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!
Sheila Z says:
Vanilla Coke
On October 19, 2009 at 1:37 am
Laurie Collins says:
Mr. Pibb!
On October 19, 2009 at 1:47 am
Jenny says:
There is something quite disturbing about that blue-eyed goat!!
I saw a clip about fainting goats on YouTube recenty. Also quite disturbing.
On October 19, 2009 at 3:51 am
stacy says:
I like the vanilla coke idea-he could be van for short.
On October 19, 2009 at 4:23 am
Cathy J says:
I like Dr. Pepper… and what about 7 Up(as in “Up” for the job?)
On October 19, 2009 at 4:36 am
RosieJo says:
Don’t forget RC which stands for Royal Crown Cola. Be Careful! If you have an RC you’ll have to have a Moon Pie, too!
On October 19, 2009 at 4:56 am
Andrea says:
:snoopy: I’m with Laurie and think… Mr.Pibb!
On October 19, 2009 at 5:12 am
Diane says:
Mr Pipp is a good name. He is so cute!! Bring home the goats and they will be ok. To get over your fear you just have to do it.
On October 19, 2009 at 5:16 am
Laura says:
I kind of like Dr. Pepper. What about Vernors—-it’s a ginger ale that’s popular here in Michigan. It’s great to drink when you have the flu—our doctor “prescribes” it. Hmm….Faygo—another brand of pop here. Barq’s, Mugg, Frosty—all root beer brands.
R.C. is a cola. If I thinkg of any others I will post them.
On October 19, 2009 at 5:32 am
Laura says:
Oh….Mr. Pibb is cute too.
On October 19, 2009 at 5:33 am
Jenna says:
I came on to suggest Mr. Pibb myself 😉
On October 19, 2009 at 6:03 am
Sarah says:
The baby at the end was probably the cutest goat I have ever seen. How ADORABLE!! I love those floppy ears! 🙂
On October 19, 2009 at 5:42 am
Shell says:
I like just plain Cola for a name. I’m waiting for some breeders to leave comments. I’m on the hunt for some Nigerians in NEPA :wave:
On October 19, 2009 at 5:50 am
Ang. says:
Since he is brown and white, I think you should name him Black Cow after that wonderful beverage comprised of milk and Pepsi (or Rootbeer!). You could call him Blackie for short.
On October 19, 2009 at 6:05 am
sam says:
How about Fanta
On October 19, 2009 at 6:26 am
Laura says:
Fanta is a good name, but I do believe one of the goats is already named that. I think it fun to go with the soda pop theme.
On October 19, 2009 at 6:33 am
Kari says:
I think your new baby looks like a Root Beer Float! With that wee white belly of his, he looks just like one! 😀
On October 19, 2009 at 6:37 am
Spruce Hill says:
We Just got two goats on Saturday and I love them! I have never had them before only sheep and horses and they are so fun and affectionate, they have so much personality :chicken:
On October 19, 2009 at 6:50 am
winifred says:
They are lovely. Just wish I lived in a place where we could keep goats. Even a couple of chickens would be nice. Just have to make do with my two aged cats and read your blog.
On October 19, 2009 at 6:53 am
Gizmo says:
DR. PEPPER or RC (Royal Crown)!!!
Good for you! Your boys will be fine! You have learned lessons from each loss. Don’t let fear paralize you.
I do have dairy goats for sale. We raise Lamancha, Saanen, Sable and some Boer. You can read more about our dairy herd at: http://www.norsehollow.com or our meat goats at: http://www.asgaardgoats.com.
On October 19, 2009 at 6:57 am
Gizmo says:
Oops – that should read – http://www.norsehollowdairygoats.com
On October 19, 2009 at 7:02 am
Mia says:
How about Jolt!
On October 19, 2009 at 8:05 am
Box Call says:
My big question wouldn’t be where you get them but how you keep them off the hood of the vehicle, eating the bark off all the fruit trees, and keeping them out of the vegetable garden? I think goats can: jump to the moon,eat a tow rope for the Queen Mary III in about 7 minutes, and avoid electric fences like a terrorist getting shampoo past Airport Security.
On October 19, 2009 at 8:11 am
Runningtrails says:
That little buckling is just too cute for words!!
On October 19, 2009 at 8:12 am
Tonia says:
The lessons you learn raising goats!!! I am sure those boys will be fine. I like Nehi for the name!!Lol
Those blue eyes are beautiful!!
I raise Nubians, Lamancha and crossbred Dairy goats here in the Missouri Ozarks.. My blog shows how they are taken care of and in the spring I will have babies available!
http://www.allnaturalsimplelife.blogspot.com
On October 19, 2009 at 8:36 am
Treasure Wiblen says:
How about – Pimms? Not a soft drink but an adult beverage with a low booze content.
