Wicked Walnut Farm, home of LeadQuine, expanded the collection of animals who call our farm home recently. Last summer, we added four Nigerian Dwarf Goats to our herd—two does (females) and two bucks (intact males). They all have very sweet dispositions. The two does are Anna and Indy.
Our bucks are smelly, because the does find the scent of their urine to be irresistible, so they are constantly peeing on themselves. We don’t pet them nearly as much as they’d like as a result of this unpleasantness, but they are just so sweet that sometimes we can’t help ourselves. Meet Coal and Oliver.
Nigerian Dwarf goats are known for producing rich milk great for making soap, cheeses, and other products, and we decided to try our hand at it. They also have a VERY short breeding window—about 12 hours. Back in late November, Anna went into heat, so we quickly moved Oliver into their pen to breed. Well, we must have missed her window by a little bit, but not Indy’s, and on the evening of April 30th, we were walking back from the chicken coop and heard the little cries of newborn kids!
We have no experience with baby Nigerian Dwarfs, and we were unprepared for how small they would be! But Indy is a great momma, and she is taking care of them. Everyone is healthy and thriving. At 10 days old, they are starting to bounce around like little jumping beans. Watch for video on our social media channels!
All this growth and expansion is of great interest to the horses. On the night the babies were born, the horses all stood outside the barn, like they were keeping watch without getting too close. But now they regularly peer over the gate to see what’s going on.
It’s the season of projects here at the farm, now that the weather has finally broken! We have marked off significant new pasture fields for grazing, and will begin building fences this weekend. Our outdoor arena will also be fenced off in the coming weeks, as we continue expanding our offerings for workshops. Stay tuned for all the latest by signing up for our monthly newsletter here!
Get outside and enjoy this fine weather! And if you need a calm, serene, beautiful spot to put your feet up, or just relax, give us a call. We’re always happy to have you.
