Scientific Observation of Goats and the Total Solar Eclipse

This is, by far, the most scientific observation you'll read all day. Two farmers were on a quest to see exactly what kind of an impact
the darkness during the middle of the day would have on their herd of 34 goats. Armed with 2 iphones, cardboard eclipse glasses that they picked up at the local hardware store, and a bucket full of peanuts, they endured the heat, humidity, and bugs and came up with this conclusion:

Don't Look at the Sun!

Regardless of what everyone said.....I did not get all of the goats their own eclipse glasses. Common sense told me that goats don't look at the sun on a daily basis, so why would today be any different? After reading a few write ups from a couple different vets, I decided that the goats should be safe and that I shouldn't have to bring them inside the house, to stop them from blinding themselves during the big event. Still.....I couldn't help but wonder......would they look? Guess what.....I was right. Humans are the only animals crazy enough to stare at the sun. I haven't seen any goats bumping into their totes or tripping over tree stumps, so I'd say that they all controlled themselves and didn't look directly at the sun. Smart goats.

Personalities

Before the moon started to steal the show, we observed the goats to see if everything was normal with the way the herd was acting. All was normal.....well, as normal as our goats can be. Shortly before noon, the moon started to move in front of the sun. I was ready for anything! Goats jumping in trees, goats howling at the moon, goats breaking down the gates and running away....I didn't know what to expect. I learned very quickly that the partial eclipse did absolutely nothing to their personalities. How about totality??? The moment we have all been waiting for!!! It's dark!!! And what are the goats doing? They're still doing the same thing they always do. Grazing, sleeping, butting heads......except for little Ms. Poundcake who was in the kidding area with Bernice. Poundcake screamed and screamed and screamed until Farmer Josh came running to her rescue. That was a cue for the herd to head up to their common area. They all slowly waddled behind Farmer Josh, not knowing exactly what they should do. I'm convinced they thought it was bedtime, but were completely confused by their evening routine being thrown off. After a few minutes, it slowly started to get light out, and the herd stopped in their tracks and looked around. They let the lightness soak in for a moment, and that was it. They were back to being goats. Butting heads and taking names.

Eating Habits

Would this once in a lifetime event have any impact on the many stomachs of our herd? Prior to the eclipse, nobody had any problems getting their breakfast down. They might tell you that they were still starving and that I didn't feed them enough, but never trust a goat. They lie. During the eclipse, up until the moment of totality, everyone continued to graze, eat hay, and snack on peanuts that the farmers would magically pull from their pockets on occasion. And then it hit....total darkness. And they continued to eat. Big surprise there. The only thing I observed to be any different was that once it was light again, they were convinced it was morning and that they needed breakfast again. However, I do believe they are always looking for an excuse for second breakfast, so I don't know if this can be considered a scientific observation or not. In conclusion, the eclipse had absolutely no impact on our herd's 136 stomachs.

What's That You Say?

I don't know about other goats, but my goats are known for being very vocal. Nighttime is a different story. They are actually very quiet once it gets dark(unless someone is in heat), so I was interested to see if the eclipse would quiet them down. The goats surprised me once again. The darkness didn't stop this herd from voicing their opinions. Whether it was Poundcake screaming from the kidding area, Rosie shouting for Ruby, or Will the Pill bleating at my pocket because he knew there were still peanuts in there.....this darkness brought no silence. I read articles about how the owls would start hooting and the locusts would stop buzzing, but I would have never known. The goats were never quiet long enough for me to hear what else was going on.

Let's Do It Again Sometime

I can honestly say that I don't think we had any scientific breakthroughs with this little experience, but we sure had a lot of fun. I couldn't think of a better way to spend a summer day, then with my most favorite goats and husband. It's a moment that we won't soon forget, and thanks to technology, we were able to live stream part of the event with friends and family and also have loads of photos and videos to help us never forget this magical day. If you ever get the chance to see an eclipse in totality.....do it. It truly was a magical experience.

Kidding Chaos

We survived......barely. After having 10 moms kid in 9 days, life is slowly getting back to normal. I thought I'd share a few of the highlights and lowlights of this year's kiddings.

Dottie and her Dippin Dots

Big old Dottie gave us quite the scare before she kidded. A bum leg and a slight case of pregnancy toxemia made her one miserable momma to be. I'll admit that I was a little worried about her kidding. During her delivery in 2015, it took her awhile to bounce back to her old self after her kids were born. That meant bottle babies galore. That wasn't the case this year. Since we caught the pregnancy toxemia early enough, we had that under control. Her delivery was textbook. It was the perfect way to start the kidding season. 4 beautiful, healthy babies......she was one proud momma.

Belle

In the past, Belle has always had triplets and never had any problems kidding. She felt like doing things differently this year. Her one big baby girl decided to present herself with one front leg forward and the other locked back. After doing everything I could to get the second leg forward and to get the kid pulled, we ended up having to make an emergency trip to the vet. That 25 minute drive is the worst when you're worried. Belle was very calm and actually laid down on the side of me in the back of the truck. The vet was ready when we got there and worked his magic to get little Winnie out successfully. Thank goatness for vets!!! We got everyone cleaned up and headed back home. We kept a close eye on Belle, to make sure she didn't have any internal injuries after all of that tugging and pulling, but she was just fine and loving her baby girl. Winnie is this year's class clown. There's always an ornery one in the bunch, but it's always been a boy in the past. Winnie broke that gender stereotype and is causing chaos everywhere she goes. But we love her just the way she is.

Rosie

Rosie was a rockstar....absolutely no problems during her kidding. She's a first freshener, so you never know what to expect. She's an excellent mom. Her little boy looks just like her, and Ruby, whom we're retaining, looks just like her grandma, Violet.

Molly

It was the year of kids having one front leg tucked back. Both of Molly's boys presented themselves with one of their front legs back, but luckily, she had no problems pushing them out. I had been worried about Molly because her last 2 kiddings, she had single giant bucklings. They made for 2 very hard deliveries. I remember having to pull Bruce in 2015. I honestly thought he was never going to come out. It took all of my strength to get him out. This year was much better, though. 2 smaller boys that came out with no problems.

