Originally, we started farm life with a cow and
calf, thinking this was the way to our own milk and beef. We started
to grow a small herd with just a few of our cows producing calves,
and soon learned that our 3 acres was not sufficient to support all
these animals. They were eating us out of house and home!
Although they did bring us a great beef calf each
year, the cost of the feed and the required time spent cleaning
their quarters became a chore, and not a hobby. As half of our
family appeared to be cow milk sensitive with symptoms of eczema and
asthma, it wasn't too difficult to part with the cows.So, we sold
our last cow when it got too old.
We had no animals for a few years but then our niece came to live
with us. She took a great interest in raising chickens, and we soon
found ourselves raising purebred black-breasted Red Banty's. In
supporting our niece, who was by then involved in the 4H Poultry
club, we naturally attended the local county fairs.
Our Hearts Were Stolen
While attending the county fair, we saw Toggenburg
dairy goats for the first time, and fell in love with them right off
the bat. Hearing that goats milk may be easier to digest we decided
to give raising dairy goats a try. Fortunately, the special
characteristics of goat's milk did make a difference.
Toggenburg goats are very gentle animals with a rarely-found sweet
disposition. These goats have now forged a real warm spot in our
hearts. Harriet, one of our first goats, however, seemed determined
to teach us that just because we knew about raising cows, they were
no comparison to goats and she was right. She gave us many stories
to chuckle over before we lost her in 2003. She only gave us one doe
kid in 5 years, whom we named Dauphina.
Dauphina gave us several doe kids, but we eventually we sold her,
and the Harriet line.
Great Beginnings
|
Buttercup, whom we purchased in 1999, is now our
foundation purebred Toggenburg doe, passing on many of her
finest qualities to the other does in our herd. |
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