Almost 3 years ago, our family chose to join the adventurous and invest in the beginnings of a goat farm.Though we knew little, we were met with great support from fellow goat enthusiasts and general animal lovers connected to our family.
The pastoral scenes I had etched into my mind of clucking, fluffy hens scratching and pecking the ground was becoming a reality with a our new batch of sweet baby chicks.The romantic idea of soft bleats of happy goats foraging through the fields and forests over rolling hills was beckoning our family. We so looked forward to having this daily living photograph displayed just outside our window frames each new day.
The practical side was that with 12 children ( 8 boys and 4 girls), we had an opportunity to learn much , and to stay active tending to animals and maintaining a farm. Basically, NO ONE will be bored again if we embrace this endeavor, and that was very attractive to my husband and I indeed.
We started out by investing in chain link. LOTS of chain link! We found an excellent resource on Craigslist for 4×50 foot rolls for approximately $35 each( now no longer available 🙁 ). We were a bit skeptical but were pleasantly surprised.This was the good stuff(9 gauge, galvanized) that’ll hold up for many years and we simply couldn’t pass it up.
We were fortunate that our property was already fenced off for horses with large 6×6 posts and three rails of 2×6 boards, all painted white. This made it very easy to make it “goat proof”. To begin, we took all of the long boards off of the posts. Their length varied anywhere from 4 to 12 foot long.
There were a few 6×6 posts that were in the beginning stages of dry rot, so the boys trekked out with their father and bullied those posts out of the ground and replaced them with new, strong posts to anchor our fencing.
Next came the chain link. Again, the boys and their dad use ratchet straps and lots of man power and stretched the chain link, connecting it with the specialize “U-shaped” nails. After the entirety of chain link fencing was stretched and secured, we attached a long white board each above and below our chainlink, meeting at each large post. We changed out the old wood gates with heavy-duty galvanized metal farm gates.
With the fencing done and the barn already beautifully built many years before we acquired this property, all we needed now were goats to fill our pastureland.
We did some studying and praying and soon , we receive our first two goats. They were quiet and sweet and a good fit for our home.Soon after, we came in contact with a lovely lady from Kennewick that was reducing her herd now that she and her husband had reached retirement age. She had 3 full size Nubians, 3 yearling Mini-Nubians, and two adult mini’s that had their first freshening the year prior. Instantly, we had a herd and we began our journey as “goat farmers”…. A couple of months later we added a little guy named Joey. He’s a whethered Mini-Nubian and absolutely a sweetheart!. He’s been our “teaser” goat since last summer and a great playmate for the other yearlings.
The chain link and wood fencing combination turns out to be a terrific barrier as well as beautiful! Not a single goat has escaped yet, a year later!
We have four acres of pastureland full of mixed grasses, herbs, and various wild eats. The guys and gals also enjoy a small section of forest full of pine trees, birch,ferns, blackberries,huckleberries, hawthorn, and wild apple trees. We now are fencing off another large section of forestland full of enticing goodies to give our girls a rounded diet and tasty, abundant milk supply.
Please check out our new arrivals. We have been blessed with 11 babies this spring and they are BEAUITFUL! They are all Mini-Nubians. we have two bucklings that would be a great addition to round out your herd. Pedigrees available. Please let us know if you are interested.
God bless you richly with a land flowing with rivers of goat dairy!!!
Lorinda ( Breezee Creek Mama)