Mocha

Mocha was another first freshener, so we didn't know what to expect. After staying up with her all night long, her water finally broke at about 5:00 am. After absolutely no progress, I decided it was time to intervene. Sure enough, the kid had both front legs locked backwards and wasn't able to come out. After a lot of work, I was finally able to get one of the legs forward and get the little doeling pulled. And boy, was she beautiful. Mocha is a wonderful mom who loves her little girl.

Alba

Alba made having triplets look like it was nothing. She needed absolutely no assistance and pushed all 3 baby girls out with no problems. She could've had her kids a little earlier than ten o'clock at night, but beggars can't be choosers, right???

Dusk

We were a little worried about Dusk becoming a mother. We didn't know how she'd be as a mom, but only time would tell. At about 1:15 in the morning, her water broke. She was having contractions, but was hardly pushing at all. Almost like she wasn't even trying. After an hour, I decided it was time to jump in and give her a hand. Sure enough, the first kid was breach, but with my help, we got him out. I laid her first little boy in front of her and waited to see what she would do. She just kinda glanced at him and looked away. I'm thinking, uh oh......maybe motherhood is not for her. But after a minute or so, she started in with her super adorable baby talk and started cleaning him up. Phew!!! We got him cleaned up and nursing, and I sent Josh in to go to bed since he had to work in the morning. It had been an hour and fifteen minutes since she kidded, so we figured she was done. WRONG! All of a sudden, she started pushing again, and her second little boy came along, and no assistance was needed. Oh yeah.....I almost forgot!!! Dusk isn't a people goat, so I had to stay outside of her pen the whole time she was in labor(up until the point when I assisted). All of the other moms appreciated the attention and company. Dusk preferred to be alone. It's hard for me not to be involved.

CeCe

CeCe was the only mom to actually deliver on her due date and had absolutely no problems with her delivery. I could've used 9 more of her. She made it look easy. She ended up with a little mini-me doeling and a white as snow "Dirty White Boy". She's a great mom and loves her kids to pieces.

Shortie Baby

I thought this goat was gonna give me a heart attack. I hadn't slept for 3 days straight and was finally trying to take a nap when Josh came in and said she was in early labor. You all know I was worried about her delivery since her mom had passed away after delivering Miracle, and I was also worried because I didn't know how she'd be as a mom. She's not your typical goat. Shortie Baby was due on the 18th. The 18th was the day that Shortcake, her mom, had passed away 2 years prior. This weighed on me heavily. Thankfully, SB held out and decided to go into labor the following day. She was in the early stages of labor for quite awhile when her water finally broke at around 6. After an hour of absolutely no progress, it was time to intervene. I went in and found the kid stuck clear back in the birth canal. It took my dad and Josh holding SB still for me to be able to pull her big buckling out. It took all of our strength, and all I could think about was Shortcake's kidding complications. It was pretty much the same scenario. SB immediately took to her little boy and started cleaning him up, and all I could do was cry. There were so many emotions, I couldn't take it. I was so worried, so happy, so scared, so overwhelmed, so thankful.....and the list went on. I just sat there and bawled while she bonded with her new baby. We got everyone and everything cleaned up, got the heat barrel set up and were getting ready to call it a night when she started pushing again! "Oh no....Here we go again!!!" A couple good pushes, and out came this tiny lifeless body. I immediately started cleaning out her nasal passages and throat and was doing anything I could to get her breathing. She was gasping for air, but I wasn't gonna give up. After working on her for I don't know how long, her breaths were much stronger, but she was shaking like crazy and not able to stand on her own. We decided it was best to get her inside, warmed up, and on a bottle. We put a heating pad on a towel in a box for her and got a little bit of colostrum in her belly. That started to perk her up, and after a couple hours, she was standing on her own. That first night was scary, but I'd take her out to mom every couple hours, so she could bond with her and also nurse on her. Shortie Baby was very accepting of her every time I brought her out. The next day, it was warm enough that she could be outside with mom. When I weighed her the next day, she weighed in at 1 pound, and that's how we came up with the name Poundcake. Pound, since she weighed 1 pound. And Cake, after her late grandma. Her big brother, Rigatoni, weighed in at 4 pounds.

Fluff Head

After the Shortie Baby fiasco, all I wanted to do was go inside and go to bed, but Fluff was in the early stages of labor. Josh went to bed and took Poundcake with him, and I stayed on Fluff watch. It was another long night. Fluff was in no hurry to get those kids out, so we just hung out and ate animal crackers most of the evening. Finally, after begging her to get busy, her water finally broke. And big surprise, after making no progress, I had to go in and assist AGAIN. Another kid with the one leg locked backwards. No worries, though. We got little Reese out in no time, and his little sister wasn't too far behind. Fluff Head gave us 2 beautiful blue eyed babies.

Onto the Fun Part

I am always thankful when everyone has kidded and everyone is healthy and happy. We can now finally enjoy ourselves a little bit. There is nothing better than getting to know each individual kid and getting to bond with them all. I never grow tired of goat snuggles and goat kisses, so if I have a spare minute, you bet I'm in there with those kids. Those bouncing babies learning how to jump and climb are the highlight of my year. All of the hard work is always worth it.

Welcome To The Crazy Zone

The most wonderful time of the year is quickly approaching. Kidding season!!! Don't let me fool you, though. It's also the most stressful time of the year and it tends to bring out my craziness. Here are a couple of short true stories for you.

