Goats are extremely social and curious animals. They are most comfortable with their herd and once they get to know and trust people, they will come to them for affection and attention. Goats are not good lawn-mowers and are picky eaters! They prefer to browse, eating the leaves and bark off of trees - a good habit to avoid parasitic worms. Although they will explore anything new with their mouths (since they don't have hands), they don't eat the things they explore (like tin cans). However, the goats on our farm will intentionally undo my shoelaces, unzip my jacket and unplug the electric fence every chance they get! If we leave something out instead of putting it away properly, we can count on the goats to have checked it out (moved or destroyed it) by the time we return.

Goats are prey animals and so have several cool built-in survival features. Their eyes are on the sides of their heads and they have interesting rectangular pupils. These make their view like a panorama photograph, allowing them to see anything sneaking up on them from behind. They are ruminants, with four stomachs. The first and largest is the rumen, a temporary storage compartment. Goats can quickly fill up their rumen when they find some good food but may not feel safe. Then they can go somewhere safe and take the time to regurgitate the food stored in the rumen and chew it properly.

Horns are a mixed blessing with farm goats and most farmers choose to have horns removed. Goats can use their horns for protection, but they can also injure each other or get caught in fences. Horns are alive and part of the skull - they are also a cooling system with lots of blood flowing through them. If a goat breaks a horn, it can bleed to death. If you feel their horns near the base, you can feel that they are warm and alive!

In nature, goats tend to climb rocks which naturally wear down their hooves. On the farm their hooves need to be trimmed several times a year to ensure they don't curl around and fill with mud. They need free access to certain salts and minerals to keep their body chemistry in balance. Male goats in particular can have serious problems with mineral buildup in their urine if their diet isn't properly balanced. All of our goats need regular de-worming and annual vaccines against common ailments.

Sponsoring a goat for $75 helps cover the expenses of their care.

Pip

Squeak

Dan

Ben

Tara

Buster

The quality of Buster's coat and hooves has improved a lot since he came to our farm. His coat initially was dull and dry, with lots of dandruff. He has poorly formed horns that need to be trimmed so that they don't curve into his head - it is very likely that his original owners tried to burn off his horn buds when he was little, but they didn't do a complete job.

Buster is so clever that he has figured out how to use his mouth to rotate and slide the bolts to open stalls in the barn! If we aren't careful to block the bolt for our horse Mishka's stall when we feed her, Buster will open her stall door quick as a wink and help himself to her food.

Because he grew up as a lone goat, Buster often prefers the company of people to that of other goats. He follows visitors around, rubbing his head against their legs, wanting lots of attention. He has tons of personality and is a favorite to many of our volunteers.

Jimmy

Caramel