# Why did you get into goats?



## Perfect7 (Apr 19, 2010)

We started with goats for therapy. We adopted a 6-yr-old boy with autism who was also labeled with moderate to severe mental retardation. When he came to live with us 1 1/2 years ago he did not speak a single word, did not make eye contact, and would scream for hours on end. When he saw our baby chicks, his first word was "chicken". So, we decided to try goats. A year later he is talking, not to age level but basic sentences. He has also moved to regular education and his IQ is NORMAL. Besides an obvious speech delay, he is typical (and even advanced) in most areas now. They are all amazed that he has gone from "severe autism" to "aspergers syndrome" (very high functioning autism) in a year. Our goats are pets, our goats are food, our goats will be 4-h projects for the kids but most of all, our goats are the miracle that brought a little boy back into this world. I can't wait until he's old enough to show them!


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

What a wonderful experience!!! That makes me so happy just reading it.
We got our first two goats a doe and a wether to be companions for our horse. Now he has a bunch more friends. :wahoo: 
We have young kids and hope to have them involved in 4H when old enough. I also can't wait to get to milk them; maybe next year. Right now I have my hands full with the 2 legged kids. 
Currently only have Nigerian Dwarfs but have been thinking maybe someday adding a meat breed.


----------



## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

What a wonderful story that is Aimee. 

I got into goats because I needed a source of local unhomogenized milk to combat terrible airborne allergies in a dog I had. (This completely got rid of his allergies, by the way) Needless to say that dog, a rescue, was the most expensive dog of all time. Not even counting all the medical problems he had. Then of course I fell in love with the goats.

Jan


----------



## bleatinghearts (Feb 26, 2010)

Love your story. Temple Grandin is my idol. Her skills and how she understands animal behavior is amazing to me. I can totally see how your son would benefit from having these wonderful animals.

We saw an add in the local paper for a $25.00 togg. wether. We thought that would be a bargain. :idea: Bring him home, get him a little bigger and then put him in the freezer. Easy as that! Well, we brought him home and I, having noooo experience with this kind of animal, spent 30 minutes just staring into those crazy eyes. I wanted to name him Marvin (for Marvin the Marchian) because that’s what he reminded me of but we settled for Jimmie. Well, two years later we did finally end up butchering Jimmie but we had to have our neighbor do it because we were so attached. I bawled my eyes out all day long. These animals are sooo easy to get attatched (and addicted) to.


----------



## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

That's awesome Aimee! Even the smallest of animals are truly powerful creatures, aren't they? 

Many years ago when I was in 4-H we read in a newsletter about an essay drawing for two goats.. I had wanted goats for a while but my dad was completely against the idea. When we read this, my mom said to enter. So I wrote a page long essay and won! A Nubian doe and wether. Been hooked ever since.


----------



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Such a nice story!

I got my goats because I was working for a woman who had too many. Since we bought some property and I wanted milk, she gave me a doe and her buckling and a bottle fed doeling from one of her other does.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I was raised on the milk from Nubians, Toggs and Alpines, always had goats around as a kid and after I left home, I wanted my own for milk and pets...remembering how many times I got dragged through the brush by a doe not wanting to be put in at night or the time I had to have a cast to my knee for 8 weeks because Thumper...the MASSIVE Saanen buck stepped on my foot and broke it , I decided that the mini's were more for me and MUCH easier to handle and keep. They may not make the gallons of milk that the bigger breeds do but what they do produce, they put their all into it.


----------



## GoatJoy (Aug 9, 2010)

Perfect7 said:


> We started with goats for therapy. We adopted a 6-yr-old boy with autism who was also labeled with moderate to severe mental retardation. When he came to live with us 1 1/2 years ago he did not speak a single word, did not make eye contact, and would scream for hours on end. When he saw our baby chicks, his first word was "chicken". So, we decided to try goats. A year later he is talking, not to age level but basic sentences. He has also moved to regular education and his IQ is NORMAL. Besides an obvious speech delay, he is typical (and even advanced) in most areas now. They are all amazed that he has gone from "severe autism" to "aspergers syndrome" (very high functioning autism) in a year. Our goats are pets, our goats are food, our goats will be 4-h projects for the kids but most of all, our goats are the miracle that brought a little boy back into this world. I can't wait until he's old enough to show them!