Ambien and Late Night Checks Do Not Go Together

Until the moms-to-be decide to let us know exactly what time they will be kidding, every 2 hour checks are a necessity. All we have to do is run outside and make sure no one is having contractions, but it tends to be a difficult task when you're Ambien(sleeping pill) drunk. It's no secret....I'm an insomniac. Always have been. And for many years, I did take Ambien to help me sleep. If it wasn't for the random late night snacks and strange activities such as cleaning the house, it did help me sleep....sometimes a little too soundly. One night, Josh woke me up and told me to get dressed, so we could go and check on everyone. I stumbled to the bathroom and threw on my "crap" clothes and ventured into the kitchen where Josh was waiting. Then, he just stared at me like I was some sort of alien. I said "what?". He told me to go back to bed. I still couldn't figure out what he was talking about. He told me to look at my hoodie. I looked down and saw that my hoodie was on backwards, with the hood actually covering half of my face. Yep. It was best for me to just go back to bed, and he took care of that momma check. No more Ambien for this girl.

Kiddings Bring Out My Crazy Side

For those who have been lucky enough to experience a kidding with me, I apologize. Mix anxiety with the craziness of my babies being in pain, I tend to have a short fuse and no patience. Only a handful of people have seen this side of me. Poor Farmer Riley.....it's a good thing he loves me. In 2015, Riley was here when we kidded. It was his first time being present for the kiddings. I was outside doing an afternoon check on the pregnant girls, and sure enough, Molly was in labor. I ran and yelled at Ri to come out and help me. He had just pulled his pizza out of the oven and said "what about my pizza?". I told him to bring it with him and eat outside. He slowly meandered his way into the kidding area, munching on his pizza. Just to make things more exciting, it started to rain. I was prepared, though!!! I brought Ri a raincoat. I threw it to him and told him to put it on. After what seemed to be 5 minutes, I shouted "what are you doing? What's taking you so long?" He responded with some mumbled words I couldn't understand. I turned around and realized I had accidentally brought rain pants, and he was trying to put them on as a coat. He had his arms in the leg holes and was desperately trying to find the hole for his head. All I could do was laugh. It was one of those moments we'll never forget.



With all of the stress that comes with kiddings, it's so worth it once all of the kids are on the ground and are healthy. I could never count how many times I smile and how many times I laugh throughout a day. Baby goats keep me young at heart. With 10 moms due within 8 days of each other, I should be extra young this kidding season. Wish us luck!!!!!

Goats, Goats, and More Goats

99 goats. You "herd" me right. 99 goats have passed through our farm gates over the years. We've had to rehome goats and cull some herd members in the past, that is just part of farming. It's never an easy decision, but we know what's best for us, so we hope you understand where we're coming from. Here's an introduction to all of those goats.

Sophie Lou and Suzie Q

On the first day of goating, my farmer bought for me....a Sophie and a Suzie Q. The two that started it all. Shy shy SHY goats when they came to our farm, we learned a lot from these 2 beautiful girls. Sophie passed away in March of 2014, due to kidney failure. Suzie Q was rehomed. With such a large herd, we need to be able to handle all of our goats, and Suzie did not like to be handled, so she went to a farm with a smaller herd.

Violet

It's a disease. Once you get your first goats, you count the days until you can get your next one. Violet came from a farm down the road from our old house. Violet was a cranky old lady from the get go. Always picking on Sophie and Suzie. Her mom is actually Pepper. Unfortunately, Violet did not get along with quite a few of the other herd members and was the reason I actually ended up in the emergency room at one point. She had to be rehomed due to safety issues.

Luis

Oh, Luis Luis...how we love that old man and those giant horns. Luis came from a scary situation. A farm with too many animals on too little land. They actually had a buffalo on their small parcel of property. We were happy to take Luis off of their hands. Luis has been on our farm longer than any other goat. Shy with strangers, but a big old teddy bear with his farmers. He actually suffered a stroke quite a few years back. We call him our million dollar goat because of all of the medical procedures he's had done.

George

George came from the same farm as Luis. When he came to us, his name was Goliath. It was quickly changed to George. George was a laid back goat, didn't like to be fussed over much. When we moved to our present farm, we had to downsize our herd a bit, due to financial reasons, and George was one goat that we had to rehome. I do still miss this gentle giant.

Precious

Ohhhhhhh, Precious. How we love that sweet girl. She also came from the same farm as George and Luis, but at a different time. When we picked up George and Luis, I fell in love with Precious while we were there. A couple weeks later, we went and saved Precious from her situation, also. We didn't really like the name Precious, but could never settle on a new name for her. Snow Pea is the one name I remembered giving a test drive. It didn't stick. Precious is now retired from breeding and is loving life.

Bea

I was so excited to have our first nubian!!! When bringing in new goats, it's best to put them in quarantine before introducing them to your herd. That's what we do. And it's a good thing because she actually had CL, which is a common, very contagious disease among goats. Not curable. We decided to let her live out her life in her own quarantined area, nowhere near the other goats, instead of culling her, but we're thinking that due to this isolation, she started rebelling against us. She would rear up on her hind legs and actually try and butt us. It became very dangerous, so we ended up having to cull her. It was heartbreaking.

Georgette

This girl has had quite a history. We actually got her from an auction. She was skin and bones, full of worms, had a gunky nose, in rough rough shape. She wanted nothing to do with humans, and we honestly thought that we'd never be able to handle her. After quite a few years, she learned to trust. I will never forget the day she let me touch her for the first time. I know exactly where it happened and what I was doing. We now have the tightest bond ever. She loves to place her head on my chest if I'm sitting down and just press into me, like she's giving a hug. She doesn't like strangers and really doesn't like Josh(depending on her mood), but I wouldn't trade her for the world. She is now retired. And be sure to thank my dad for giving her the name.

Frankie

The tiniest little fainting goat you'll ever meet. She was another auction goat. I couldn't go home without her. She must've had some sort of mutated gene because she was teeny tiny as an adult. Half the size of our pygmies. She was named after Frankenstein since she walked all stiff legged. She got picked on nonstop by our other herd members, so we rehomed her to a home with all disbudded smaller goats. Another tough decision, but it needed to be done for her safety.

Maggie

Maggie Mae.....this goat was something else. Such a goofball. She was another auction goat. Was just a few months old when we brought her home. So much cuteness in a little package....and so smart. But she got bigger and bigger and bigger and so so SO naughty. She was one of  Josh's favorite goats, but once she realized she was bigger than everyone else, it wasn't good. She would pick on anyone that got in her way.....including me. She also had to be rehomed due to these issues.

