All posts tagged: Toggenberg Goats

Not your Typical Farm…Girl

Yes, we have 16 animals and no, we do not live on a farm. This is confusing to most people. We live in a town that has lots of farms and large pieces of property, but we have a small lot that happens to be in the part of town that is zoned for farms. The goats, ducks, rabbits, cats and dogs all live on our property; we rent a barn in town for the minis. What does this mean for me? Lots of work. People call me crazy. I call it a labor of love. Most farmers have a field and tractor to spread manure or they have dumpster that gets picked up and carted away. I have neither of these things. The goat manure, rabbit poo and duck poo all gets put into large muck buckets and empty bedding bags, then loaded into my pick-up truck, driven up the street to a friends field, where I empty the manure and spread it out. I do this once or twice a week, depending on …

Home at Last

Getting ready for the big day was a lot of work and expensive…think long and hard before you decide to bring home any type of farm animal. Luckily I knew what I was getting into, volunteering at The Barnyard Sanctuary prepared me for the work involved and the expenses. First I had to order a shed and luckily my husband is super handy and built the beautiful base. Next came the fencing, it must be goat proof or they’ll be running through your neighborhood! I read everything I possibly could about raising goats to prepare for their arrival. My first trip to Tractor Supply was almost better than going shopping at my favorite mall. I bought all the essentials: thermometer, water buckets, hoof trimmers, minerals and of course treats! The day we went to bring them home was one of the best days of my life. I was so excited and happy and not one bit nervous. We brought them home in the back of our Jeep. We put down plastic and sheet and I …