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Into our first winter. 3 nannies pregnant.
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Please Note
I wouldn't get attached to the goats you may see featured in my blog. Part of the reason I got them was because I was tired of paying shipping costs ordering goat meat from California.
I realize some of you have a problem with that and I'm sorry we disagree. But I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to just eat vegetables. And goats are the most widely eaten animal on the planet.
The deal I make is to give my livestock a comfortable life and, if it comes down to it, a quick, humane death. These animals are not pets. They have a job to do and the final act in their employment will be a trip to the freezer. The working conditions are great, the retirement plan is a little unpleasant.
The Herd Arrives
I introduced the dogs to new arrivals on opposite sides of the fence. Neither species is used to the other and I want the getting to know one another process to be gradual. Normally introducing livestock guard dogs starts when the dogs are puppies, mine are older. The goats are fairly certain my dogs want to eat them. Probably not. One thinks they're toys that throw themselves and the other just wants to be buddies. It's a process.
My next task is getting them a decent shelter. The one I built today is totally not workable. They don't need much shelter, just enough to keep them out of the rain. All they've done so far is stand around in the corner of the property where they were released. They had a small area where they were, they have the run of 9 acres here. Apparently they're not used to having all the space. They just stand around in the same 100 square feet.
I've got a choice where I put the shelter. I can encourage them to hang out up by the house or move them farther away on the property. Safer for them up by the house and there's not much smell. And I can always move the shelter if they get annoying.