Mia

I instantly fell in love with this girl. Considering she came from an auction, she loved people. My first real people friendly goat. It was short lived, though. She went into quarantine like all new goats who arrive on the farm. She also had CL and had to be culled. I know I sound like a broken record, but quarantining new goats that come onto your farm is one of the best things you can do. It can save a lot of heartache in the end.

Max

Max was another goat who came from the farm down the road from our old farm. He was also one of Pepper's kids. Loved his wattles. A shy guy, but loved his lovings when he was in the right mood. He was one who had to be rehomed when we moved to western Kentucky. Another tough choice that we had to make.

Brown Betty

I had wanted a brown goat for so long and finally got my opportunity! A brown doe with a little buckling(Tommy) in tow. Yay! They came from an auction. Unfortunately, when you get an animal from an auction, you don't get to interact with them beforehand. She and her son were almost feral. She stayed on the farm for awhile, but was rehomed due to not being able to handle her.

Tommy

Farmer Riley gave this boy his name. What a wild man Tommy was! But he would end up being our first sire, siring the first kids on the farm. He was just like his mom and was very afraid of people. After a brief stay here, he was rehomed.

Vance

Vancy Pants!!! The first goat born at Goats Gone Grazing Acres(before we had an official farm name), he was named after Josh's grandpa whom he shared a birthday with. His mom, Violet. Dad, Tommy. Probably our roughest kidding ever, which wasn't good since it was our first. After hours of no progress, we decided that the baby was not going to be alive and we were just trying to save mom. Somehow....when he came out, that little boy was alive!!! That wasn't his only hurdle, though. His front legs would not go straight(probably what caused the difficult kidding). We took him to the vet and were told to just put him down because he'd never be able to walk. We weren't going to give up that easily. We fashioned little braces out of  PVC, and guess what.....after a couple of months of wearing those braces, he was a normal baby goat. Van was here for many years, but suddenly became very violent. After doing everything we could do to correct the behavior, we made the toughest decision ever, to rehome him. Nobody said this job was easy. There were many tears.

Diesel

We were very surprised when Precious and Tommy(both white goats) made this cute little black goat. Diesel and his brother were Precious's first kids born on our farm. We don't know if Precious had kids before she came here. Diesel was named by our niece. Josh is a diesel mechanic, so that's how she got the name. He and his brother went to the same farm at 3 months old. They were the first kids we ever sold. The lady who bought them probably thought I was crazy. I bawled the whole time they were there to pick them up.

Atreyu

He is Diesel's twin brother. Precious and Tommy are his dam and sire. He got his dad's striking good looks. Atreyu was named by our other niece. She got the name from the movie, The Never Ending Story. The last we heard, the boys were living the good life as the only 2 goats on a little farm.

Lilly

This is when it starts to get crazy. We decided that we wanted to start making money with the goats, so they could start to pay for themselves. When we were offered the opportunity to purchase the remaining goats down the road from us, we decided to take them up on their offer. Our plan, to breed all of the does and sell the kids as meat goats. Guess what, we couldn't do it. I have absolutely nothing against people who raise goats for meat, but it's not for me. You probably know by now, that I get very attached to my goats, no matter how long they're here, so selling them as meat was not an option. More about that later. Lilly and all of her herd mates joined our herd in 2011. She was one of the older goats from that herd and has carried quints and quads in her past. She is now retired, but can be linked to 42 goats that have been on our farm. She's one of our herd matriarchs and is a really awesome goat. Doesn't like a lot of attention, but doesn't get into any trouble.

Molly

One of the goats from down the road, I had so much trouble telling the difference between her and her sister, Polly, for so long. You couldn't find a better goat if you tried. This little girl is so full of love. Wouldn't hurt a fly. Her mom is Lilly. After this year's kidding, Molly will be retired.

Polly

Another goat from down the road. Lilly is her mom. Molly is her sister. The world could use more Polly's. She's a pretty terrific goat. The plan is to retire her after her next kidding which will be in 2018.

Dottie

We all know Dottie. Mom of the Quad Squad and Will, Stan, and Cookie. But did you know she was the first goat to know her name? I never imagined a goat could learn their name. She came from the farm down the road. Lilly is her mom, Belle is her sister. This goat is the whole package....beauty, brains, and beautiful baby maker. Love that girl more than she'll ever know. I remember talking to Dottie's belly when she was pregnant with Will, Stan, and Cookie. When they were born, I swear they knew who I was, by my voice. Normally, you have to earn a kid's trust. Not with those 3. They came out being loves.

Belle

Yay!!! Another brown goat. I don't know why I love brown goats so much. She was so so shy when she arrived from the farm down the road. Nothing a few snacks didn't fix, though. Lilly is her mom. Dottie is her sister. Belle makes the most beautiful babies. Can't wait to meet this year's kids.

Pepper

Our oldest goat on the farm came from the farm down the road. This toofless girl is amazing. An amazing mom and an amazing goat. I love her wattles and everything about her. Such a wise old lady, she is retired now. You'll often hear me refer to her and her family as the "Peppercorns". I don't know how I came up with the nickname, but it stuck.

Shortcake

Another girl from down the road, I couldn't remember her name for the longest time, so I called her Mini-Me since she looked so much like Violet. Definitely the underdog of the group, I fell hard for this girl. So passive and so sweet. Shortcake passed away in 2015, due to complications from her kidding. She left behind a Miracle that year and two other sweet girls from three years prior. She will always be missed. I still cry when I think about her.

Kit

She also came from the farm down the road. Holy moly, this was one round goat. She was a good goat, but was one of the tough choices we had to make when we moved out west. She was rehomed.

Skittle

Skittle also came from the farm down the road. She was Kit's daughter. She was actually a hermaphrodite. They are more common than you'd think in the goat world. Her nickname was "Herme". A laid back goat, she was rehomed with her mother.

