Meet the Goats: Our First Herd at Bootsy Garden

On May 5th, we brought home our very first goats to Bootsy Garden. We picked them up from the breeder and loaded them up. The two-hour drive home was filled with curious glances, a little noise, and a whole lot of excitement.

Our small starter herd includes two Nigerian Dwarf does in milk and two doeling kids. One of the kids is actually the daughter of one of our does, Demi, which felt like the perfect beginning to our dairy goat journey. After months of planning and preparing the pasture, it was surreal to finally have goats riding in the back and headed to their new home.

When we got home, we settled them into their pasture and shelter. We made sure they had hay, fresh water, and free-choice minerals available right away. I also offered them a dish of baking soda in case the winding roads had upset their rumens. It was important to me that their transition to our new homestead was as smooth as possible.

They adjusted quickly, but Demi had some feelings. Every time we left the pasture, she would scream. Not just a little noise, but full-volume yelling that echoed across the property. At first, I worried she might be in heat or really missing her old herd. Or maybe she just wanted constant attention. My husband and I joked about it, but deep down, I was a little nervous that something was wrong or that the neighbors might not be amused. Thankfully, after about two days, the screaming stopped. She settled in and decided we were okay after all.

The two kids are still quite skittish. They were dam-raised and are not used to much handling, so right now I have to catch them to hold them. We are working on it, and I am hopeful that over time, with consistency and calm interaction, they will grow to be more people-friendly. If you are adding goats to your new homestead, especially younger ones, just know it takes time and patience to earn their trust.

Milking has definitely been a learning curve. Butter, one of our does, has been amazing on the milk stand. I have only had to lift her onto it once, and that was the day she very clearly did not want to be up there because she needed to poop. And yes, she pooped right on the stand. She has been easy to work with otherwise, which I am thankful for as I learn the ropes.

Demi, on the other hand, has mostly been nursing her kid, so I have only milked her once. It is convenient in some ways, but I know I need to work with her more to avoid setting habits that will be hard to break. She is much heavier than Butter, and if she refuses to get on the milk stand, I cannot just lift her. That is a whole new challenge.

Also, if you are planning to raise dairy goats, I really recommend learning to milk by hand before they arrive. It takes time to get the rhythm and figure out when a goat is truly milked out. Milking goats by hand is not as easy as it looks, and I thought I would pick it up faster than I have. Every day is getting a little better, though, and I am learning what works for us.

These goats are already teaching us so much. From poop on the milk stand to dramatic goat yelling, we are learning to be flexible, patient, and to laugh often. We are excited to build our herd, grow our experience, and keep sharing what we learn along the way.

Welcome to goat life at Bootsy Garden. The goats are home, and the adventure has officially begun.