Things are a little slow so far. Don't be shy!

Let's talk about our first goat.

-- Goatlistener (goatlistener@yahoo.com), December 15, 2001

Answers

My first goats were twin pygmy/Alpine mix does, I got them when they were about six months old, and very parasite infested. They were also on the wild side. They turned out to be very nice does, today they are healthy, nice shiny coats, soft and beautiful. They are also much tamer now, we spent hours in the barn just sitting and talking to them, hand feeding to get them to trust humans. My main goal is Nigerians, so I plan on selling my first girls, It will hurt to let them go, I will probably cry...After all, they convinced me that goats were worth the love and care. Barb

-- Barb (vozarbi@sensible-net.com), December 17, 2001.

Wow.... I could talk all day about our first Alpine, the late Ziegen- Mensch Jackie. We had raised Nubian yrs ago, well... our youngest son did when we lived in western NYS. When we moved to VA we sold the herd. Then after we bought the farm in VA a few yrs later we bought Jackie. My life has never been the same since. Jackie was a characte hated staying in fences, ate 150 rose bushes when she got out a few times and was the meanest goat, but such a great and loving mother. I sadly had to put Jackie down before we moved from degentative arthritis. She ended up getting what is called by some Alpine Breeders the dreaded N____Curve. I omitted the name because its another breeders herd name but the condition is a result of breeding too closely on the Wa-Shaw-Me Snowbird lines.

While we are talking about our first goats, has anyone had a goat that really changed their lives? I never ever thought we would be doing a dairy again. Here is our website link if ya'll would like to see our farm and read about my Jackie. http://geminigoats.tripod.com/ShalomDairyGoatranch/

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), December 17, 2001.

Greetings...

Our first goat was Roxanne the horned obie/alpine grade. I have my Mother in law to thank for this one. My husband and I had talked about getting a goat, so as a joke, she told us about this one that needed a home because the owners were moving to another state. Well, we bought her for $25. It's amazing that we still have goats after the impression that Roxanne left on us. She was never handled before, so she was untouchable, she knew what those horns were for and also had a double teat. Needless to say, she's gone from the herd but we did like the look of obies, so now we've a barn full and learned from our Roxanne experience.

-- Charleen with Obies in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), December 17, 2001.

Maggie and Sadie,so sweet. Maggie was a white 3 day old LaMancha and Sadie was half Oberhasli and half nubian/alpine, she was 5 days old. I only got to keep these little girls for 6 months but they hooked me for life and I tear up just thinking how much I loved those little girls and how devastated I was to sell them.

-- sherry (chickadee259@yahoo.com), December 17, 2001.

My first goat was Yogurt....her real name was Sugar, but I called her Yogurt. She was a full Toggenburg and came with a 12 week old buckling named Boo (now BeelzeBoo!) who I still have. Sadly Yogurt had all kinds of troubles. She had abcesses and CAE. I took her to the vet here and had her tested for CAE when I got her, but his test showed that she was clean. So I let her nurse her next batch and now I have mostly CAE pos goats because of this. Sigh. This was all pre internet days and info on dairy goats here is extremely hard to come by. I am VERY thankful for the internet!!!

Anyway, she was the sweetest goat. When I was trying to learn to milk her she didn't fight me at all. Just wiggled a bit and was uncomfortable with my lack of prowess. She would open the gate to the yard and let herself in to eat my plants. I had them running in the outside areas wherever they pleased and only tried to keep the yard goat free as the place was full of brush at the time.

I learned so much form her. I still miss her.....I had to put her down as she had developed CL in her udder. Thank God that I haven't had abcess troubles with any of my other goats. Also they tested neg for CL which I understand is a bit circumspect, but that makes me pleased anyway!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), December 17, 2001.

I had wanted goats for years so when a friend heard one for sale on the swap shop she called me.Caled the number and was told she was a 3 month old doe kid, half nubian and half saanan.So daughter and I drove out to see her,then of course I had to buy her,just$35.We were in my daughters car so the lady gave us a big trash bag,we stuck her in it with just her head poking out and drove her to the vet's to have her horns removed,then took her home, stll in the trash bag.As she grew it became obvious there was no saanan in her but definately there had been a pygmy and a nubian.I know this is the wrong way to get a goat but she is a nice animal,has pretty nice kids,and gives very good milk.Also seems to be really healthy.I could have done much worse.

