Our goats are the stars of our business.
Animal management
Our animals are raised in a free range situation where they are encouraged to graze and experience life in a more natural herd situation. We harvest our own hay to suppliment Summer feeding and the goats graze in the paddocks all year round.
We do not dehorn our animals as we believe that this is an extremely painful and traumatic experience for the animals. The horns allow the goats to interact with each other in a normal manner. Head butting is a normal method for determining pecking order in the herd. It is our experience that animals with horns do not injure each other if they have space to move around in but animals without horns can resort to ear pulling and other behaviours which result in injuries.
The horns also offer the animals a form of defence from predators such as foxes. We also have alpacas as herd companion as they are good at discouraging foxes and naturally protective of the kids.
Our animals are raised in a free range situation where they are encouraged to graze and experience life in a more natural herd situation. We harvest our own hay to suppliment Summer feeding and the goats graze in the paddocks all year round.
We do not dehorn our animals as we believe that this is an extremely painful and traumatic experience for the animals. The horns allow the goats to interact with each other in a normal manner. Head butting is a normal method for determining pecking order in the herd. It is our experience that animals with horns do not injure each other if they have space to move around in but animals without horns can resort to ear pulling and other behaviours which result in injuries.
The horns also offer the animals a form of defence from predators such as foxes. We also have alpacas as herd companion as they are good at discouraging foxes and naturally protective of the kids.
Kidding
Our girls get pregnant naturally - contrary to farm myth the bucks do not cause the milk to get a gamey flavour. We do not use hormones to control ovulation and generally kid twice a year.
The kids are removed from the does normally at the first milking after birth. This is done for a two reasons as it distresses the mothers more if they spend any significant time with the kids prior to separation and, the kids, if left with their mothers do not transition well to bottle feeding. The kids are raised by hand on the farm. If any of the kids are excess to milk production requirements then they are currently taken by another farmer who raises them for the pet/hobby farm market.
Our girls get pregnant naturally - contrary to farm myth the bucks do not cause the milk to get a gamey flavour. We do not use hormones to control ovulation and generally kid twice a year.
The kids are removed from the does normally at the first milking after birth. This is done for a two reasons as it distresses the mothers more if they spend any significant time with the kids prior to separation and, the kids, if left with their mothers do not transition well to bottle feeding. The kids are raised by hand on the farm. If any of the kids are excess to milk production requirements then they are currently taken by another farmer who raises them for the pet/hobby farm market.
Grannies and Granddads
Milking does and bucks that are stood down from milking and stud duties due to age or health are retired to a “granny” paddock to live out the rest of their lives.
If the Grannies are able to kid they are mated and bring up their kids without the need to be milked.
They do not go to the abattoir. Some of our Grannies are 14+ years old so while they aren't productive anymore they have earned the right to live out their lives in peace and comfort.
Milking does and bucks that are stood down from milking and stud duties due to age or health are retired to a “granny” paddock to live out the rest of their lives.
If the Grannies are able to kid they are mated and bring up their kids without the need to be milked.
They do not go to the abattoir. Some of our Grannies are 14+ years old so while they aren't productive anymore they have earned the right to live out their lives in peace and comfort.
All the images on this page were taken from various locations around our farm.
