Meet our goats. We started with the boy in the middle, his name is “Mojo”. He came with the name as he was born with a broken jaw and had to be bottle fed back to full health. He’s a Nigerian Dwarf and we chose him for his beautiful color and ice blue eyes. We also wanted a smaller male since I was wanting to raise Nubian crosses. (I’ve heard they give the best goats milk and when crossed with Nigerian Dwarfs, are smaller and easier to handle)
When we brought Mojo to the Homestead, the little lady we really wanted wasn’t ready to leave her mama just yet. Her name is Misty and she’s a Nubian crossed with Nigerian Dwarf.
Our neighbor raises Boer goats and offered us a female of theirs so Mojo would have a playmate until Misty’s arrival. We decided to take in Mary and have also completely fallen in love with her as well! (Goats are very social and can die of depression if they’re left alone)
Mary is Boer/Kiko cross and expecting her first kid late February! We are beyond excited since this will be our first birth on the Homestead for 2016!!
One thing we can tell you, goats are VERY inquisitive! There’s not much they won’t get into, smell, touch, try to eat, etc…I HAD a great 2500 square foot garden started with bird netting around the perimeter. Once we brought the goats home? No more garden!! (Temporarily, because I can’t live without fresh produce!)
It wasn’t long after the goats figured out a garden has a bountiful supply of all the things they love to eat that I happened to look out our back window one rainy day, to see this beastie walking on our property:
(Apologies for the poor quality but the photo was taken with my phone and I had limited time to snap a shot to prove what I was seeing)
A Cougar! I’m the only cougar allowed around here! Ha! Time to call in reinforcements so our goats stay safe! Meet Mina and Sloane (Their names are Irish Gaelic and mean Protector), seemed fitting at that moment since the last thing we wanted were missing and/or dead goats!
These ladies are mom and daughter. They came to us pretty “haggard” looking and definitely needed to be wormed and treated to a farrier visit! Today, they are much healthier and happier! (See the photo at the top)
Sloane and Mina have worked out to be a pretty awesome addition to the MmmHomestead. (Donkeys have long been associated as great protectors to goats) As of today, they are best buds to the goats. They even let our little furries play “king of the mountain” on their backs!
In short, we’ve learned a lot about goats and donkeys in a short time. We are constantly watching Mary’s bag drop so we are on high alert for “kidding” time! I’m looking forward to milking Mary, believe it or not! Can’t wait to make goat cheese for a salad! Until the newest addition to our Homestead arrives…go get yourself a few goats!
MmmHomestead 
Every new post I read amazes me more…
Thanks for sharing your journey! I enjoy your reading about your animals. I can’t wait to be able to see your homestead.
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