I like that white goat and it looks like she’s still available. I can’t raise goats in my suburban townhome so can you pretty please take that one too?

  8. alba says:

    Awe how sweet the sister are back together.
    I am sure Nutmeg will be pleased too hear she is not the Biggest one in the pack.
    Susanne you Never fail to amuse me & DH. I <3U U :heart:

  9. Julia K says:

    What an adventure. Another great addition.

  10. chickenherd says:

    Looks like you’ve got a pretty impressive rainbow herd going…but Karo is right. YOU NEED THE WHITE ONE. Or I do. I’m not sure. Anyway, I don’t live close enough to take her, and I don’t ‘do’ Nigerian Dwarfs, so I don’t know what my problem is. 😆

  11. Donna says:

    Okay… pardon my getting a little Freudian for a moment. Do you suppose part of Clover’s longing for cookies might stem from a longing for the companionship of her dear sister Cookie-Doe? It will be fun to see what adventures Cookie-Doe and Clover will be getting into! With Cookie-Doe’s obvious largeness, do you know how many kids she’s carrying?
    Donna :clover:

  12. Glenda says:

    and the herd grows………….

    I didn’t know goats had quads. This will really be interesting to follow.

  13. twiggityNDgoats says:

    Awwww, Glad you were able to get her. Cookie Doe is the mother of two of my girls and one looks just like her. Anxious to see her at the party!

  14. Mountain Blessings says:

    Another great story! And I can’t wait to hear more. Cookie Doe looks so sweet and I can imagine that she and Clover are gonna give you a run for the money. They both have that twinkle in their eyes. :devil2:

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