# before Goats...I chuckle



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Before we moved to Texas, got goats, chickens, turkeys, sheep, donkeys, cats and ducks all we had was two beautiful Boxers. When My daughter brought home her male boxer we didnt even think about him breeding our 8 year old boxer, since we were never able to get her bred and now she was old...HA...looked out and saw the two..happily stuck in love...I ran around the house closing all the blinds..yelling at the kids to stay away from the windows..afraid for them to see "mother nature" in action lol...then came the farm...lol..couldnt hide anything...My then 7 year old would come in yelling...Mom...that rooster is attacking the chicken...we once saw her chase the drake with a stick yelling..you leave her a lone....lol..Now they come in and report who bred who and how many times...last night while sitting on the back porch enjoying the cool breeze our little game rooster Mr Rogers came running from the barn after a small red hen....he chased her across the yard and got her...( we have reg. size roosters that usually do not let him near the hens..so this was a big deal for him lol) ..My 13 year old said.poor hen..she still just laying there...my 15 year old pipes up and speaks for the hen..:" i feel so violated" lol...where did the time go when I ran around closing the blinds...

Share your funny stories ...I would love to hear about your city to farm transitions....


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## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

Lol I know I still do that with my 5 year old niece !!! I remember how I use to be a lot pickier about getting my clothes dirty outside now I'm just like ehh it'll come off


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

I've lived on our farm for so long that I can barely remember the transition from "city slicker" to "country bumpkin"

One thing I distinctly remember is that I hated dirt and poop. I was a little germophobe and would walk around the house with a can of Lysol, spraying door knobs and shoes. (I also was terrified of feet!) 
Fast forward a few years...and I recently looked in the mirror, and noticed that I had smeared dirt all over my face, chicken poop on my hands and shirt, my pants were covered in various stains and colors of unknown origin. 
I haven't touched a can of Lysol in who knows how long..and when I drop food on the floor, it gets brushed off and popped into my mouth. 
I think that slowly, over the years..I've finally become countrified! What with all the animals, the garden, the fact that I've had to cancel multiple events due to animal sickness (I almost missed my senior recital because my darling doeling had bloat!)...I have finally transitioned from that little girl with the can of Lysol into that young woman with goat hair on her shirt and dirt on her jeans. I can't say that I don't like the change.


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## fibromom (Mar 31, 2013)

"Now they come in and report who bred who and how many times..."  Oh, this thread is cute!!!! I think of my 14 yoa grand-d who LOVES simple country life but has a Mom who is a Stiletto, city-type and HATES the farm. Grand-d lives the city lifebut RUNS out in the muck and the mire with me as soon as their car pulls up.

The other day, I decided to release our gorgeous Rex buck as a penned-in pet out to free range with "Wild One," another buck. I've learned the hard way that free-ranging boys tend to either kill each other or chase one or the other off the farm so I did not want to lose OUR ONLY REX out of about ? 50+ rabbits over the past 2 years. I figured that, since Wild One (1/2 Flemish Giant and big!) has a permanently damaged hind leg (alpaca kick maybe?), he'd be a nice guy, not too aggressive toward his pal. I was right.
Instead of beating each other up, they hump each other forever and then hang out together in the sunshine or shade or under stumps or whatever. They frolick all over the property, "Whiskers the Rex" coming to my voice many times (he was a very cuddly bunny.)

BACK TO THE GRAND-D STORY: she arrived the day I released Whiskers. She was SHOCKED to see two males humping (tho she was here when we were heavy into breeding rabbits and found the whole mating, pg, delivery and baby thing SUPER fascinating) but she accepted that as a way of determining who was going to be alpha. 

Her mother and my husband, on the other hand, find it to be a very disgusting pastime!

