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OUR STORY
Several years ago, I saw a cute video of baby goats in pajamas running, hopping, and jumping with legs thrown into the air, like a bunch of kids playing! It made me smile, laugh and feel good inside, wanting to know more about goats. So I began to research goats and soon learned that they are very therapeutic for the folks with whom I love to spend my time. The limited research showed that depressed folks became more active and cheerful when placed in a room with goats. The elderly demonstrated more cognitive functioning after playing with goats. Young teens on the Autism Spectrum became more social. Patients in the Psychiatric Hospital became less isolated after being outside with goats. All of this made me want to get a couple of goats and see why they were making such a difference in the life of differently-abled people. A small part of me also wanted grass mowers and weed eaters to help with the yard work.
I began my search for a baby goat. I wanted a black and white goat with four black legs. After a two year search, I found a 2-day-old baby boy goat in Jasper, Georgia, that I thought was gorgeous. He also had brown in his coloring as he is a Sundgau. Having owned Yorkies and German Shepherd's the tri-colored look is one I really like. I contacted LordsNLadies Nigerian Dwarfs Farm owner, Denise Seibel. I learned that he had to have a buddy to be his happiest self, and thus began my hunt for another baby boy. I found a chocolate chamoisee with dark socks in Asheville who was only about six weeks older. Otis was at Carpe Soli, owner Matthew Martin. I visited my boy, Otis as often as possible, patiently waiting for Samcooke to turn eight weeks old. Denise sent me pictures and videos of Samcooke since he was so far away and we couldn't visit. We brought them here to live in the middle of June 2020, beginning our wonderful goat journey.
Goat math is a very amazing phenomenon. After six weeks of owning goats, we decided to get two more girls. I began my search for a black and white girl with blue eyes. Of course, I wanted four black boots again, which I didn't get the first time with Samcooke. The young man I provide a home for, Charles, decided Samcooke was his goat. Charles, a non-verbal gentle soul, began talking about his goat to anyone that would listen. He also began initiating contact with the goats, doing chores independently, talking to them, and going outside by himself to spend time with the goats.
After some time, we found a beautiful blue-eyed black and tan with some white, through Angie Gallagher, at Miniview Farm in Maryville, Tennessee. We named her Aretha, and she would be ready to go to a new home in a week or two. Of course, you can't keep males and females together so she also needed a buddy to be her most happy little self. Thus began my search for my final goat black with mostly white and, of course, the four black boots. This was a must since it would be the last goat I would purchase!!! After looking for the black and white for several years and knowing Aretha needed a buddy quickly, I found a buckskin with abundant white for a great deal but no boots. Gladys came from Trotting C Farm, owner, Janet Clifton by way of Tori Stewart, and was being housed at Miniview Farm. We also wouldn't have to keep waiting to pick up Aretha.
So still no blue-eyed, black and white with boots goat. My second choice was a silver doe, but they are hard to find on the East Coast. Charles and I were happy with our little herd of four. We were having the time of our life just goating around since COVID had us stuck at home anyway. In late January 2021, my friend Angie from Miniview Farm had a black and white doeling born with four black boots and blue eyes. I had to have her. My unicorn goat would be named Diana after my favorite Motown artist, GOAT, Diana Ross. And, of course, she needed a buddy so Martha was bought to be housed with Diana. Martha is mostly black with white accents and blue eyes.
Goat math brought us up to 6. Before I purchased the four girls, I had looked for a silver and a differently-abled goat. Each time I found a differently-abled goat they seemed to be healthy and normal prior to the 12-week time to pick them up. Of course, that was great for the little goats so I figured we would never have a differently-abled goat here nor a silver. There is a pretty long waiting list for silver doelings. I got a message in April from my friend Julie Wilmoth, who had two silver doelings born on the first of March, and she said she might not keep both of the silver doelings. Julie owns RJsalmostafarm and of course I said I want one of them. I figured since Diana was born on 1/23/21, Martha on 2/25/21, and Smokey on 3/3/21, they could all be buddies so I didn't have to get pairs. I picked up Diana two weeks before I got Martha and Smokey two weeks after Martha. So now we have seven awesome goats, two of which Charles claimed, Samcooke and Martha.
When I went to pick up Martha at Little River Farm, owned by Kam Houghtaling, she had a differently-abled, 6-day-old beautiful buckskin girl. Kam knew I was looking for a special needs goat so she offered Bonnie to me. I said I didn't feel qualified to care for her since she would require more care than most goats, but it was time for her to eat so I gave her her first bottle and I was hooked. I fell in love with the 2-pound 2- ounce little blue-eyed diva. She is, by far, my most spoiled, manipulative, intelligent, and aggressive little goat. Due to health issues she was a house goat from April until August, but after that, Bonnie decided she wanted to be a regular goat. I put her with the other 5 girls, but since she was isolated much of the time, I decided she needed a buddy.