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), December 17, 2001.

I got my first goat when I was 17. I had just had a birthday and received some bithday money, and then entered a drawing contest, won, and had some money for that. My brother and sister each had a goat, so I knew something about them but had never had one of my own. A locam man happened to visit, and while he was there, mentioned that he had a nanny goat for sale. I asked him about her, she was a French Alpine and a great milker, and she was going for $35.00. I had exactly that much, bought her sight unseen.

I went to see Snow, she was mostly white splashed with a lot of other colors, and she was the queen of the herd. The girl who owned her had to teach me how to milk, and Snow didn't seem to appreciate my efforts- she reached around and grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked it! The girl decided to keep her a little longer and dry her off for me. When I got her, I had all kinds of romantic ideas, that she would love me the way my dogs did, that I would train her to stay in the pasture without a fence, and so on. Snow had other ideas! I had no sooner taken her out of her pen on a lead rope, than she took me for a ride across the farm on my belly!! She was a no nonsense kind of a goat and never really seemed to love me much. I recently found a letter from that time that I wrote to my fiance, I told him that if I ever got $35 again I was not going to waste it on another goat!! Can't help but laugh at that, I spend almost all my money on goats now, $35. seems like such a deal!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 17, 2001.

My first goat was a small alpine/nubian/pygmy cross. Sandi Goat. She was the best teacher. Got her when she was 6 weeks old. The man caught the one I picked, put her in a gunny sack and I went home with her. Then I proceded to gentle her not knowing that she would steal my heart and donate it for all goats. This little goat was a great mom. Would jump up on a box for me to milk her without a stand or anything, she loved to go hiking and riding in the car, a hatchback. She never left nannyberries in the car! She loved to go up in the hills for a hike and would teach the others how to behave. She trained the cows to herd as if she was the boss... I really miss her but she is in a great home with lots of animals to boss around and even a few of her offspring.

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), December 17, 2001.

Since we are talking about "dairy goats" here I will tell about my first dairy goat. (we won't even talk about the "pet" that was the first so many years ago)

Thumper was an alpine-nubian? cross with airplane ears and a major attitude. We called her Thumper because she would stomp her foot and charge anything that she didn't recognize as "friend". She was a great milker and did tame down with years and ended up dying here at a ripe old age. She never did like small children though and I had to put her up if I wanted children to be safe around the herd.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 17, 2001.

My father had always had a milk goat so when I got older and moved to the country I decided that a goat would fit right in.

I heard about a lady selling a doe I called her and went to her house. I liked the goat and fell in love with one of her bucks but he wasn't for sale. She gave me the name of a friend who lived two hours from my house. I put the doe in the back seat of my car and drove home. I had no problem at all taking the doe home in the back seat of the car, it was just a short drive.

I called the lady who had the buck. I drove to her house the next day to look at the buck. The drive was more like 3 1/2 hours. I liked the buck but did not get real close to him. I bought him and the lady walked him to the car and put him in the back seat. I got to the end of her driveway and thought to myself, what is that horrible smell. I thought oh gosh I hope he didn't go to the bathroom in the back seat.

About a mile down the road I started to roll down windows. The smell was getting worses and worse with each passing mile. I ended up having to roll the windows most of the way up because the buck was getting restless and it was cold outside. The stench was becoming unbearable. I started gagging. I kept thinking of the horrible mess I would be cleaning up off the back seat when I got home.

I started watching the the clock. Only 2 and 3/4 hours to home. Look at the clock again only 2 hrs 40 minutes to home. I was looking at the clock more than the road but not as much as I was looking in the rearview mirror telling the buck what a bad boy he was for going poop in the car.

I was so glad when it became dark outside because now the people passing me would not point and laugh at the fool who had a goat (or as I'm sure some thought, a funny looking dog)in the back seat.

At one time there was a police officer behind me. I prayed and prayed that he would have no reason to stop me. I was sure that if I had been stopped by a cop I would have been taken in for having a goat in the back seat, or told to go home and take a bath.