Yes I totally agree! Animals are AMAZING therapy! I have two boys with autism. The oldest is Aspergers, and the youngest sounds alot like your boy. He is almost 5 but doesnt speak a word yet. He's undergone LOTS of hospitalizations because of a really bad heart defect and for some reason his stomach has never been able to tolerate much (i think it has a lot to do with poor oxygen circulation) anyway he never has been able to tolerate milk. Even soy milk gave him the runs. So we bought our first diary goat and started pasteurizing (because of his low immune system) and low and behold he had "Real" poop!!! :clap:

I can hardly get anything down him because of all the texture issues that come with the autism, but he LOVES goat milk!!! :wahoo:

The funny thing is that he could care less about animals, but my oldest son with Aspergers LOVES them. The first time he EVER made eye contact or interacted with anything other than himself, was with a puppy and he started playing ball with her! He loves the baby goats and memorizes their names.

I never thought this would turn into my passion with everything else I have going on. But my goats are a HUGE outlet for me as well as stress therapy. Nothing makes me smile like a bunch of baby goats fighting over my lap!


----------



## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

love the stories!!

I really wanted a horse, so badly. But they're so expensive to keep, especially in Alaska. The I went to the fair, and my fascination for livestock grew and grew. I settled for goats, to show...and was immediatley HOOKED! I picked Boers because they were different, there was just something about them that made me happy. Found a Boer doeling.. BAM! Love em! 18 goats later....


----------



## Paige (Oct 14, 2010)

I got into goats when I was unable to keep my horses anymore. My first year I just had market goat and after that I was hooked!


----------



## Calico Patch Farm (Mar 8, 2011)

Well, I am only 15 and my mom has had goats for 13 of my 15 years, so it kinda stuck! Now the herd is mine and she sits back and cheers me on! :wink:


----------



## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

Well, when we finally got to move to the country 11 years ago my kids were so excited that they could finally get some barnyard pets. My daughter wanted a horse and sheep and my son wanted a goat. We got her two bottle lambs from a friend and soon after she also had an available wether kid (bottle baby), so we got him, too, and named him Buckwheat. He was a boer/nubain cross. My son was planning to show him at the fair (not for market), but he was soooooo spoiled he jumped the fence and out of high pens to come to the porch and look in the window and yell for us. He finally broke his leg jumping and had to have surgery and wear a cast, so the fair was out. We had to give him to a lady with a reallllly high fence, and he stayed in until we went to visit him one time. I guess we reminded him he could jump really high, because he jumped out and would never stay in again, so she found him a home with HIGHER fences! He now resides with the children's author Patricia Polacco. Well, of course we needed another goat, so got a Nubian doe, and bred her to a boer buck. We still have her daughter (Darla) who was an amazing looking boer doeling and won Supreme Grand Champion at the fair as a jr. doe kid and 2 more years after that. Well, I was hooked. I then slowly began collecting goats, and now have Sannens, Alpines, that one boer cross doe still, and will have a nigie this summer! All 3 of my younger kids have shown goats in 4-H and I got into goats for the milk. My youngest son still shows at the fair, also.


----------



## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

My husband and I work in a childrens home for troubled kids. I got my doeling for milk, (and a wether for companionship) but also as animals to bond to, and have fun with, and learn how to take care of different kinds of animals. All the kids love them!!!