On the topic of "farm slop," I came in yesterday from a nasty rain storm, my pj's (yes, country living allows me to go outside in my pj's to do chores!) wet and poop mucked from the goat pen. Years ago, I would have been horrified. This day, I simply took my "clothes" off, draped them around the laundry basket to dry and stepped into the shower. FARMING is WHY we have showers, yes?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Well, I didn't transition from city to country - I'm one of the lucky ones who was born into farming/ranching life. If it still counts, I imagine I could come up with a few funny stories! :laugh:


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## Wlschwallenberg (Jan 4, 2013)

Born and raised in San Diego, a true valley girl who loved high heels, shopping and manicures. Moved to Maryland at 19 and met my (polar opposite) hubby and he slowly but surely transformed me into a country gal. Even 7 years ago, the thought of animal poop or hair grossed me out, now it's just another factor in our every day routine. Lol

Who needs the beach and outdoor malls? Gimme my goaties!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

before moving I was a (dont laugh) Image consutant for a Dallas based company.( no, not mary kay lol)..Image was everything lol..now instead of using $100 face cream I wash with goat milk soap and my face cream is coconut oil with vit e lol..and my skin never looked better...my first ever kidding experiance was one to remember...We had a too small boer goat that was bred too young...she went into labor and I can tell she was in trouble but didnt know what to do..I called my vet and he talked me througha very scary ordeal with me screaming in his ear the whole time "OH MY GOD>>OH MY GOD" lol..cell phone on one shoulder while I followed his instructions..baby was coming head only ..no hooves...he told me it could get messy if I have to get him out in pieces..WHAT!!! so in went my hand...wedding rings and all...he then says..make sure you donthave any rings on! OH NO..pull hand out slide off slimy ring..stuff in shoe.go back in..( no gloves) I was in tears trying to get those legs out..the goat was pushing and screaming...I went in behind the knee area and popped theone leg out..she pushed and I didnt let go..we heard (yes even the vet heard) a loud pop..like a bubble gum bubble..out came a huge 9 pound solid red boer Doe...the whole vet office cheered...I fell back shaking ike a leaf...said thank 100 times to the vet and hung up...then she began screaming and pushing again...one hoof and head only..UGH...repeated what I did the first time and popped another large doe..a paint...8.5 pounds...that is alot of goat for a tiny..maybe 70 pound boer doe!!!!.. after mom was fine and babies were nursing I fished my ring out of my shoe and went in to wash...amazed at what just happened...now I dont wear rings at all when home...only when I get all gussied up for town...


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## AmyBoogie (May 20, 2013)

I too was lucky enough to be born and raised in the country farming. 
I tried to be a city girl for a few years in my early 20's but it just didn't work.


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Well I've always been around animals so there was no transition. BUT, I remember last summer when I went out to hang out with my girls before going on a date. I looked nice too. That's never possible with me! Lol 

Fast forward to after I'm done scratching the bucks beard and transporting a coccidia infected doe lol. 
I get in the car & my mom goes "yukk you smell like buck!! What is your date going to say?!" 
I didn't know what to do but I didn't care cause if he couldn't deal with goats or goat smell, he ain't for me!! 
To be a little nice, I took the air freshener (the hanging tree one for rear view mirrors) and smeared it on my clothes. 
Now, I don't even bother doing that.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

My poor mother was the city girl and Dad the rancher. We had this hugh gelding named Spook when I was growing up. I was about 8, and my sister was about 6 and Mom looked out the kitchen window - well, Spook was laying on his side in the corral and Diane and I were sitting on the ground leaning up against his belly. Mom nearly died! She finally decided the best thing to do was to just pull the shade and hope for the best. :laugh:

Then there was the day we were out doing something and us girls saw a little bullsnake. We asked Mom if we could catch him, and Mom said "Sure", never dreaming we could. Well, we caught him and put him in a big, empty livestock water tank. He stayed there for a long time and we fed him hamburger and stuff, until one day he slithered up the side and then up a tree that overhung the tank. Well, then we started our toad collection, complete with tree stumps and things for them to climb and sun on. Mom was leaning on a post watching the toads one day when she felt something drop on her and slide down her back. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see the tail of that snake disappear. She nearly died! We heard about that for a long time, and that took care of our unorthodox pets. :laugh: :laugh:


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

These stories are too cute! Happybleats, I LOVED your story! Haha,
but I too was born in the country, on a farm, no transition. I love hearing everyone's stories! Keep em coming!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

..I knew a lady from church in california who raised goats...I thought she was weird lol..now Im the wierd one..my family and friends think so...many are shocked over the change ..from image consutant to goat queen lol....