On October 19, 2009 at 8:58 am
Mary Anne Seher says:
Treasure,
I have been trying to locate you for a couple of years now. I left a friend request on Facebook, but I never heard back. If you have the time or the inclination, pleast contact me. Hope everything is going well for you since moved from California.
Mary Anne Seher
On December 3, 2009 at 10:05 pm
.Nancy in Iowa says:
Eclipse and Rhett are beautiful, but the baby made me suck in my breath, if you can picture that! What a little doll!!!
On October 19, 2009 at 9:06 am
Christy O says:
Craigslist is a good place to find goats too.
On October 19, 2009 at 9:16 am
Ms E says:
Tabb, Nehi, Mountain Dew, & Shasta are my offerings to the name list.
On October 19, 2009 at 9:38 am
Fran says:
I love Nehi or RC, but also thought of Tab (Tab Hunter was always a hunk!), Crush (which the gals will develop for him) and Squirt (he is such a cute little squirt!).
On October 19, 2009 at 9:43 am
Carol says:
The new goats are adorable, but Clover will always be number one to me.
On October 19, 2009 at 10:04 am
michellewillingham says:
I agree with Mr. Pibb. You could also go with Barq (for Barq’s root beer),
On October 19, 2009 at 10:42 am
Shelly says:
I like the name Rootbeer! Nice lookin goat! :pawprint:
On October 19, 2009 at 10:49 am
emma-leigh says:
Here in KY we have a local soda with great names!
Ale81 (usually people drop the one and call it ale-eight, but technically the full name is pronounced “a late one”) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ale_8
and don’t forget SKI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski_%28soda%29)
On October 19, 2009 at 10:50 am
Tara says:
I live in Texas (near Dallas/Fort Worth) and keep Nubians. I *hope* to have our first round of kids in the spring, and if all that goes well, I should have some for sale. They’re the largest goats, but still not difficult keepers. And they’re just darling, with their floppy dog-ears! I don’t have a website, just a blog – https://thisagrarianlife.blogspot.com/. Or if anyone is interested or just wants to ask me about them, feel free to email – [email protected]
I just found your blog, and love it!
On October 19, 2009 at 10:51 am
Joanna Wilcox says:
https://boonedockswilcox.blogspot.com/
or
https://boonedockswilcox.weebly.com/
We raise and sell some Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats.
At the moment, we have 2 wethers and a buckling for sell.
Joanna in Boone, NC [the most NW part of NC}
[email protected]
On October 19, 2009 at 11:02 am
Jenny S. says:
Dr. Thunder (another Dr. Pepper type of cola) might be a good name for a strapping young buck! I will say this though, the vanilla coke idea was a very cute idea :). He’s just precious! My husband can feel it coming…Nigerian Dwarf goats will be in our future!
On October 19, 2009 at 11:04 am
IowaCowgirl says:
Crush (does this bring to mind goat sexual connotations?- sorry)8-)
On October 19, 2009 at 11:30 am
Heidi says:
I was thinking Barq’s – has bite! LOL
On October 19, 2009 at 11:52 am
sherry says:
Snapple!
On October 19, 2009 at 12:18 pm
shannon says:
I love rootbear, especially because of his coloring. You can even add in the word float because of the vanilla icecream markings! :snoopy:
On October 19, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Wendy says:
Fresca
On October 19, 2009 at 1:10 pm
bobbi says:
You put a smile on my face today! 😀 Though I grew up on a farm, we never had goats and now they are something I think I would love to raise. You have helped me in my research on the subject. Thanks so very much! My vote for name is Root Beer. Love your blog! ~bobbi
On October 19, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Sharee says:
I do have a question for you…What is your daily routine? You seem to have so much on your plate…a farm, teenage kids, your column, your “book/manuscript”, the blog, love life, I have 5 kids, a house on 1 acre, plus I work full time and I can not seem to find time to do the things that I love such as cooking, crafts and garden. I was hoping you could shed some light on how you work things…just to maybe give me a hint on what I can change to manage everything. Just a thought! I know that your day is not the exact same everyday!
On October 19, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Suzanne says:
I’ll do a post about that soon! But you’re right, every day is different.
On October 19, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Ulrike says:
Definitely Dr. Pepper! Or maybe Mr. Pibb. I think I like Pibb better (even though I’d rather drink Dr. P).
Also, the Urban Chickens blog mentioned this weekend that you can sometimes find hens at animal shelters. I checked my local shelter yesterday, and while they don’t have any chickens this week, they do have: a pair of pigs, two llamas, and 19 goats of unspecified breed!
