Three little ladies join the team

Recently there were three new additions to the homestead. I'm pleased to introduce you all to the three little ladies that will be the cornerstone of a hopefully growing herd of brush busting, milk gushing, dairy goats.

Lady Marguerite exploring the van

"Hello, my name is Lady Marguerite Chevre. Its a pleasure to meet you!"Lady Marguerite is a full blood Saanen.  She was born April 27, 2011 and is the oldest of the sisters and appears to be assuming the dominant role.

Tink on the ride home

"Hi! I'm Tink! Well, actually my names Bernice Beauregard, but I don't like it so I go by Tink. Pleased to meet'cha!" Tink is another full blood Saanen. She was born May 3, 2011 to "the Cadillac of milk goats" as the farmer from whom we got the girls called her mother. Due to bloodlines, I look forward to her being a great milker.

Padua on the box near the shelter

"Hi. My name's Padua! Nice to meet all of y'all"  Padua is a mix of Nubian, Boer, and Saanen. She was born May 4, 2011. With a good amount of Nubian, Padua will probably produce less milk than the other 2 but the butterfat content will be much higher for a better quality product. Also if bred with a Boer, her offspring will be the best for meat goats.

Apparently everyone is queen of the mountain

The little ladies are getting adjusted to their new home and have already begun tearing into the brush and forage in what was a very inhospitable part of the property. While they won’t be bred for at least another year and a half, it looks like they are already paying their way by keeping that brushy area clean and cropped! We've given them a few things to climb and play on and a little shed next to the house to hunker down and stay dry at night. We couldn't be happier to have them and they seem to be pretty happy with the arrangement as well. 

Hearing their little voices from the back adds a wonderful new tone to the sounds of the house and never fails to make me smile.  They are friendly, adorable, and curious and they love to have company. Whenever I leave the pen they cry and bleat and generally anounce their displeasure and they come running, back legs kicking whenever they see me approach.  There's a little sample in the video above.

I hope you all enjoy seeing the girls as much as I do. I'm sure new pictures and videos will be taken and uploaded pretty regularly.  They are little now but they grow quickly and I'll keep everyone updated on them as they grow and change!