Of course, goat math has us at eight awesome goats at this point in the story, looking for number nine. Maryesther was born 8/1/2021 at Wisteria Farm, owner Amanda Deaton. At 8-weeks-old I brought her to our little goat farm to be Bonnie's friend. Maryesther is the most likely to hurt herself and is a mischievous and daring little goat. So, at this point, I thought we were done with new goats.
I decided it was time to breed the first two girls. I learned that it is good to breed them before they are older to avoid any complications. Our goal was to breed all of them one time, and that is all. Gladys gave us two beautiful blue-eyed doelings on 5/15/22. Ohmygoat, we fell in love. Charles especially loved these babies. He told me he was their Paw. He said they were his family. They were named Isleys and Temptations. Then Aretha gave us a beautiful moon-spotted Chi-lites on 9/15/22. Goat math has us now at 12.
On my grandson's birthday, the cutest little pink nosed, pink ears, pink mouth, and pink booty doeling was born to Baker's Bleating Acres, owner Kayla Baker. Her son wanted to keep her, so she was not up for discussion. I let Kayla know that I would take her if she became available because I loved pink noses. Out of all 12 of our goats, only one has a half-pink nose. Well, as goat math would have it, Kayla's son decided to keep a different baby, so Berry was coming to our little hobby farm too. Now we are at 13, a baker's dozen. Life with our goats was simply grand.
Because it was nearing time to breed my three middle girls, I began searching for a buck that would not give me predominantly black and white offspring. Not necessarily to purchase a buck, just borrow one or take my girls to another farm for a day. As it happened, there were very few bucks available to me that weren't black and white. My friend at Little River Farm, Kam, had a red and white buckling with wattles, blue eyes, a pink nose, a great beard, and a super disposition. Kam was kind enough to loan me Mickey for a while, but due to an unforeseen circumstance, Kam told me that she needed to downsize her herd, so she said Mickey could stay with us permanently. Yes, we now have 14 incredibly beautiful, awesome, spoiled goats that we enjoy every single day here at Mow-Town Acres.
Everyone who visits our little farm loves our goats. They make even the most grouchy of folks laugh, smile, and provide countless hours of entertainment. Delivery folks have to pet them and ask questions about them. Bonnie greets everyone with her crooked little self the moment folks arrive at the farm. Goats are always smiling, playing, chewing, skipping, jumping, running, and hopping like little kids. Just what I imagined when I started this venture.
Come for a visit. You will have a good time. You will leave relaxed and in a better state of mind than when you arrived, and you will make 14 new goat friends.
I began my search for a baby goat. I wanted a black and white goat with four black legs. After a two year search, I found a 2-day-old baby boy goat in Jasper, Georgia, that I thought was gorgeous. He also had brown in his coloring as he is a Sundgau. Having owned Yorkies and German Shepherd's the tri-colored look is one I really like. I contacted LordsNLadies Nigerian Dwarfs Farm owner, Denise Seibel. I learned that he had to have a buddy to be his happiest self, and thus began my hunt for another baby boy. I found a chocolate chamoisee with dark socks in Asheville who was only about six weeks older. Otis was at Carpe Soli, owner Matthew Martin. I visited my boy, Otis as often as possible, patiently waiting for Samcooke to turn eight weeks old. Denise sent me pictures and videos of Samcooke since he was so far away and we couldn't visit. We brought them here to live in the middle of June 2020, beginning our wonderful goat journey.
Goat math is a very amazing phenomenon. After six weeks of owning goats, we decided to get two more girls. I began my search for a black and white girl with blue eyes. Of course, I wanted four black boots again, which I didn't get the first time with Samcooke. The young man I provide a home for, Charles, decided Samcooke was his goat. Charles, a non-verbal gentle soul, began talking about his goat to anyone that would listen. He also began initiating contact with the goats, doing chores independently, talking to them, and going outside by himself to spend time with the goats.
After some time, we found a beautiful blue-eyed black and tan with some white, through Angie Gallagher, at Miniview Farm in Maryville, Tennessee. We named her Aretha, and she would be ready to go to a new home in a week or two. Of course, you can't keep males and females together so she also needed a buddy to be her most happy little self. Thus began my search for my final goat black with mostly white and, of course, the four black boots. This was a must since it would be the last goat I would purchase!!! After looking for the black and white for several years and knowing Aretha needed a buddy quickly, I found a buckskin with abundant white for a great deal but no boots. Gladys came from Trotting C Farm, owner, Janet Clifton by way of Tori Stewart, and was being housed at Miniview Farm. We also wouldn't have to keep waiting to pick up Aretha.