Check PetFinder.com, too. When I was poking around last night, I saw someone had Jacob-cross lambs in MS (too far from me, even if I had space for sheep, but interesting for those who like your Jacobs). Be aware that not all the shelters on PetFinder are reputable, but it’s worth looking. And, of course, your local paper may have listings as well.
On October 19, 2009 at 1:30 pm
cake says:
Shasta is an adorable name for a goat! How about Jic-Jac? Is anyone out there old enough to remember that soda?
On October 19, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Brenda S 'Okie in Colorado' says:
How about the chocolate bottled drink Yoo Hoo? It’s brown…
On October 19, 2009 at 3:34 pm
LisaAJB says:
I think you’ve got something going with Root Beer. He kinda has that color.
On October 19, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Tina says:
Awww, Rhett and Eclipse are cuties, but that little one with no name is just precious! I just want to grab him and hug him!
On October 19, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Yvonne says:
I’m not too crazy over “Dr Pepper” or “Mr Pibb” – but I do like the root beer theme because of his color. “Frosty” is a root beer brand and I think it fits him. He is absolutely gorgeous, whatever you name him.
And the blue-eyed black one, a good name would be…”Adonis”…”COME TO ME CLOVER” (I know you already named him, but I had to throw that one in!)
On October 19, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Amber says:
He looks like a root beer to me.
On October 19, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Jodie says:
Root beer, Root beer float, Mr. Pibb, Vernor would be good boy names. You could call him Rooty for short if you pick Root beer.
I like Shasta, Gingle Ale, Strawberry Phosphate, Vanilla for new girl names.
On October 19, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Debbie in PA says:
What a sweet little guy! I would love to hold him….although he may not be too cool with that. :jackolantern:
The Root Beer Float/Black cow theme is cute.
We have two local sodas that are similar in taste..sort of a spicy root beer (hard to describe) Sarsparilla (or sasparilla) and Birch Beer. Birch for short. How about Seltzer? Fizz?
On October 19, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Laurie Wood says:
If he were a bit darker, I’d go for Pepsi, or Cola. I like Jolt and Barq. It looks like Dr. Pepper might get the vote, but it could be shortened to “Pepper” and then it wouldn’t fit your theme. He’s adorable and his colouring sure lends itself to a soda theme! Congratulations on him. 🙂 And bring home that adorable blue-eyed little guy! You could call him Pepsi or Cola or “Moonbeam” if you want to center out his gorgeous blue eyes! :sheep:
On October 20, 2009 at 5:03 am
Nancy says:
I think you should name him Fanta.
On October 20, 2009 at 6:08 am
Sam says:
I like Shasta and RC, and what about Surge? Short-lived, but a cute name.
On October 21, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Linda says:
Your goats are really cute! I’ll say Dr Pepper!
I get a whole lot more than a pint of milk from my ND doe. At the moment I am only getting about a pint because I am only milking once a day. When I was milking twice a day I would get 36 to 40 oz a day.
On October 21, 2009 at 2:21 pm
michelle knotts says:
my name is michelle. i live in clay county. i am about an hour & 15 minute drive from walton. we have a small goat herd (about 25 head). i am very interested in your vingegar remedy for stones. my husband & i have been called out many times for just such a problem. we have approximately 25-30 kids born per year. i currently have 5 adult nanny pygmy goats for sale. they should be bred as they have been pastured with a billy goat for 6 weeks. i also have a pygmy billy for sale. he is white & black. he has long hair. if anyone is interested you may contact me by phone or email. my email address is [email protected]. you may call me after 5pm at 304-587-4367.
On October 22, 2009 at 9:20 am
Toni S says:
How about Slice
On November 2, 2009 at 2:48 am
lulu says:
What about RC
On November 4, 2009 at 8:06 am
Leslie Honeycutt says:
I like Nehi. His little ‘stockings’ are just knee high. Cute little guy.
On November 30, 2009 at 8:33 am
Lexie says:
Hi, I have been raising Nigerian dwarf goats for 7 years. I raise them mostly for 4-H shows, but my goats are AGS reregistered and have nice lines. I am currently awaiting my first 2010 kids sometime next week. I am located in PA near NJ. All of my kids are bottle raised and make wonderful pets/mini milkers. [email protected]
On April 1, 2010 at 10:26 pm
Ruby says:
Oh, your goats are the cutest! You are living my dream. I have always dreamed of having a small farm. I am so grateful to be able to read your blog and experience it through you until I get my own some day. I love your stories and videos. Thank you so much!
On October 6, 2010 at 11:34 pm