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## lazykranch (Dec 18, 2012)

My co workers make fun of me daily. Calling me a crazy goat lady and laughing when I tell them what I did over the weekend.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

loving these stories!!

happybleats, that was an introduction by fire! 

my foray into farming was when we first got chicken. we had chicks for a few weeks, and someone gave us a hen that she rescued a few years before from local kids who were torturing her (pulling her wings, teasing etc). we had a hen house. put her in the hen house that day. woke up at 3am to MONSOON rain, and the stupid dog hopped the fence, stood in front of the chicken coop just barking away at her. I had to get up, go into the rain and try to get him back inside...didn't tie him up so he hopped the fence and did it again! I got him back, and tied him up. I thought that was SUCH a hassle.

now I plan my day according to the goats schedules, and make plans around them. weird how things change!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

when we bought this place we also purchased 5 cows and a bull LOL..Yah...about a 1900 pound bull who thought he was a dog...we didnt understand the danger at the time...we had weak little fences and a huge bull...we would call Tanner tot h fence and give him a good brushing with a push broom and a few treats..Tanner loved it..whenwe decided to sell a few of the heffers we had a cattleman come out to look at them...he asked if they were exposed to a bull...I said yes..letme call him...I yelled TANNER and in came running this 1900 pound bull...right to that tiny little fence...the kids got the push broom and began brusing him..I turned to see that cattle man white as snow flat up against the barn..I was puzzled..he said I never saw anything like that in all my years...he then told me that Tanner will end up hurting us..not that he would mean to...but a firendly bull is a dangerouse bull ( boy we were green) I told him we never get in with him..he said that fence is like melted butter to him..he'll go right through one day..he bought a few girls andleft shaking his head...another cattleman cameout and basically told me the same thing...Thenone day I saw my son, then 10 get in with Tanner and treat him like a dog...I saw how dangerous that could be and sold Tanner...the guy showed up with a single wide trailer on four wheels...pulled by a MINI VAN!!! Yep...took an hour to get Tanner loaded in that tiny thing...he was so tight it popped all the window and side doors lol., he jammed them shut with sticks!!! .off this guy went...I told him...please call when you get there..I dont want to hear on the new a 2000 # bull is on the loose...and they called me crazy????


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

My kids were raised around livestock/horses so the facts of life were never a secret to them. My oldest boy used to be able to tell if a cow was in heat when he was about 7. That same son did a nice presentation on the birth of a set of goat twins as his science fair project when he was 9. He did a great job, however the school didn't think so. 

While I was raised in the big city, I was a country/farmer girl at heart and was never adverse to getting down and dirty in the mud or dirt or clean up manure and such. Farming is in my blod and soul, I'm a throwback to my agricultural ancestors