Cocoa

Another girl from down the road. What a set of horns!!! Cocoa was definitely not a people goat, but never caused any trouble. When we would trim her hooves, she would fall over and play dead because she hated it. She was pretty old when she came to us and was rehomed after she was retired. She passed away a couple years later.

Bitsy and Babs

Twin sisters who came from down the road. They didn't stay long because they were picked on way too much by our other goats. They are happily still together at their new home.

Jackson

Another baby daddy....we brought this guy in when we decided to get into the meat goat operation. If you look up feral in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of this guy next to it. Catching him was next to impossible, except for the one time he got himself stuck 7 feet up in a tree. Talk about giving the farmer a heart attack. That was the one time he was happy to let me touch him, when I lifted him out of the tree. He escaped unhurt. He was rehomed when it was time to breed his offspring. Look at those horns.

Mo

And now we're onto the 2012 kidding season. Can you say triplets? That was the trend that year. First born was Mo and his siblings to their mom, Molly, and dad, Jackson. Mo and his brother were named for their crazy hair(Mo and Hawk). He was adopted.

Hawk

That hair. Molly and Jackson's son, this handsome boy was also adopted after weaning.

Fluff Head

What's not to love about Fluff? One of Jackson and Molly's kids from 2012. Farmer Riley actually named her Atlanta, but the name never stuck. She had such fluffy hair on her head, that's how she got her nickname. Fluff Head is all grown now and is about ready to become a mom for the second time. Fluff doesn't like to be petted, but always wants to be near you. She loves a good scratching behind her horns, though.

Alba

The most beautiful eyes on this girl. Lilly is her mom, Jackson is her dad. She was a triplet. We only planned on keeping two does in 2012, but fell in love with way more than that. So glad we decided to keep Alba. Such a love. She was the last goat to be named that year. We researched other flowers related to a lily and ended up finding the name Alba.

Sunflower

One of Lilly's triplets in 2012, Sunflower got her dad's good looks(Jackson). Our niece named this sweet girl. Sunflower had her first kids in 2016. She's an awesome mom.

Big

We were very creative when giving this boy a name(he's the one in the center of the photo). He was HUGE! I remember assisting with the delivery in one of the huts. Boy, does Lilly have a set of lungs on her. Jackson is the sire. Big was adopted.

Cookie

Her actual name being Cookie Dough, Farmer Riley named her this because she looks like chocolate chip cookie dough. She's such a clown. Always making me laugh, she takes after her brothers, Will and Stan. Dot and Jackson are her parents. Cookie had her first kid last year, Cookie Doe.

Will

There's a reason we call him Will the Pill. This boy is into everything. I call him the farm ambassador because he's the first to greet everyone. Dottie and Jackson are his parents. I don't know what I'd do without this boy. He makes my heart whole.

Stan

Named by Farmer Josh, his dam is Dottie and his sire is Jackson. He's like a big old teddy bear.....in desperate need of a diet. I also call him Captain Cute Butt. Not as pushy as his brother, but still a lover.

Ricky and Walker

Look at those handsome boys. Belle is the dam. Jackson is the sire. These boys also have a sister. You may recognize her. Ricky and Walker were rehomed.

Stella

Teeny tiny Stella is the sister to Ricky and Walker. Belle and Jackson being her parents. I'm pretty partial to Stella. She was the first kid named in 2012. It started out as Bella, after her mom, but ended up being changed to Stella. The name definitely fits her. One of her nicknames is Napoleon. I'll let you fill in the blanks. When she was a baby, I swear she would find every five gallon bucket of water I was hauling and jump into every single one. I saved her more times than I like to admit. And yes, I always put lids on them, but as I'd dump their water bowls, she'd jump into the five gallon buckets as I was turned away. Silly goat. She is now one of my favorites. Old faithful. Love her.

Polly's #1

This girl was never officially given a name. Polly and Jackson were her parents. A very shy little girl, she was rehomed.

Polly's Adopted Kid

Polly is a truly amazing mom. She gave birth to triplets and ended up also fostering a fourth kid that was rejected by Kit. Polly didn't bat an eye and raised her as her own. This girl was also very shy and was rehomed.

Willy

Loved this kid. He was such a goober. One of Jackson and Polly's triplets, he was named One Eyed Willy because he had pink eye when he was first born. No worries, we got his eye all fixed up, but the name stuck. He was rehomed.

Tootsie Roll

Tootie instantly became Farmer Josh's favorite goat when she was born. Polly and Jackson are her parents. How did she get the name Tootsie Roll? Every morning, she'd be a tiny skinny goat. Then come night time, she'd be this big old round thing full of milk and food. We often thought she had bloat, but nope, was just round like a Tootsie Roll. Plus, Tootsie Rolls were Josh's favorite candy. This girl has a personality and a half. Vertically challenged, but full of spunk.

Mocha

Named for her beautiful coloring, we were shocked again when Precious(white goat) and Jackson(black goat) gave us a pair of brown babies. They were the last kids born in 2012. Mocha is laid back just like her momma. Never causes any trouble, just does her thing. She's expecting her first kid(s) next month.

Chino

When you put his name and his sister's name together, they make MochaChino....named by Josh's mom. This sweet young man was rehomed.

Flower

Those ears. They've been amazing since day one. Georgette is her dam, Jackson her sire. She was named by my cousin. She's so much like her mom. Just a big old love. She had her first kid last year and will hopefully be having another in 2018. She also had a twin brother.

D.H.

One of the stranger names. D.H. stands for "Dirty Hooves". Named by Farmer Riley, the first thing D.H. did when he met Ri was jump up on him with his dirty feet. Thus, the name Dirty Hooves. Georgette and Jackson are his parents. He was adopted.

CeCe

CeCe was actually born with a selenium deficiency. That's how she got her name. C.C. stands for crippled caprine. She couldn't walk when she was first born. After a shot of Bo-Se, she was a normal healthy kid. She was a triplet. This girl looks so much like her mom, Pepper, it's amazing. Just missing the wattles. She will be kidding for the second time next month. Hoping they're as sweet as her last kid.

