Digging In: Visiting A Goat Farm

Since we decided to really dig in and improve our current homestead, we've been thinking about the new additions we'd like to make in the garden and also in the barnyard. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for goats and think that tiny baby goat kids are just the cutest things ever. I imagined we would keep goats at some point, but sort of pushed it off into the future.

We recently decided why wait? If we want goats, we should get some goats. But we honestly don't know much at all about them, so we searched online for a local goat farm to visit for hands on experience. Our search led us to Itty Bitty Critter Farm which is about a 2 hour drive away. We called the owners and they invited us to visit the farm over the weekend and ask as many questions as we wanted. We ended up spending a bit of time with the owners and the goats this past Saturday and had a blast!

I haven't been around goats at all before, so I was surprised at how friendly and calm they were. I had heard that goats will jump on you and try to eat your clothing, but these girls and boys were so polite and well behaved. I found that they liked to be petted and scratched on the head, so I happily obliged.

David spent a lot of time asking about the proper housing and fencing for the goats. I tried to stay focused and learn as much as possible, but I have to admit, I spent most of my time taking photos and observing (and petting) the sweet girls and boys.

There is one mama to be who is due sometime around March. Her babies are not yet spoken for, so depending on how things work out, we may be able to get some goats this summer.

We've decided on Nigerian Dwarf goats because they are smaller and easier to manage than other standard sized breeds (and also because they are just so adorable). Eventually we'd like to milk them, so we are thinking about getting a couple girls. We still have some planning and deciding to do, but we are going to make our dream of having goats a reality!

If you are in the St. Louis area and interested in goats, we highly recommend Itty Bitty Critter Farm. The owners are very knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions you may have. They take such good care of their goats and you can tell the girls and boys are well loved and spoiled. Many thanks to Sandra and Gary for being such great hosts and educators. If you take a visit there, let them know we sent you!

~Tammy

Shared with Maple Hill Hop