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Tanner the bull reminds me of Baby Huey. Baby Huey was our Black Angus bull that we used on the cows that weren't AI material. He wasn't a pet - he was just this hugh, friendly, easy going bull. We never tried to tame him or gave him treats or anything - it was just how his disposition was. I don't know what he weighed, but he was almost as big as our horses. We used to joke that if the cow in heat was standing in a cow trail, Baby Huey wouldn't even have to mount to service her. My younger sister was dating a city boy from Maryland and they were visiting. We all went to check the water and Don saw something he wanted to look at closer aways off from the windmill. As he's looking at whatever it was, he looks up to see this enormous bull bearing down on him. He didn't know what to do - run, try to hide, or crawl in a hole and pull it in behind him! The look on his face was priceless! So Baby Huey trots up, stops, and just stands there about a foot or so away waiting to be scratched. Don was about to faint when Diane came up behind him and explained. We have a picture somewhere of Don standing beside this bull (Don is over 6' and, if I remember correctly, his chest was about level with Huey's withers) scratching him.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Oh goodness, this reminds me of our big Hereford bull we used to have. His name was moo-bert. He was huge, even though we purposefully weaned him too soon hoping to stunt him a bit, didn't work! He was a bottle baby, we bought him from an old lady that was bottle feeding him because his mom went down and died in the NID ditch that my father was working. He saw the calf and brought it home.
He was a firey little guy. He used to play in the front yard with my daughters when he was a baby, but when he got bigger it wasn't so fun to play with him. He was a goobery guy, he didn't know how big he was and forever acted like a baby.
He would want to play every time my daughter went out in the pasture to get the horses up, and he'd go running up to her wanting to play like they used to, but it always scared her and she'd take off running and end up climbing trees to get away from him. 
She didn't want to play with him after he got to be his grand ol lumbering 2500+ lbs.
In the winter we were dry lot feeding and he ate a bale a day and was still hungry and dropping weight. 

We had this one mare out of the bunch that was particularly p*ssy toward him. Her name was moonglow but her previous owner made her to "hot" at races and she'd just about turn inside out when she heard diesel trucks. So we called her moon chicken.
but anyway, one day she was being a big B to moo-bert and kept trying to kick and bite him, he nonchalantly walked up to her put his head under her and flung her up in the air! She was fine, she actually landed on her feet. But moo-bert always did that to the mean horses it was his favorite thing to do. Moon chicken never was mean to him again though, lesson learned! 
He also happened to be an escape artist. He would get down and crawl under fences like dogs. Hard to keep him in. 
And since he was dog tame, old russler bob always tried to haul him off to his ranch. I actually had to call the Sheriff out to help get 3 of my cows and moobert back from his house.
when we got to his house he was all saying " oh no these aren't yer cows! They're mine!" I disagreed. He said "prove they're yer cows" . Well my cows are dog tame like I said, and they were standing out in his field. I yelled out "Annabelle, Tina, SnowWhite, Moobert " and they all came running up to me. Old russler bob went off saying "son of a b****" and "I'll be damned " and whatnot. 
got my cows back home and I was happy. 

We eventually had to sell the cows do to family illnesses and lack of financial income.


***fixed the typos


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

I have been an on/off wanna be farmer for many years. This is the first time I've gotten into goats, however. My granddaughter and DIL got interested and I would call them when a doe was in labor and they would come and help me. 

I had everyone out for a family picnic last year when we were expecting fall kids. My other granddaughter had never seen a goat birth...and I had several does due soon. During our meal (of course), one of those does decided to have her kids. So, out we went with the birthing kit. GD#1 was talking GD#2 through the procedure. I got a little concerned that I was not going to get this kid out...said a quick prayer for help...I didn't want to scare #2. As I was working her out...#1 told #2 "I am not going to have children, I'm going to adopt"...in such a "matter of fact" way I was a little surprised! Got the kid out, everyone lived, we were happy.

I fully believe, my little GD#1 could birth a kid in an emergency. She's the best!


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## oxhilldairy (Mar 24, 2013)

I was born on a small family farm and at the age of four moved to Long Island I hated every second of it! Wanted to move back forever! We still had the old house no animals just a dog or too and cats then we moved back when I was 7 and I got my first goats Gus and Dixon (pigmies) and Casper a alpine but never got to full size (Casper was down syndrome goat he was the sweetest boy ever I felt bad he couldn't jump and play like other goats I needed to teach him everything including how to eat he eventually died at age 3 of coccidiosis before I knew what it was ) well anyway I am now 16 and love all my goats I have 9 now and a team of oxen and I wouldn't triad this life for all the money in the world.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

oxhilldairy: when we moved to the farm,we had 6 kiddos, they were 6,8 ,10,17,19,and 24..yes the older ones came too...well my 17 year hated it...he was mad we moved him from his friends..the whole works....hes now almost 26 and lives in Dallas..he hates it..he comes home so often for his animal fix Im not sure he really moved out lol


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## vlinealpines (Sep 23, 2012)

I have always been a farm girl, even had a slumber/hog butchering party when I was in junior high school. My grandgirls have been raised pretty rural, too. They spent the night when the ewe went into labor. They quietly sat on the fence while she delivered twins. Violette, the then five-year-old turned to Emily, her older sister, and said, "See, I told you they didn't come out of their mouth!"


