Getting My Goat

Or goats, I should say. Two weeks ago, our baby goats "Pumpkin Pie" and "Latte" arrived. They are Nigerian Dwarf Goats, a miniature dairy goat originating in West Africa and characterized as a rare breed that's growing in popularity. Pumkin is a "wether," a castrated male goat, and Latte is a doe. They were born just after Thanksgiving, and Latte will be ready to breed this Fall.

The goaties have settled in quite well and are becoming quite tame, considering they were not bottle raised. We've been feeding them by hand, holding and petting them as much as possible to socialize them to our family. Nigerian Dwarf goats are known for their calm, friendly temperaments, and these two are proving that true. Pumpkin and Latte are siblings, so staying together made the move a bit easier, and becuase goats are herd animals, they need the company of other goats.

Julia has been wanting goats since she met the goaties' dam, Strawberry Flip, a little over a year ago. These goats are Flip's second round of kids, so Jules has been waiting a long time for her baby goaties! Jules feeds them twice a day and takes her responsibility very seriously; she loves going out to feed them and pet them, talking to them, as does the rest of the family. We're all in love with our new additions and look forward to adding some babies early next year!