----------



## Coyote Night Acres (Dec 27, 2010)

We lost our pet sheep and sold the remaining handfull of sheep because we couldn't bare to have them around when our only tame sheep was gone. The following spring we got a goat for milk and just a little project like the sheep to sell offspring from, it went from 1 doe to 15 goats LOL. It's a fun project for my mom and me to do. Hope to start showing, but it may be a couple years before we can do that.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

What a wonderful story Aimee! Wow, what a special little boy you have there! Isn't it cool how animals bring out the best in people? I'm so glad they have been such a big help for him! 
All the stories are great 

I never ever considered goats... My husband is from Mexico, and where he is from people raise goats instead of cattle. His father has about 250 goats! I have no clue what breed they are, they are a mix between meat/dairy. 
So...when we bought our place 3 1/2 years ago, he said maybe we'd get some goats...I was like uh..sure, lets just get the kids a pony....and a dog LOL
Hubby got the pen fenced in, and one day I was browsing a breeders list looking at websites, and came across the first two girls we bought. At this time I was still trying to convince hubby to get a pony and a dog!
But once we saw the girls....and my kids fell in love...we knew this is what we wanted. Haven't looked back and no longer want the pony or dog! Okay so I would love to have a HORSE, but we don't have the property we'd need to make having a horse fun!
I also realized that my kids could get involved in something fun like 4-H, and that was another 'go' for me with the goats. 
So here we are with our buck, 5 does later.... we've had 11 kids since last summer, plan to keep 3 doelings...and have one doe due early next week!


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Its so amazing how God uses animals to bring out a child!

Growing up animals were my bst friends, I felt more connected to them than humans.
Still do in some ways; I think I know my girls better than alot of my human friends well I guess so if you consider having to help a doe deliver kids.When my children were little we had a few Nubians for milk & meat.
After they grew up & left home I felt that strong urge again after many yrs of having no goats.
We searched found Boers to be the direction. I quit my graveyard job as a housekeeper in an upscale dept store & cashed out my stock dividends to invest in goats. (hence farm name Laughing Stock Boers) 
Six yrs later I'd still rather be out mucking than cleaning toilets.


----------



## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I joke to people .. and refer to my goats as my mid-life crisis. But it is kinda true~ My son is all grown and married, my daughter is 16 and very busy... the past 10 years with my husband have been really tough.. so I really needed something for me. When I found out that I could actually (finally) have goats in our city.. there was no stopping me. I've never had goats before.. only chickens, but I've always wanted one... Well, I am SO happy to own 2 wonderful Nigi does.. I'm picking up a doeling tomorrow... and next month after her 3 are weaned, I get one more doe! (3 years old) 
Sometimes I guess we have to create our own happiness... and goats are a big part of mine!
(By the way.. nancyd) I still clean toilets as my part time job cleaning at church...


----------



## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Didn't have enough land for horses or cows, and wanted something to eat the tons of poison ivy all around us, sheep smell and seemed like more trouble than goats, so I got a couple goats from a local petting zoo farm. I wanted milk, so I found a home for the wether and got a couple more does, they had babies, I kept the 3 doelings, and I'm planning on getting my own buck, so I will be up to 7. They are just so loveable and personable. I am even cutting down on my poultry flock so I have more room for the goats, and my husband never thought that would happen.


----------



## TinyHoovesRanch (Jan 16, 2010)

Well lets see....I have always been a horse lover, and since I knew I couldnt have a horse, I decided to join my high school FFA nd raise some sheep for meat, did that for 2 years and finally realized its just too hard for me to do it.

So I was at my county fair walking around, and I saw these 2 little colorful goats with collars on, I went up to pet them and FELL IN LOVE! Got my very first nigi that summer and almost 4 years later I have a herd!


----------



## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

I wanted milk to make soap and I love animals. I have to say though that goats really scarred me at first. I had never had a goat before, we had horses, cows, pigs, chickens growing up so this was all new (and still is). I was worried I would feed them something that would hurt them. My whole family has had alot of fun with them and the soap I make pays for all their feed for the year. They are so much fun and loveable. I really can't imagine not having them.


----------



## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

nubians2 said:


> I wanted milk to make soap and I love animals. I have to say though that goats really scarred me at first. I had never had a goat before, we had horses, cows, pigs, chickens growing up so this was all new (and still is). I was worried I would feed them something that would hurt them. My whole family has had alot of fun with them and the soap I make pays for all their feed for the year. They are so much fun and loveable. I really can't imagine not having them.