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## Overplugged (Apr 12, 2013)

I was always the kid hanging out at the fences of OTHER peoples' farms because we couldn't afford the land growing up in Bucks County, PA. So I lived the city life for a long time in my teens and twenties, and thirties.

I am in Phoenix now, and I used to go running past all these empty horse properties...I wanted to make it a law that said if you don't have farm animals then you should give up the land! My husband and I were on our way to Target one day when I decided right then and there that it was time to buy my own land, so I told him to turn "down that road" and there was our property, put on the market 3 days before. 

We have the best of both worlds because we are still only a mile away from Target yet are in a rural community as well. The high school is on the other side of the wall, and so I had to get permission for my son to scale it to get to classes. Over the electric fence he hurdles every day!

We still get looks at Target though...it starts with the dirty jeans, and you can see peoples' eyes move down to my boots,covered in muck and hay, and then they roll their carts in the other direction. My husband wears one of three white T shirts and jeans. Farm life sure saves on clothes!

We are going to visit a friend with 46 goats today....any bets on how many I will bring home????


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## emilieanne (Oct 15, 2012)

Three!!!(; 

Cant have one, you gotta have two for company. But what If those two are mad at eachother ? you & another goat have to team up to get the two mad at eAchother, back to being friends!!(;


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

I think the first time I really realized how country I was, was when my friend, my sister and I were running a 6 week old Boer kid with scours, trying to catch some of the diarrhea in a bag to do a fecal for Cocci. My friend was singing him a "poop into the bag" song, and my sister was running, holding the bag under his tail 

And more recently, I was at a friends house pulling kids from her LaMancha doe who didn't dilate. I hardly had time to wash up afterwards, and we had a meeting/fundraiser for our Relay for Life. I told them- "If I smell like goat placenta, just don't stand next to me." !!!!!!!


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Di said:


> I have been an on/off wanna be farmer for many years. This is the first time I've gotten into goats, however. My granddaughter and DIL got interested and I would call them when a doe was in labor and they would come and help me.
> 
> I had everyone out for a family picnic last year when we were expecting fall kids. My other granddaughter had never seen a goat birth...and I had several does due soon. During our meal (of course), one of those does decided to have her kids. So, out we went with the birthing kit. GD#1 was talking GD#2 through the procedure. I got a little concerned that I was not going to get this kid out...said a quick prayer for help...I didn't want to scare #2. As I was working her out...#1 told #2 "I am not going to have children, I'm going to adopt"...in such a "matter of fact" way I was a little surprised! Got the kid out, everyone lived, we were happy.
> 
> I fully believe, my little GD#1 could birth a kid in an emergency. She's the best!


Bwa ha ha! ...going to adopt.....he he he


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## fibromom (Mar 31, 2013)

OH MY GOSH... I LOVE THIS THREAD. I lol so many times.
Emilie wrote,"...To be a little nice, I took the air freshener (the hanging tree one for rear view mirrors) and smeared it on my clothes. 
Now, I don't even bother doing that. "
THAT IS HILLARIOUS!!!
P.s. Did you marry a farmer?


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## fibromom (Mar 31, 2013)

I love GoatCrazy's story and her signature as well:
"Don't make vast plans with half-vast ideas"
I should put that saying on my fridge for all of our (adult grown and gone now) children as well as 14 yoa grand-daughter to read/ HOPEFULLY CONTEMPLATE when they come to visit.