Finally after what seemed like forever I made it home. I got as close to the goat pen as possible with the car and ran the buck into the pen. I then got a flashlight and looked in the back seat. I couldn't believe that the wicked smell was coming from the few berries on the seat. I cleaned the back seat up and went to the goat pen to check on the goats. I was shocked that the pen was now smelling like the car. I ran my hands over the buck and lifted my hands to my nose. Oh wow that was bad. I thought to myself, they must have never given this goat a bath.

I was shocked when I saw the buck pee all over himself and really did some major gagging when I saw some other things he did to himself. I had never known an animal to do these things.

I knew that there was no way I would ever encourage company to go check out my goats, especially after the the day I went to feed the goats and I felt something bumping my leg. I was shocked to see the buck peeing on my leg. I thought I was the only person in the world who had such a gross goat.

My car became everyones joke. Someone would open the door and say to someone else "Hey, come smell George's car freshener." Never failed the person doing the smelling would wrap their shirt around their nose and gag. I eneded up spending alot of money on air freaheners for that car. Eventually I sold the car to a man who smelled at least as bad as the car.

When I told my father about all of this he couldn't stop laughing. He said (between his laughter) "Why do you think I never kept a buck, gee son I wish I had known you were planning on getting a buck I would have warned you."

The buck didn't last long, but now that I know how a buck can smell and the things they do I can't honestly say that maybe someday if I were a serious goat person that I wouldn't get one again. I would have to be a very serious goat person though. I think I will take my does to the buck for right now.

Also, no goats ride in the back seat anymore, especially a buck.

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), December 17, 2001.

Got my first does about 3 years ago, from a guy who lived way way further out in the boonies than I thought when I talked to him on the phone. Also, you know, I thought I asked all the right questions, but being new to it, skipped a few important ones. (Took some things for granted.)

After driving a very long time over long winding roads, finally ending up on a dirt road leading through trees into a pasture, well, hubby says, after coming so far, if these goats have four legs, we're taking them! My heart sank as we finally came up to the goat pen, and there they were with big long horns. Wild as anything, to boot. I tried to tell hubby I only wanted the doelings(figured there was still hope of taming those). But he helped the guy chase them and the two big does down, and home we went.

They were beautiful, anyway. And before you know it, the pretty black and white one surprised us with two doe kids(a bonus, because she wasn't supposed to be bred.) And they did tame down and become good milkers.

We still have one of those original doelings(the polled one;), and one of those bonus kids.

-- mary (mlg@aol.com), December 17, 2001.

My first goat was an alpine doe named Chelsea. She was a love. I was working at a petting zoo and had purchased her for the farm as a milking doe to do demonstrations. She started having problems with one front knee and was limping, so the owner wanted to get rid of her. The farm vet said she had a bone chip in her knee, but that glucosamine and baby aspirin would resolve the problem so I took her home. Well, as I'm sure you've all guessed, there was no bone chip and even if there had been, a couple baby aspirin per day wouldn't do anything for it!! I really thought this vet knew what he was talking about since he had managed to diagnose a couple other problems in the petting farm herd that other local vets couldn't. Well, I was wrong about the vet and he was wrong about the goat. When her other front knee started swelling the next year I took her to a vet who had a bit more goat experience and she was diagnosed with CAE. I had to have her put down. Diane, my kindergoat doe that I have now isn't child friendly. As a matter of fact, she will push anyone around who will let her, but she is especially bossy with children. My saanen doe, however, will protect the children from the kindergoat. If my 6-year-old son comes into the barn or paddock with me, the saanen will stick with him and protect him from the kindergoat. Talk about maternal!!

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), December 17, 2001.