Tell me about your soap making! How much do you make and how do you market and sell it? Is it hard to make?


----------



## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

Well i kinda feel left out with some of the stories here.I just got mine to clear brush,we had a couple of acres that was overgrown and needed to be cleared so i got 3 boer does from a guy selling out and bought a buckling from another guy.We have lots of cows but all they do is stand around and eat grass,cows are boring.When i brought the goats home everyone said thats trouble.Compared to a cow they are,but much more excitement with a goat,anyway 3 years later the brush is in control and now i have 14 including 6 kids and still have 3 doelings to kid in july.


----------



## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

amazing, inspiring stories everyone!

we got chickens at first but I'd always wanted a "real" pet... aka mammal and since a dog was out (because of the chickens and that I'm not particularly fond of them) that left horses cows sheep or goats (I guess a llama would have also been an options) both horse and cow were too big and a bok I read on sheep started with the quote "Sheep are the dumbest animals on god's green earth" so that put me off them.... Goats have so much more character...we got my two for pets and harness (therefore their size... we where going to get nigi's and had names figured out to.. Merry and Pippin, two hobbits from the lord of the rings.).. but we ended up getting the biggest saanen wethers we could  and now four years later I'm looking into a dairy doe.... we'll see 

Miranda


----------



## GoldenSeal (Sep 14, 2010)

Get this... I got into goats because I wanted to make money. Wasn't that a joke!! :ROFL: I ended up lovin them and even though they cost me a lot of money I still have them!


----------



## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

I started work at a ranch (Corff Ranch, for anyone who knows it), and they had a TON of goats. They had a dairy herd and a meat herd, and when I stopped working there, I convinced my husband to let me start goats (his first experience with goats ever was one getting stuck in a hole....). We bought a doe and a wether, butchered the wether the next day (nearly 200lb....), and I spent the next 3 months working with that doe to tame her. Never did get her bred, she died last year, but at that point I was hooked. 

My initial intent was for milk, I'm moving more into showing and profit (yeah right...), but even if everything I had plans for fails, I'm still gonna keep my goats.


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Love this thread! Great stories! Perfect7, I teared up reading your story. That is so beautiful - what a miracle! And it sounds like there are others like it too.

I've kinda wanted goats for years, but was happy with my beautiful crazy setter, Molly. When Molly died, I wanted another dog (I love dogs). I couldn't find one I liked. Dad said, "Why not get a goat?"
I had also always wanted to milk an animal - goat, cow, whatever. So of course it had to be a dairy goat. I did some studying up and we got two Nigerian does in 2009. The rest is history.


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

When I was born we had a large hog operation but then the market crashed and we sold out of everything. Then we sold all our land to a housing addition and moved just northwest about 8 miles. When we moved in there we started raising beef cattle. I have always known cattle and pigs and that is what I showed for my 10 years in 4-H. I did show goats for 2 years. I had a nubian wether my first year and had no idea what to feed it or how to show it but I ended up with reserve grand champion that year so I did it again the next year and got last so that was the end of goats for me.
Now that I am out of 4-H its my nieces turn. Taylor is the oldest and her first year I got her a pig to show. she loved her pig but when we got to the fair she was in the goat barn the whole time. So the following year I got her another pig and 2 goats. She loved her goats way more. Well on her 3rd year her little sister was finally old enough to show so I told them I could not afford all the animals they wanted so they had to pick one species. GOATS were their pick. I never planned on getting this into goats. I was never a huge fan and so I thought we would just buy new market babies every year. I got the bright idea in the fall of 09 to buy 2 bred does so the kids could watch their 4-H kids go from just born to the fair. We had so much fun with those 2 does and their kids that I ended up buying a buck, we kept the 2 doelings from that year and then bought 2 more bred does this year and are planning on keeping 3dolings this year. These darn goats grab your heart stings for dear life and its hard to let them go.


----------



## KatieT (Mar 20, 2011)

These are such wonderful stories.

