My love for animals developed at a very young age. I can remember bringing baby bunnies home one day from school after seeing their mom get run over on the road. My classmates and I saw it happened and since I was the only one who walked home from school, it made sense that I take them. To my surprise my mother wasn't mad, I think she tried to put on a stern face but her love for bunnies was greater than the chore that she knew was ahead. She raised bunnies as a child and so thankfully she knew what to do because I was only in the second grade I believe. We bottle fed them until they were big enough to be on their own and then released them into our yard under the pine tree where we had seen other rabbits nest before. The bunnies didn't stay there long, they went their separate ways and was ready for my next pet... one that would stay this time. Bunnies weren't the only animal I brought home from school, I also tried bringing home stray cats that I would pass along the way. One of those stray cats ended up staying for several years.
As soon as I was of age I joined our local 4-H group. My oldest brother was already a member so I had already been involved with the Clover Bud program for a couple of years but I was ready to take some animals to the fair. My choice of animal ended up being the same as my brother's, market hogs. When I look back at how small I was compared to them when I first started showing I can't help but think.. how did I not get trampled?! I really didn't have that problem though, we got our pigs when they were very young and raised them with a lot of love and care like we would with any other pet. I can remember one year we taught one of our pigs to sit, lay down and even roll over... just like a dog! It was the cutest thing ever and made saying goodbye at the end of fair so hard. I continued to show pigs until I graduated from high school and was no longer able to.
You might be wondering where my love for goats came from...well it started when I was in college. My little brother decided to raise and breed a few goats. I instantly fell in love with them and found myself spending as much time with them in the barn as possible. They remind me of dogs honestly. Goats can be so lovable, playful and oh so ornery. I think thats what makes me so drawn to them. Each goat is different in it's own way. I could sit and watch them play for hours. Goats don't require a whole lot of maintenance but they definitely require a lot of attention. I am still reading up on information just about everyday. Thankfully there are a lot of resources out there that can help answer just about any question you could have on goats. Unlike the breed my brother raised, I chose Pygmy goats. Their playfulness is what drew me to them the most. I also like that they stay small. Since these goats are strictly pets I wasn't worried about getting milking or meat goats. Eventually I may get a few Nigerian Dwarf goats so I can have fresh goats milk but for now I am sticking with my boys!
Below are some pictures I have taken so far. Trust me when I say they are difficult to photograph. They never stand still LOL! So without further ado let me introduce you to the boys.
from left to right
Cash, Cliff and sweet little Bo
Bo's name originally was Ollie but after having him for a couple of weeks something happened to his front leg and it is now bent and he looks sort of bow legged. We thought Bo was just as cute and an appropriate name for him!
Cliff is clearly the easiest to photograph which is why I have so many pictures of him. He is about two weeks older than the other two so he will stand still a little more than the others. Cliff is a big sweetie, he is very affectionate and loves to be held like a baby. He is the sweetest thing.
Cash has the prettiest coloring. I love the little white spot on top of his head. He also loves to be held and cuddled. He seems to like Hadley the most which is super sweet.
This was from the day we brought them home. It was close to a two hour drive to get them and we were all so tired!
The goats love exploring outside. I take them out on walks twice a day. I never have to worry about them running off which is nice. They always stay close and if they get too far they start bleating like crazy!
The picture on the left is me holding one of my little brother's baby goats. The picture on the right is sweet Cash.
These guys are so much fun! If you've been thinking about getting goats, go for it! It took me three years of begging my husband and now that he finally said yes, he loves them just as much as I do!
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