My first goat was named Peggy, after my big sister (had to name my goat peggy, because my sister (peggy) named her nasty, little yapping dog Sissy!!) I was wanting a dairy goat, and not knowing very much, I went to this womans house an hour away from us. She had advertised "nubian milkers" in the local paper. When I arrived at her little place, you could tell who ruled the roast! The goats! They were everywhere, including in her house. She let me pick out a sweet, tiny baby, and fed her a bottle (in the house, at the table) and I took her home. Oh my, what Peggy taught us about goats! First, she was plum et up with parasites...had to do major stuff with the vet to rid her of them. Now I know how to do it without the vet and the bills! Then, she got a herniated umbilical cord...more $$$ at the vets. About this time, we realized that she wasn't a Nubian Milker at all, she was a Nigerian! But, we loved her all the more. She taught our geese to go to the lake, she slept on the beds with the kids, without leaving berries and she wove herself totally into our hearts. She has given us triplets at each freshening and is the very best of mothers. In His grace, Sissy

-- Sissy Sylvester-Barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), December 17, 2001.

My first goat was a doe my Dad bought for me on a trip to visit our new homestead. We went to the auction barn and he bought me a Nubian doe, horns and all, we named her Hotlips. Called her this because she made this funny blubbering noises with her lips to the other goats in the pen. She lived with us for several months out here in the woods, loved our dogs, and our kids, and was never penned, never had a house, and ate dog food and hay. Yeah I know! I wanted babies in the worst way, started reading up and waiting for her to come into heat. She never did. I learned about 9 months later that Hotlips was a hemaphrodite, she had female reproductive organs in the back, peed like a doe, but that udder...........it was testicles. I could never figure out to this day, why I didn't notice she didn't have teats on them :) Obviously none of my goats today are related to her....Thank God! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), December 18, 2001.

My first goat took over our farm and my heart almost 4 yrs ago. A Nubian, Princess Sweet Pea ( she lets me call her Sweety) had just freshened for the 2nd time when she came to us, was very tolerant of my first fumbling attempts at milking, and was very vocal in her displeasure at being seperated from her sisters and her kids. The only time she was quiet was when I was in the pen with her, so I spent days sitting in the goat pen. After my husband voiced his displeasure about late suppers,unfinished chores, ect. I went back and bought 3 kids to keep her company.

-- Judy Corwin VA Nubians (corwinsusa@netscape.net), December 18, 2001.

My first goat was a purebred French Alpine milking doe. We bought her in September 2000. I had wanted goats for years, and finally my husband said we could get one after seeing how gentle and sweet the ones at Ironworld in the petting zoo were. I called around and finally found a lady that knew of a French Alpine doe for sale. Her name is Lippitts-Ladies Annabelle. She is the sweetest animal I have ever owned. She really likes my 10 year old son. Likes to lick his hair, and snuggle with him. He told me just a day or two ago, that he loved her because she could tell he was feeling really sick, and she was a little angel on the milk stand. Sometimes, when she is feeling frisky she can be a little bit of a pain, but never very bad. I truly thank God for this goat, she is quiet and sweet, and has shown us all how incrdibly personable and loving goats can be. She had trouble with last years kidding, the kids were too big. During hours of labor and incredible pain, she remained sweet and loving. My son and I helped her, we really had to help a lot. She did not want my son to leave her for any reason. She needed his love and she showed her love by licking his hair and just trying to be as close to him as she could. We still have her, and I would get rid of all the others we have before her, she is an incredible, special goat that I cannot thank God enough for.

-- Tina Knapp (knappfarm@citlink.net), December 18, 2001.

Hi all! New to this great board. Enjoy all these tales. My first goat (I'm a nigerian afficianado) was my chocolate ND Kessie, who I drove about 400 miles to get. At five months she was (and still is!) a real character. She was used as a therapy goat who went in to cheer up folks in nursing homes, so naturally she was used to being around people and getting up on furniture. What I time I initially had with her. Jumping up on top of her barn, scaling five foot fences. Then when she managed to escape her pen, she went right for my car, leaving both hoofprints and some scratches. Yikes! This little missy decided motherhood wasn't for her, and although she mated with the buck of my choice, it didn't take and I swear she had something to do with this! My little explorer has calmed down since then and she now has an eye for the lads. She was successfully bred and will become a first time mom this spring. She still though, wants to climb on anything in site.

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), December 19, 2001.

well, my first goats were Annie and Nellie the sweetest goats u ever seen!!!!!annie, red with white speckled ears and nelly,brown with a hug e white patch on her belly with black legs and a black and white spot on her head

-- Brandon Loulou (hawaiian_stud_aloha@hotmail.com), January 24, 2003.