I got into goats because I was desperate for a dairy animal. Originally I wanted a cow, but I knew that a cow just wasn't practical for my situation. Last year I visited the goat barn at the state fair and the goat people were so friendly, and the goats looked so manageable, that I went home and started doing some research. Before buying my goats I had only had goat's milk once from the store and I really disliked it (this is what kept me from considering goats for a long time), but I was hopeful that fresh milk would be better (especially after reading many posts on here). After drinking my own goat's milk, I hope that I never have to go back to store-bought! And I've absolutely fallen in love with my girls as well.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Its funny how they just wont go away, once bitten always smitten...
Up until the 6th grade we lived next door to a goat dairy. I was always going over there playing with the babies & adults.


----------



## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

I love goats, always loved goats. They are silly and funny and friendly creatures who bring joy with them wherever they go.

My husband has always had a "no livestock" policy on the farm, especially goats. But Sadie, my half a Haflinger, needed a home.........and a buddy. Being a softy he relented but just for the 2 (or sometimes 3...or 4) horses. Then one of the 4H'ers had 2 baby wethers he couldn't keep. They came to stay (but just until my friend could take them) That's when I convinced him that soap would pay for goats if he would just let me give it a try. That was August.

Now, in April, I have 11 Nigerian Dwarf Goats and 4 stores to sell my soap. I also sell at the farmers market. We are all loving it. Well, husband loves the does anyway.


----------



## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

I LOVE these stories and the one about your autistic son is just amazing but oh so true! Animals have a way of sneaking into our deepest soul and pulling out the best in us!! 

Wow--I have a big dog with food allergies I had never considered giving him goats milk! How does that clear up the allergies? Right now he eats rx'd food and that keeps him beautifully but he is a mastiff mix so the $$ for his food FLIES out the door-lol!

Our story is that we have 10 acres and a smashingly nice barn--well for several years we could pocket about $600 extra each month by just boarding a few horses at our barn. The horse situation in Texas is BAD-no one is spending much money at all on horses, so boarders are hard to get and if you do get some the financial compensation is not worth allowing someone else use of your barn/land. 

My husbands mother was talking about the profits from selling goats for meat purposes. I had never, in a million years, even considered nor thought I would consider owning a goat--wasn't that I did not like them-just never spent time w/any goats or new anything about them. I researched the meat thing on-line and the wheels started turning. But...I knew we could never raise the babies and send them off to slaughter-just not us. But....my daughter is starting FFA this year and she said she wanted to show a goat. So, I thouht we could breed them and sell them for FFA or 4H projects. As I researched I found out about breeding boers and showing in the goat associations. 

So (lol!) here we are---we have 2 beautiful 100% fullblood straight south african boer does, 1 registered fullblood boer doe and 1 EGGS bred boer buck. I told the children we will keep these 3 beautiful does as our foundation stock, so they know they can consider them pets. But they know all the babies & other does we may get in the future are sellable stock  As four our Titan (the buck) as long as he is a good herdsire and gentle we will let him stick around too  so now we are only minus the weather for my daughters fall FFA project 

Oh the other thing--I LOVE how intelligent these goats are and that I can allow the kids to play with them in the paddock and the barn ANYTIME they want and I know the goats will not hurt them. I always have to be out in the barn anytime they want to work with the horses -but it is so nice to peek every now and then from a window & smile when I see them giving the goats treats, talking with them (lol!) and brushing/petting them!


----------



## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

> Wow--I have a big dog with food allergies I had never considered giving him goats milk! How does that clear up the allergies? Right now he eats rx'd food and that keeps him beautifully but he is a mastiff mix so the $$ for his food FLIES out the door-lol!


Local milk, and also local honey, if it is not overly processed, contains the pollens that are in the air, that the animals (and people) are allergic to. Goat milk is probably better than cow because goats have a more varied diet. Usually. It won't work for food allergies. But sometimes dogs have issues with both. It works like shots work, gradually accustoming the animal (or person) to the pollens, sort of like a vaccine works. If you can get unhomogenized cow milk from a local dairy that is only lightly pasteurized this will also work, it doesn't have to be raw, although raw is best. But homogenizing milk turns it into toxic waste (in my opinion).