Olivia

Olivia was one of the two kids we planned on keeping in 2012. Those wattles, and she loved to be carried around. She was such a people goat. I always loved the name Olivia, so that's what she got stuck with. Her mom is Pepper and her dad, Jackson. She is now a mom herself and loving every minute of it.

Wattles

Another creative nickname since he had wattles. Was just as sweet as the other "Peppercorns". He was rehomed.

Dusk

One of Shortcake's kids, Jackson was the sire. Named by Farmer Riley, she and her sister got the names Dusk and Dawn. Dusk is probably our shyest goat currently on the farm. Prefers to keep to herself, but doesn't cause a lot of trouble. She and her sister were such escape artists when they were babies. They would escape out of their kidding pen, leave their mom behind, bust out of the barn, and greet the farmers at the gate. They'd make Shortcake such a nervous wreck. Dusk is due to have her first kids next month.

Shortie Baby

My most favorite goat in the world......this ornery girl's given name was Dawn. Before the kids had names, we'd refer to them as Pepper Baby, Polly Baby, Shortie Baby.....so on and so forth. That's how she got the nickname Shortie Baby......and it stuck. This smart goat is amazing. Comes when she's called, knows how to read body language, loves having her hooves scratched, and did I mention that she can JUMP? I am so so so so soooooooo excited to meet her first time kids next month.

Buddy

One of Jackson and Sophie's twins, this was Riley's favorite goat. He looked so much like his mom. We weren't planning on naming him, so Riley gave him the nickname Buddy, and it stuck. He and his brother were actually sold twice, and both times the sales fell through, so he and his brother were with us for a couple of years. He and his brother were finally rehomed to first time goat folks. They are close enough that Riley can visit his best buds. They now have a few of our goats. One was Cocoa who passed away.

Shy Guy

Buddy's twin brother....he got his momma's good looks. Combover and all. He got his nickname because he was so shy as a kid. You'd never know it as he got older. He was such a lover. He was rehomed with his brother.

Kiwi

Suzie Q's little girl...another tough delivery. She had a twin brother, but he was born stillborn. A moment that still haunts me five years later. I often wonder what I could have done differently. Josh actually wanted to name her Kiki, but I wasn't going for it, but that's how we came up with Kiwi. She was VERY flighty, just like her mom. She was rehomed.

Stinky Pete

Kit's boy got his name because it was before we discovered how to keep their bums clean as newborns. I was constantly having to clean up his backside. It was a good thing he was cute. He was rehomed.

Puff

Our only single baby born in 2012....what a good looking fella. Cocoa was his mom. That's how we got his name.....Cocoa Puff. This handsome guy was rehomed.

Maggie's #1

Maggie and Jackson made beautiful babies. This little girl had a twin. She and her sister were how we paid our farmsitter when we had to make an emergency trip to Nebraska, when my mom was in the hospital. Both girls are now milk goats at their new home.

Maggie's #2

Just as beautiful as her twin sister, she was also born with a selenium deficiency, but also pepped right up after a shot. This girl was the well behaved of the two. Her sister was super ornery, took after her mom, Maggie....just ask Riley.

Rose

One of two kids born in 2013, on our new farm. She is Violet and Jackson's kid. She was named by our niece. Wattles just like her mom and grandma....she's extra special. We are impatiently awaiting the arrival of her first kids next month. We'll be retaining a kid for her since she's a loner. She'll make a wonderful mom.

Willow #1

A sad story.....Maggie and Jackson's little girl only lived a couple days. She had a birth defect and was unable to absorb nutrients. Such a beautiful little girl gone too soon. She passed away at the vet's office. They did everything they could.

Uno

The one and only flying Uno started out the 2014 kidding season. Molly is his dam, and Jackson is his sire. He got his name for being the first born that year. This little goat had more personality in his one hoof than most people have in their whole body. He now lives in Wisconsin, at Double G Goat Ranch. You can find them on Facebook.

Willow #2

Georgette and Jackson's second set of kids, Willow was such a sweetie. And beautiful too. She and her twin were rehomed to the same farm as Buddy, Shy Guy, and Cocoa.

Daisy

Our very own little dancing goat. She must have gotten her moves from her mom, Georgette. She and her sister were the finale of 2014. They knew how to finish off a kidding season. They are loving their new home.

Boy Troy

This handsome beast came from Pete N Jane's Fainting Goats farm in Illinois. You can find them on Facebook. We had long loved the myotonic breed and were in need of a new sire, so he was an excellent addition. He was just a few months old when he came home with us. Farmer Riley gave him the name Troy, and I added the Boy.....seemed appropriate. It was a few months before we saw him faint for the first time. He doesn't faint a lot, can usually control it, but sometimes I'll walk around the corner too quickly or rake too scarily, and that sets him off. He does NOT like strangers, and the other boys feed off of his fear. They want nothing to do with visitors. But let me tell ya, he loves to rub his stinkiness all over his favorite farmers. We're so lucky.

Captain White Pants

The first to arrive with the Quad Squad, he was the smallest of the bunch. His mom, Dottie. His dad, Boy Troy. When it comes to beautiful babies, he took the cake. Quite the stunner with that pink and black nose....and those white pants of his.....to die for. He made the big move to Missouri with his buddy, Solo. He is a herd sire and already has baby Captain White Pants running around. I receive updates often, so I love that!

Hope

The lone girl in the Quad Squad. Dottie and Troy are her parents. Josh's mom fell in love with her and Blue immediately and decided to start her own little herd with them once they were weaned. Somehow, Josh's mom ended up taking home four goats when everything was said and done, but we don't ask questions. They now live right up the road from us. We visit often. She is still a big old love. She's just a little bigger.

Blue

Member number three of the Quad Squad, he got his name because he always wore a blue sweater when he was first born. The name stuck. He was lucky enough to join his sister, Miracle, and Bruce up the road at Josh's folks' house. Some spoiled rotten goats they are.