So still no blue-eyed, black and white with boots goat. My second choice was a silver doe, but they are hard to find on the East Coast. Charles and I were happy with our little herd of four. We were having the time of our life just goating around since COVID had us stuck at home anyway. In late January 2021, my friend Angie from Miniview Farm had a black and white doeling born with four black boots and blue eyes. I had to have her. My unicorn goat would be named Diana after my favorite Motown artist, GOAT, Diana Ross. And, of course, she needed a buddy so Martha was bought to be housed with Diana. Martha is mostly black with white accents and blue eyes.
Goat math brought us up to 6. Before I purchased the four girls, I had looked for a silver and a differently-abled goat. Each time I found a differently-abled goat they seemed to be healthy and normal prior to the 12-week time to pick them up. Of course, that was great for the little goats so I figured we would never have a differently-abled goat here nor a silver. There is a pretty long waiting list for silver doelings. I got a message in April from my friend Julie Wilmoth, who had two silver doelings born on the first of March, and she said she might not keep both of the silver doelings. Julie owns RJsalmostafarm and of course I said I want one of them. I figured since Diana was born on 1/23/21, Martha on 2/25/21, and Smokey on 3/3/21, they could all be buddies so I didn't have to get pairs. I picked up Diana two weeks before I got Martha and Smokey two weeks after Martha. So now we have seven awesome goats, two of which Charles claimed, Samcooke and Martha.
When I went to pick up Martha at Little River Farm, owned by Kam Houghtaling, she had a differently-abled, 6-day-old beautiful buckskin girl. Kam knew I was looking for a special needs goat so she offered Bonnie to me. I said I didn't feel qualified to care for her since she would require more care than most goats, but it was time for her to eat so I gave her her first bottle and I was hooked. I fell in love with the 2-pound 2- ounce little blue-eyed diva. She is, by far, my most spoiled, manipulative, intelligent, and aggressive little goat. Due to health issues she was a house goat from April until August, but after that, Bonnie decided she wanted to be a regular goat. I put her with the other 5 girls, but since she was isolated much of the time, I decided she needed a buddy.
Of course, goat math has us at eight awesome goats at this point in the story, looking for number nine. Maryesther was born 8/1/2021 at Wisteria Farm, owner Amanda Deaton. At 8-weeks-old I brought her to our little goat farm to be Bonnie's friend. Maryesther is the most likely to hurt herself and is a mischievous and daring little goat. So, at this point, I thought we were done with new goats.
I decided it was time to breed the first two girls. I learned that it is good to breed them before they are older to avoid any complications. Our goal was to breed all of them one time, and that is all. Gladys gave us two beautiful blue-eyed doelings on 5/15/22. Ohmygoat, we fell in love. Charles especially loved these babies. He told me he was their Paw. He said they were his family. They were named Isleys and Temptations. Then Aretha gave us a beautiful moon-spotted Chi-lites on 9/15/22. Goat math has us now at 12.
On my grandson's birthday, the cutest little pink nosed, pink ears, pink mouth, and pink booty doeling was born to Baker's Bleating Acres, owner Kayla Baker. Her son wanted to keep her, so she was not up for discussion. I let Kayla know that I would take her if she became available because I loved pink noses. Out of all 12 of our goats, only one has a half-pink nose. Well, as goat math would have it, Kayla's son decided to keep a different baby, so Berry was coming to our little hobby farm too. Now we are at 13, a baker's dozen. Life with our goats was simply grand.
Because it was nearing time to breed my three middle girls, I began searching for a buck that would not give me predominantly black and white offspring. Not necessarily to purchase a buck, just borrow one or take my girls to another farm for a day. As it happened, there were very few bucks available to me that weren't black and white. My friend at Little River Farm, Kam, had a red and white buckling with wattles, blue eyes, a pink nose, a great beard, and a super disposition. Kam was kind enough to loan me Mickey for a while, but due to an unforeseen circumstance, Kam told me that she needed to downsize her herd, so she said Mickey could stay with us permanently. Yes, we now have 14 incredibly beautiful, awesome, spoiled goats that we enjoy every single day here at Mow-Town Acres.
Everyone who visits our little farm loves our goats. They make even the most grouchy of folks laugh, smile, and provide countless hours of entertainment. Delivery folks have to pet them and ask questions about them. Bonnie greets everyone with her crooked little self the moment folks arrive at the farm. Goats are always smiling, playing, chewing, skipping, jumping, running, and hopping like little kids. Just what I imagined when I started this venture.
Come for a visit. You will have a good time. You will leave relaxed and in a better state of mind than when you arrived, and you will make 14 new goat friends.
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