We have 6 Nigerian Dwarf goats. I never dreamed that I would bond with them the way that I have.  Before getting them, Kris and I thought they’d be great for weed control and milk.  They definitely are, but they’re also my friends.  I think of them as my kids since we have not ventured into having human kids yet. They love being around us as much as we enjoy being around them.  As I type this, my doe is trying to chew my iPad.  Funny, for being such picky eaters.  Most people assume goats will eat anything, but it’s not so.  They are likely to TRY or TASTE everything once, but probably won’t actually consume it. Sometimes my goats spit things out if they don’t like it, then they look at me like I should have something better to offer.  But they’re typically more than happy just to be scratched or brushed.

Let me introduce you to my buddies.

This is Medicine Woman, our herd queen and first milking doe.  She has a sweet personality, loves attention, is an excessive nibbler, and likes to make sure the other goats notice when she receives special treatment. She also loves to let the world know when she is in heat.  But she’s a wonderful protector of her herd, was a good mother to her babies (and Dr. Quinn’s), and tends to stick close to Kris and I when we walk the goats.  When it’s time to milk, she follows us to the milk stand, but on her own terms.  She can make it from point A to B just fine, but takes her time to smell the… Everything. And munch a little, too.

And next in the line of royalty is…

Dr. Quinn, our ditzy little princess.  Well, maybe not so little, but hey, she loves eating and relaxing.  Who can blame her?  She knows where all the good plants and areas are to find yummy food.   When we’re out on a walk, she makes a beeline to the apple trees. Fruit or no fruit, she has to look.  Everyday she has the same morning routine.  Last one out of the house, makes her way to the teeter totter, and rubs her belly on it.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Eats, chews her cud, sleeps, rubs belly, repeat.  She is content.  She’s also infamous for her head roll.  The sign that she’s truly relaxed.  That, and she absolutely loves to cuddle with Walker.  She loves it when another goat rubs his or her head on her neck.  Likes coffee.

This is Walker (with strawberry on his face), the cuddle bug and bully of the herd.  For the first year we had him, he would sit on my lap till no end.  He doesn’t fit on my lap anymore, but still loves to be pet. He’ll let me hug him, and cuddles with Dr. Quinn day and night.  He’s very sweet to us, but a bully to Medicine Woman and the other goats.  I call him a bully because although he acts tough with the goats, the second there is a threat, he is the first to run.  Although, he will snort at small animals if he sees one. We were watching my parents shih-tzu one week, and he kept snorting at her.  Our neighbors thought our goats were farting – ha!  Walker is a scaredy goat and very shy around people he’s not familiar with.  And he’s rarely vocal.  He has the quietest bleat I’ve ever heard. Has been known to lead escapes from the goat pen, but never goes anywhere.  Almost like he mistakingly got out.

(And there went my iPad.  Replaced by one Medicine Woman in my lap, dying to be scratched.)

And then there’s Texas Ranger.  He knows he is the cutest and everyone’s favorite, and uses it to his advantage.  When opportunity strikes, he doesn’t miss a beat.  He’s full of spunk, likes to jump on shiny cars (we have to be careful), let’s himself into our house (without permission of course, but he knows that’s where the raisins are kept), and let’s you know exactly where he wants to be scratched. Usually his rear.  He is quick to growl at other goats if he is being pet, or will shoo them away if they’re anywhere near his eating territory.  He’s made a habit of jumping into the hay loft and helping himself to alfalfa or trying to open the apple treat container.  Even when the loft is full and we think he can’t fit in it, he finds a way to scrunch himself up and crawl or bend his body in any way just to get to the food he wants.  He’s a smart one.  He doesn’t like to wear the plastic chain on his neck, and I think he purposely gets it hooked so it breaks off and he doesn’t have to wear it.  He’s been through 5 in the past year.

Next we have the second to youngest, yet largest in our herd, Buddy the Elf.  Buddy is a 2 year old behemoth that still tries to nurse from his mother, Dr. Quinn, who was never very nurturing and didn’t care much about her baby’s whereabouts, so Buddy became attached to us from day 1.  He has been around lots of people, so he’s very outgoing and friendly.  He’s our farm mascot, as he doesn’t mind wearing a bee costume on farm outings. He was very verbal when he was a kid, but now that he’s an adult he has taken on his mom’s raspy bleat, which is more like just air coming out of his mouth.  He still loves sitting in my lap to rest (at least until my legs fall asleep).  Dr. Quinn was super lazy when she was pregnant with him, and I think it caused him to grow like crazy in the womb. This guy was born at almost 5 pounds!  2-3 pounds is normal for a Nigerian Dwarf.  Since he was so big, we thought the name Buddy the Elf fit him well.  Likes to climb trees and chew on my hair.  Still thinks of himself as a baby goat.

This adorable doe joined us on a very early morning in the summer of 2017. (See Blog Post: Medicine Woman Kids Part 3).  She has been a fun addition to our heard and has lots of love to give us.  She is the daughter of our herd queen, Medicine Woman, and has the personality and markings to prove it.  Punky’s best goat friend is her mom (Ginny is her favorite human friend).  Whenever Medicine Woman leaves the pen to be milked, Punky whines for her, so I sit with Punky to help her relax.  Yes, she’s spoiled, but I love her.  Sometimes I let her out of the pen and she follows me around wherever I go.  Punky must think she is a dog at times, because she likes to sit like one.  Whether on the ground or in our laps, she sits on her hind legs with her front legs holding her up.  That’s not normal for a goat, but for whatever reason she likes it.  During the first few months of her life, Punky would takes naps on our bed with us.  I’d set her on the bed and she would plop down next to us and fall right to sleep.  She’s definitely next in line to be the herd queen.