Ziggy

The final member of the Quad Squad....this boy is a LOOKER! That zigzag face got him his name. A laid back and very goofy goat. He made the big move to Florida when he was a few months old, but rejoined our herd in August when one of his new owners fell ill. We took Ziggy and his new brother and sister in, this way if their new owners were ever able to take them back, they could. And they'd also be able to continue to see them all of the time on our FB page. You know there is no shortage of pictures there.

Rocky

This kid got his daddy's good looks(Boy Troy). His mom is Polly. He has a twin sister. This awesome young man went to a farm in Tennessee, where he is now a herd sire. Already has kids of his own. He got his name because he was such a big boy. So muscular.

Rockette

This girl could motor!!! That's how she got her name....because she would rocket across the yard. Polly and Troy are her parents, Rocky is her brother. She was rehomed. She and BeBe went to the same farm.

Fynn

This little guy had what looked like a shark on his side....that's how he got his name.....shark fin. His dam is Alba. His sire is Troy. He has a gorgeous twin sister. He was adopted.

Fiona

Fynn's twin sister, her parents are Alba and Troy. She looked so much like her mom, it was adorable. This beautiful little girl was rehomed.

Solo

Precious's last kid before she retired. Solo got his name because he looked so much like Uno from the year before. This kid was the class clown. Definitely took after his dad, Troy. He joined Captain at his new home in Missouri, where he is also a herd sire. Lucky boys.

Miracle

She is definitely our little miracle. After a very difficult kidding with Shortcake, even the vet thought there was no way that her kid would survive. The vet sat the lifeless kid to the side, to tend to Shortcake, when Miracle coughed. They scooped her up and ran to put her on oxygen. After a couple hours, we were able to take mom and baby home. Shortcake didn't have the energy to tend to her new baby, so we became Miracle's mom and dad, and she became our first house goat. Sadly, Shortcake passed away two days after giving birth, but left us behind this beautiful baby girl. Miracle would wear a diaper in the house and a onesie to keep the diaper on. She didn't really need the diaper, though. She would tell us when she needed to go to the bathroom, and we'd put her in her tote full of straw, and she'd take care of business. She would spend her days outside with her friends, but evenings and rainy days inside with us. We didn't know for sure what we were going to do with Miracle once she was weaned. It would have been so hard to introduce her to our herd full of all adult goats, especially with not having a mom to look over and defend her. We decided it would be best if she joined the 3 other kids that were going to be living at Josh's parents'. She's almost 2 years old now and still thinks of me as mom. Smells my breath when I get there, to make sure it's actually me, and loves on me until I leave. She's the most passive of the group, so she stays out of the way of the others. Love this little girl with all my heart.

BeBe

This shy, sweet girl was a spitting image of her mom, CeCe. You can guess how BeBe got her name. She loved to nap in my lap and loved her momma even more. She was rehomed.

Bruce

If you didn't know any better, you'd think that Bruce was Miracle's identical twin. Same dad, Boy Troy. Different mom. Molly is his mom. Josh had been trying to name a goat Bruce forever, so he finally got his wish. Bruce and Miracle were the best of friends. They were perfect for each other. They were both single babies. Everybody needs a best friend. Josh's mom decided that Miracle needed her bestie to join them at their house, so he's just up the road from us.

Flop

This little heartbreaker was something special from the moment he was born. How can so much cuteness be contained in such a little package. Belle is his mom. Troy is his dad. He was a triplet. Flop got his name because of those floppy ears of his. It's amazing how their nicknames stick. He is now the herd sire at his new home, and his roommate is his brother, Pogo. We got to visit him this past Fall, and boy oh boy, does he look like his dad.

Pogo

One of my most favorite kids, this little guy is Belle and Troy's son. He was such a laid back little guy and still is. And talk about cuteness!!! He was named by his new owners, and the name certainly fits. He happily lives as a wether at his new home, with his brother Flop, in eastern Kentucky.

Oscar

Belle and Troy made the cutest brown babies in 2015. Oscar and his brother, Pogo, both got their mom's beautiful brown coat. I named Oscar after my late grandpa. For some reason, when Oscar was born, he reminded me of him....so the name stuck. He was adopted.

Bennie VonFluffenstein

The Fluff Nuggets....the comic relief for 2015. Bennie and his brother, Bertie, had so much personality and were the sweetest little boys. Fluff Head is their mom, and Troy their dad. The two boys were named after a couple of Fluff Head's biggest Facebook fans.I was bound and determined to make these boys super lovable since their mom isn't a huge fan of being loved on, and well.....it worked. They turned out to be two super sweet little boys. Bennie and his brother both went to the same home in southern Kentucky.

Bertie VonFluffenstein

The other half of the Fluff Nuggets.....Fluff Head and Troy are their parents. These 2 boys actually took awhile to be adopted. They were here for 6 months. My 2 boys weren't going home with just anybody, though. I loved every minute I got to spend with them and was very happy that they went to the same home together.

Yule

This hunka hunka burning love came from Wild Blossom Farm. They're not too far from us. You can find their farm on Facebook, also. This little nigerian dwarf is nothing short of perfection. Emphasis on short. He's been an excellent addition to our farm. We needed a sire for our smaller does, so he has worked out perfectly. This little guy loves attention, peanuts, and Luis......in no particular order. He will be the sire to a whole lot of this year's kids. We hope you're ready!

Shasta

My little Shasta Pants.....the Sunflower Seeds started out the 2016 kidding season with a bang! Triplets!!! Sunflower is the dam, Troy is the sire. We used all flower names to name the Seeds. Little Shasta was always the most outgoing of the 3....a real sweetheart. She and her sister, Poppy, went to a farm not too far from here, but came back to us about a month later. The new owners didn't have time to spend with them, and that wasn't fair for the girls. Sunflower welcomed them back with open arms, but it took a little longer for the two to gain their farmers' trust again. I think they were mad we sent them away for that short time. We decided not to rehome them again, and they will now live out their lives with us.

