Posted on 03/05/2013 11:57:33 AM PST by nickcarraway
"The prudent man does not make the goat his gardener," says an old Hungarian proverb.
But, as I do not live my life according to old Hungarian proverbs, six years ago I added a goat paddock and shed to the rear of my garden and brought home two small dairy goats.
The idea took hold of me rather suddenly while I was visiting an acquaintance in Nevada City. She kept goats, and I got to milk one and taste its fresh milk. It tasted ... good!
Surprised? I was too. But I learned that goat milk from the store often tastes "goaty" because its chemical makeup turns the flavor within about five days - about the time it takes goat milk to make it to your shopping cart. Hence, unlike super-fresh goat milk, it's not what you want on your morning Cheerios.
That was just the first lesson goats taught me. My own pair, Snowflake and Brownie, have taught me much more, and broadened my world.
They have gotten me out to feed stores in the country where I can find hay in a dozen varieties. I've watched their kids slide from their wombs, spent thousands of mornings and evenings washing and milking their udders, learned to sew a goat diaper to eliminate the need for poop scooping, and formed a citizen action coalition, the Goat Justice League, that successfully lobbied my city (Seattle) to allow goats in yards.
So, old proverbs notwithstanding, maybe you are thinking of getting a goat, too. If so, here are some things to keep in mind.
-- Do your homework: If you are serious about keeping goats, study up. First, check to find out whether your municipality allows them; some Bay Area cities do, others do not.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
We have to keep after the hispanics who try to raise chickens in their garage lest the moslems come up with the idea of raising goats as well.
Now, about volcanic goat cheese, finally found it. The EU drove the makers of volcanic goat cheese OUT of Europe and now they are in California!
Ping.
I couldn’t find it but there was a story that ties them together, about a college teaching students to be sensitive to beastiality.
argh
A friend of mine in Sunday school raises goats to sell to the local muzzies who run the 7-11’s etc.
Goat Ping!
In my teen years, my dad had trouble getting any one of his six children to mow the yard, even with a riding mower.
When we got home from school one day, my dad announced to us that he had given up on us and bought himself a 20’ rotary mower....it was a goat on a 10’ chain.
And it ate EVERYTHING within reach, except for the grass. It even ate the seat of the riding lawn mower.
Fond memories....and then there is my mom with her pet chicken Freddy the Footpecker, which she feeds cooked chicken.
I am not making this stuff up.
“college teaching students to be sensitive to beastiality.”
What does that even mean? You supposed to call them afterwards, or send them flowers or what?
lol. trying to normalize it as a lifestyle I guess.
We raised Saanens for 20+ years. Lots of work but loads of fresh milk for drinking, yogurt, kefir, butter, and many different kinds of hard and soft cheeses. We still have one 8 year old doe left, no longer breeding or milking. If you have little ones, especially more than a few,I highly recommend it.
This Administration and Cast of Idiots
“Got My Goat” years ago.
One day we found it dead. The only thing we could figure was that a cobra had bitten it. I mean, there was no plant life left, let alone any poisonous plants.
In our town it has always been legal to have chickens, goats, sheep and rabbits in your backyard, there are limits to the numbers.
We lived in Guam when I was 3, I always had this dim memory of having to crawl under a house and being afraid. Finally, as an adult I asked about that memory, evidently the goat got rat poison that they had all over the island and crawled under there to die and I was the only one little enough to crawl under there and drag it out.
Girl friends eat less.
An important tip about raising goats: If keeping them in a an unused bedroom try to make sure it has a door to the outside so the goats don’t have to use a window to enter and exit.
Having a window is extremely handy for tossing hay into the room and removing waste. It is suggested that the goats not be given access to the rest of the house as they can be very possessive and territorial toward the furniture but this is a personal decision.
You must be asleep.
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