I gave my great dane 2 ounces twice a day for years.

Jan


----------



## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

I had goats when I was younger and did 4h with them...LOVED THEM. Then I didn't have any animals for a couple years after I moved out of my parents house because I lived in an apartment in town. Then I got married and my husband and I moved to the country. I knew I wanted to have goats again so after "working" on hubby for a few months I convinced him that it was a good idea  . That was about 3 years ago and I have had goats ever since. 

The main reason I keep my goats is for pets/milk. I use the milk for drinking, baking, making cheese, yogurt, kefir, and goat's milk soap. I love knowing that my dairy products are coming from humanely-raised animals that are loved and spoiled  Not only is the milk great but the goats are just a joy to be around


----------



## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

This is the most fun, heart rending, interesting thread!! Thank you all for making my dull, rainy day, cozy and interesting. And for warming me inside and out.


----------



## Nubiansrus1 (Sep 2, 2009)

Goats started out for us because we had horses, and a friend of a friend was moving and had a old lady pygmy doe that really needed a home. She was old and all greyed out, so we figured what the heck well let her live her finally days here [that turned into 5 yrs lol] But anyways she needed a friend. So I bought a little wether kid for her to have as a friend, didnt know my goats, they were boer crosses. Well the boer wether and the pygmy loved each other. So al lwas well while they were small LOL. The same place I got the boer from had two kids from the same mom,i was all happy and already addicted so I took them home. Little did I then find out I owned all meat goats, well I wanted dairy. But I couldnt get rid of my babies knowing they were meat goats and someone would eat them so 7 yrs later the boers are still with us [the little pygmy that started it has passed  Love you pepper] But we now own a large herd of Nubians, and La manchas and a few ND does. All of them were rescues. And like Milk and Honey said they have also filled a void during stressful times and kids getting older and moving on, and hubby just not understanding LOL. I sit in my goat pen and just love on them. I love it. Nothing matters at that point.


----------



## quakingcanopy (Feb 22, 2011)

Such awesome stories! 

I have had horses for years. I rescues a pretty older arab mare and spent a year working with her. When she was healthy and broken of her worst habits I sought out to find the perfect home. A woman with her autistic adopted daughter got her (and it is the perfect home!) But when I went out the inspect their place for approval I met their nigerian dwarfs. I watched their little pair climb up and down ramps and even "tight rope" along a 2x4. They were so interesting and affection that I joined the family to go pick up their doe who was being bred. The breeder was selling her goats because she was moving cross country. I picked out 2 sisters and was HOOKED. I was up to 20 or so when i had to sell them and now just have 1 on the ground and 1 (hopefully) to be born within the next month! I use my goats for milk and show. Meat is a definite possibility and I will certainly have many more someday!


----------



## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

Nubiansrus1 said:


> Goats started out for us because we had horses, and a friend of a friend was moving and had a old lady pygmy doe that really needed a home. She was old and all greyed out, so we figured what the heck well let her live her finally days here [that turned into 5 yrs lol] But anyways she needed a friend. So I bought a little wether kid for her to have as a friend, didnt know my goats, they were boer crosses. Well the boer wether and the pygmy loved each other. So al lwas well while they were small LOL. The same place I got the boer from had two kids from the same mom,i was all happy and already addicted so I took them home. Little did I then find out I owned all meat goats, well I wanted dairy. But I couldnt get rid of my babies knowing they were meat goats and someone would eat them so 7 yrs later the boers are still with us [the little pygmy that started it has passed  Love you pepper] But we now own a large herd of Nubians, and La manchas and a few ND does. All of them were rescues. And like Milk and Honey said they have also filled a void during stressful times and kids getting older and moving on, and hubby just not understanding LOL. I sit in my goat pen and just love on them. I love it. Nothing matters at that point.


My goats are my therapy, too! I wish I just could live in the goat pasture sometimes....lol!


----------

