I’ve always been an animal lover and I fell in love with goats at a young age. Mitzy was my first goat, a pygmy. She was my 10th birthday present. I took her everywhere with me… my family reunion, trick or treating, school show and tell, and the county fair. She was my bud.
So, it only makes sense that as an adult, one of my dreams would be to own goats again. When Josh and I moved to Illinois almost two years ago, I knew we had plenty of room for a few goat kids and was pleasantly surprised that my betrothed wanted goats just as badly as I did. We found these three and fell in love instantly.
Here are a few facts that led us to our decision:
- They are a miniature milking goat, so they don’t need much space and because they’re smaller, they’re also safer for young children. *cough-Hank-cough*
- They have a very friendly disposition and make great companion animals
- They love to play and are very entertaining to watch
- They’re adorable and sometimes naughty (just like Hank)
- They’re fairly easy keepers and really don’t need much besides grass hay and very small amounts grain to eat
Other Fun Facts:
- Brought to America in the 1950s and originated in West Africa
- They will get to be 16-23″ tall and weigh around 50 pounds
- They all have blue eyes
- On average have 2-3 babies at a time, but can have up to 5
- Generally, don’t need assistance with birth
- Very hearty animals
- If you do decide to milk them, their milk is very sweet-tasting… I read that. I haven’t ever tried it myself… Just like any mammal, they have to have a baby before they can lactate, so our girls don’t produce milk yet
We’re planning to breed our 3 girls in the Fall of 2020, to have babies in Spring 2021. We’ll probably end up with hundreds of goats someday because I won’t be able to part with any of them… just kidding, Josh. If you’re thinking about getting goats, remember just like any other pet they do require time and love. If you want to leave for the weekend, you have to set up someone to care for them. Overall, they’re easy to care for, super loving and totally worth it.