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## fibromom (Mar 31, 2013)

Lotsagoats wrote of her young son's knowledge of breeding/birthing goats: "He did a great job, however the school didn't think so."
While this is OFF TOPIC a bit, I had the same experience as an OB nurse and mother of very knowledgeable young girls. My kindergartener caused her teacher to have heart palpitations when she was explaining to the class that "her baby" (my son) was about to be born any day. She then went on to explain that "when the dad and the mom love each other, God helps them to make a baby with the dad's fish and the mom's egg. The baby grows inside the mom's tummy and comes out when the baby is done. It is very painful to have a baby."

The teacher actually called me! I guess some of the kids' parents preferred the "stork" story!


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## Tapsmom (Sep 20, 2011)

I have been around horses my whole life in fact the horse i have now is 27. we got goats about 4 years ago and i absolutly love it! My story is about my first goats. My mom had been talking to a few people about goats. And finally someone had said that her last batch of babies had been born but....... it was a boy and a girl... we wanted does only :kidblue: so we went to her house and as soon as i layed eyes on the buckling i was in love. They were born that morning and i begged my mom the whole way home home.when they were 2 weeks old my mom finally gave in and said that it was okay. The breeder said that we could take them that day! But we had to bottle feed them. i said i would feed Fred (The buckling) Every morning and night!Then my mom realized that we didnt have anything to bring them home in! my mom said " then we will just have to come back and get them tmrw" my sister and i begged and begged and finally got to bring them home! And we brought them home........... in our laps! I was 8 and my little sister was 4 and we were soooooo excited. Fred is now humongous and so is Camilla


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## GoatGirlInTraining (Mar 26, 2017)

following


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I grew up in a large city. All I ever wanted was to be a farmer/rancher. I studied animal science in high school and brought home 2 hatchling chicks to raise in my bedroom. I used to drag home very sick or injured critter I came across to live in my bedroom until it got well or died of old age. I had a pigeon who lived on my bookcase. My biggest desire was for a horse. I had cats and dogs since I was 1 year old.

Because I couldn't have a herd of horses or cattle, I raised mice and rats. I messed with genetics and husbandry and such with them until I was old enough to get a job to earn enough to buy and support a horse. I worked for a Vet and worked my way up to being a surgical nurse (same as a vet tech only trained by the vets themselves)

Every summer we would go to a dairy farm outside of the city to get fresh corn. I would run into the barn and pat the cows and calves and refuse to wash my hands for days afterwards, so I could just sniff the smell of the cattle.

I got my first horse when I was 17. I am now 61 and have not been without a horse since. I got married and moved to the country (unfortunately my husband was a worthless jerk). I had 2 horses by that time. I worked at a chicken hatchery and brought home chicks, so we had hens. Then he went to farrier school to shoe horses and we moved to Maine. I got my first goat (a NuMancha) when I started breeding horses in case I needed milk for an orphaned foal. Then we got a dairy farm (cows) and I milked 65 head of cows and 65 head of goats along with breeding and showing horses. I also showed the goats, did 4H with my kids, who had their own herds.

My ex decided he wanted a younger wife after 11 years of marriage and 4 sons. He sold all my goats and horses one day (perfectly legal in Maine) except for my stallion who was listed as a partnership with my mother. I left him and got my own place with 1 horse and 2 does. Swearing that the small place I bought (1.3 acres) would limit my animal population.

Well, at one time I had 10 goats, 15 horses, 4 dogs and a bunch of chickens. lol. Now I have 2 horses, 18 adult goats, I lost track of how many kids so far this year (20 some odd, anyway) and still have a couple of does left to kid. I have a Great Pyrenees who guards the homestead from the house, an Alaskan husky who hates the cold and snow and 6 Alaskan Malamutes, plus around a dozen chickens.

My parents were so good about my childhood zoo. My dad never understood me, but he supported me 100%. His grandparents came over from the old country and set up a farm. He worked there growing up as well as a family market. My mothers side of the family had several ranchers, so I guess I get my desire to farm/ranch came naturally.


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