When we bought the farm, we knew we wanted animals. We also needed a state "farm card" and a heavy duty lawnmower. The goats were our solution to check all three off our list. 

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Meet Billy, Buddy, Mama, Zoe & Zelda and Daisy and our newest addition, Elsa. They are the pet lawnmowers and caretakers of the Lombard Cemetery

Our first goats were Boer except Billy...he's a mutt pygmy and was the herd protector. Elsa is a dwarf Nigerian and was our first bottle baby. 

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Buddy was Mary's "puppy goat". He followed her everywhere and could usually be found right under her feet. In the fall of 2020, Buddy & Billy hit puberty and became very aggressive with the other goats and sometimes, with us. We decided it was time for them to find a new herd with more females to "collaborate" with. They brought us a ton of joy but knowing they have a bigger population makes it all okay.  

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Mama was not a mama when we got her but surprised us on March 25th by dropping baby Daisy! In July, Mama got very sick. You know when you've been gone all day and your dog is SO excited to see you and jumps all over you because you must have been gone for dayssssss? Well, that's what our "puppy goats" do every afternoon at dinner time. Except that Monday. Mama wasn't at the gate. We ran to the loafing shed and found her on the ground, unable to get up on her own. We called the vet, Matt rushed to get the trailer and off we went to the clinic. Somehow, Mama contracted listeria. It was like she had a stroke...the right side of her face & body couldn't move. She had a fever of 106. They equate it to polio for goats. Three injections and an IV of fluids along with a plethora of medication, they sent us home with Mama. The survival rate of listeria is very low and most goats don't make it 4-24 hours. Sadly, Mama passed away sometime during the night. I was heart broken. It's not just that I get too attached to our animals...I admittedly do. When something happens to one of them, I feel like I have let them down. In Mama's case, I didn't just let her down, I failed her baby, Daisy. I realize death is an unfortunate fact of life but gosh, it sure does hurt your heart.

 

 

Zoe & Zelda were triplets. We lost their sister the weekend after we got them to the farm from barber pole worms. Although we were so sad to lose her, we learned invaluable lessons and have a healthier herd because of it.

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After losing Mama, our precious Millie (English bulldog) and rehoming Billy and Buddy, I begged Matt for a bottle baby. He was skeptical, and especially since I had this crazy idea she would be a house goat. Let me tell you....goats do NOT make good indoor pets. That little angel got into EVERYTHING. She could flat footed jump from the floor to the highest kitchen countertop. If there was something she could reach, she was going to chew it, break it or possibly poop on it. Once she was old enough, she quickly found a home with the big girls. Don't worry about her though...she may be little but she's mighty and runs the goat grounds. :)

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We love our goats and have fun playing with them and watching them play.

They have such fun personalities...and sometimes attitudes.