Poppy

Another one of the Sunflower Seeds, she was the biggest of the three. She weighed a whole pound more than her sisters. Troy and Sunflower are her parents. She was the shyest of the three, though. She's still a little shy, but loves her farmers and peanuts. We're so happy that she is here with us. We love our little Pop-Tart.

Clover

Born with a perfect little white crown on her head, Clover was a princess from day one. She and the other two Sunflower Seeds always kept their momma, Sunflower, on her hooves. 3 super sweet......but super wild kiddos. Clover's new home isn't too far from our farm, and we hear from them often. She's doing great.

Cookie Doe

Born with a racing stripe on her leg, this little girl was ready to go!!! She was her momma's, Cookie, pride and joy. Boy Troy is her sire. I so hoped that Cookie would have a little girl, so I could call her the Cookie doe, and after a big Facebook vote, the name Cookie Doe stuck. Being a single kid, it was really neat when our other single kid(Hendrix) arrived, and the two of them became the best of friends. I'd never seen a friendship quite like theirs and wasn't looking forward to breaking the duo up. Cookie Doe was originally supposed to go with Poppy to the same farm, but right before they were supposed to leave, Cookie Doe took a horn to the neck, and we were doctoring it to get her better. The folks who were taking her wanted to take their two goats right away, and we wanted to make sure Cookie Doe was all healed before she was sent on her way, so they decided to take Shasta instead.And then something amazing happened. Hendrix's new owners said that they wanted to take Cookie Doe, too. So...the duo is still together and they are still inseparable. We are lucky enough to visit them often. They are right across the river, in Illinois.

Hendrix

Do they get any cuter? This boy was something else. Arriving a few days later than the Sunflower Seeds and Cookie Doe, he had some catching up to do when he arrived. Those girls walked all over him for the first couple weeks. Flower is his mom, and Troy is his dad. Since we had already used flower names, we decided to go with a hippy name for Flower's boy. Thus, the name Hendrix....like Jimi Hendrix. It didn't take long for him to become Cookie Doe's best friend. Always together and always in trouble. Hendrix now lives with Cookie Doe and four other buddies from our 2016 kidding season. They're spoiled rotten.

Polly

My favorite kid from 2016, this girl was definitely the teacher's pet. Stella is her dam. Yule is her sire. She has a twin sister. Her new mom and dad own a casters company and named the kids after things relating to casters. When Polly was born, she was having trouble nursing on Stella, so she became a bottle baby in a pinch. It only lasted a couple days, but it was enough for the two of us to become very bonded. She greeted me at the gate every time I went outside, learned to jump up into my arms when I was standing, and knew her name by a month old. She made it easy to love her. She is now in southern Illinois with her sister and four other friends from our 2016 season.

Dolly

This beautiful little girl is such a sweetheart. Stella is her mom, Yule is her dad. Polly is her twin sister. She is also named after casters. Dolly loved to nap in my lap and especially loved Farmer Riley. She was his favorite. They are all loving their new home in Illinois.

Yula

One of our 2016 blue eyed beauties, Yule sure did sire some beauties. Tootsie is Yula's dam. Yula was named by her new owners and she's named after her dad. This teeny tiny shy girl is still just that. One of the sweetest little goats you'll ever meet, this goat never got into any trouble. She loved her momma and her twin brother. Both she and her brother are now in southern Illinois.

Axel

Also named by his new owners who own the caster company, we all agree Axel probably should've been named Yule Jr. because he looks just like his dad. Tootsie is his mom, and Yula is his twin sister. Axel was the baby of 2016......last kid born that year. He had an infection on his backside when he was first born, and we had to shave his butt and give him baths every other day, that's why the nickname Bare Butt was quite fitting for this little man. Even after being picked on, taking weekly trips to the vet, shots, and baths....this little guy still loved and trusted everybody. Just a laid back little guy. He is loving his new life with his sister, Cookie Doe, Hendrix, Polly, and Dolly, at their new home in southern Illinois.

Ringo

This dark chocolate colored little guy is quite the heartbreaker and he stuck with the "Peppercorn" theme and made sure to have himself a set of wattles. Ringo was the wild man of 2016. If you heard something strange going on, you could always count on Ringo being involved. Such a little lover and such a stinker at the same time. Olivia is his dam. Yule is his sire. His new owners gave him his name, and it fits him well. He is now living the wethered life with a couple of lady friends in Illinois, and loving it.

Lucy

This little girl......nothing short of spectacular. She's the whole package: smart, adorable, sweet, and the most well behaved little goat you'll ever meet. Olivia is her mom, Yule is her dad, and Ringo is her twin brother. Lucy was the only kid we planned on retaining in 2016, but ended up with Poppy and Shasta, also. Her name.....no special story for how she got her name, I just liked it. Now, that's a boring story. She loves to play with Shasta and Poppy, and I often see her playing with her aunt CeCe. Lucy is a born entertainer and absolutely loves dressing up in anything I put her in.....as long as there's food involved.

Milly

Milly is one of the 3 Amigoats who came from Florida. When one of their old owners became sick and could no longer take care of them, we knew we had to do something. We offered to take their little herd and make them a part of ours. Ms. Milly is an amazing little goat. She actually thinks she's a human. Would much rather be with the farmers than the other goats and absolutely loves going on rides on the ATV. I can't wait to see what I can teach her. She's been a wonderful addition to our farm. Vinny is her younger brother.

Vincent VanGoat

Otherwise known as Vinny, he is the last of the 3 Amigoats. A little shy at first, this boy will be your best friend once he learns to trust you. This boy loves Cheetos more than you could imagine and would live off of them if we'd let him. His best friends are his sister, Milly, and Ziggy, but has quite the crush on our Polly. It's really fun to watch them make new friendships. And have I mentioned how handsome he is???

The Trees

And as if you're not overwhelmed enough, I'm also going to share their family trees. They'll show which goats belong to what does. It's amazing once you see it on paper.

That's it.....this is our lives. It's not for everyone, but it's definitely for us.