Saturday, February 20, 2010

Urban Goat-Keeping Part 1

This is the beginning of a series of "articles" I will be writing and posting to this blog. Bear with me as I am by no means a professional author. :) I just want to provide some handy information, tips, and photos for those interested in keeping goats in a more urban setting. Yes, it IS possible! (We've kept goats in the city for five years!) Most of the information shared can be applied to any setting, whether it be urban or rural.

First off, it is very important to find out the regulations for your county. This, I believe, can be found easily by looking up your county on the internet or calling them up to ask. I only know of the rules within Multnomah county; you may own up to three miniature goats without a permit.

Once you've established that it is okay to own goats in your area, do talk with your neighbors about it. For the most part, people we've dealt with enjoy our goats immensely. We've been blessed with great neighbors! :)

Space: For goats to be happy and healthy, they do need space to move around and would greatly appreciate toys to play on. A fenced pen of about 20 x 20 feet is adequate for two miniature goats. If you have more room, all the better! If not, this size will do.

Fencing: Sturdy fencing of adequate height is crucial - not only to keep your prized roses and garden safe ;) but for the goats safety as well. Stray/wandering dogs at the very least, can do much damage to a little goat. Many people I've known have lost their goats to dog attacks. Our preferred fencing is 5 ft. "No Climb" Horse Fencing (easily found at many feed stores, I think even Lowes and Home Depot stock fencing of this type). This fencing looks best (and seems to last longer) when attached to treated wood posts but also works just as well when attached to T-Posts. We've also used a combination of wooden posts and T-Posts and that worked very well. It looks nice and is durable. I recommend spacing the posts 6 to maybe 8 feet apart.

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Goats are not too terribly hard on fencing but you will find that they love to rub alongside it (especially in the spring when their winter coats are shedding). This can be a little rough on the fence-line so I suggest doing the best you can to make that fencing durable. It's no fun constantly making repairs!

Well, I guess that's all for now - more to come soon!

Friday, February 19, 2010

New Buckling!

Meet our newest addition to the herd! We reserved a buckling from Castle Rock Farm late last year and he was born (we even had two to choose from!)
CRF Castle Rock not named yet. . . *S
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Sire: CRF Castle Rock Harvest Moon *S
SS: Rosasharn's TL Sitka Spruce *S
SD: MCH/CH Castle Rock Once Ina Blue Moon 2*D
Dam: ARMCH/CH Algedi Farm S Honey Heart 5*D
DS: Kaapio Acres KK Sultan *S
DD: CH Rosasharn's UMT Tupelo Honey 4*D
He should be arriving next weekend! We're excited! :)

Monday, February 15, 2010

Stay Tuned!

It was suggested by someone visiting our "farm" in the city that I write a book about small-scale goat-keeping. . . Instead of tackling a book at this time, I figured it'd be easier to put together a series of articles on managing goats in an urban setting.
Putting my thoughts together on this subject now. . . so if you are a "city-dweller" wondering if keeping goats will work for you - stay tuned for some helpful information, photos, and tips!
On another note, I am working on putting together herbal tinctures, salves, and supplements for pets (goats included!) I hope to have these available for sale later this spring. I will be using them with our own animals first and let you know of the results! :)

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Loco for Lotion! :)


I am so excited with the new line of Goat's Milk Lotions and Body B'Udders I've recently developed! It took a few batches to get it right but I'm very pleased with the latest creations!

I've already received the first order. :) Last night I felt like playing around after making up Rose Body B'Udder, so I decided to add some high-end Chocolate fragrant oil to the Rose - it smells soooo gooood!!!!! One of these jars will be staying with me. :)

If anyone is interested in trying this out, I have some sample size containers of the Roses N Chocolate blend and also Lemongrass Essential. I'd love to hear feedback on it!

So far, my mom has used the Simply Milk (unscented) on her face every night and tells me she LOVES it. My cat scratched me good the other night (she didn't mean to, the dog scared her). Anyways, the scratches were burning and kind of itching and I just decided to try and put some of the Body B'Udder on it - in a matter of seconds, the burning/itch was gone! Haven't even noticed it hurting since then. . .

Goat's milk is naturally high in protein, triglycerides, and packed with absorbable Vitamins A, B6, B12, and E, making it an excellent natural moisturizer! I also use skin-loving oils of Jojoba, Avocado, Soy, and Rice Bran blended with Aloe and Mango Butter.
Anyways, just wanted to share!