Goat Business

My husband is an animal lover. He is a putterer. He is a nurturer. He needs something to keep him busy. So, while I want as few responsibilities as possible, he has been talking about taking on more responsibilities and does not seem to take my discouragement of such endeavors.

Back in the fall, he mentioned to our son, Stephen, that he would like to have some goats. A goat herd has been something Stephen has kept for several years. While I love to watch the little kids jump and run and climb, I am satisfied to do so from afar. Mike, on the other hand, wanted some to pet on and putter with. Stephen finally relented and gave him a pair of females. They were part of a set of triplets and were small and didn't really fit with Stephen's other goats who were twins and singles of that age-group. After consulting with several of the grandchildren, the girls were named Lulu and Billie.

Goats in a trough

The two little goats were set up in a stall in the barn. Shortly thereafter, Mike went to an auction and bought a couple of feeders and a crate for hauling a goat in the back of a pickup truck. So, he was officially in the goat business. He began watching online auctions and visiting goat herds and looking at goats. He had a canvas cover made for the goat crate so that transportation during cold weather or a rain storm would be safer for a goat. He spent time visiting with the goats and feeding them to get them tame enough to pet on. 

Lulu

Billie

Well, this past weekend Mike did a little goat business with what I would call some professional goat guys. They have their own delivery business and equipment. These two young gentlemen delivered a buck to Mike's barn so that the young fellow could become friends with Lulu and Billie for a while. 

Professional Goat Guys

Making a Delivery

This is to be a temporary friendship and the only cost for us will be the feed that the young buck eats while visiting Mike's girl goats. Mike got lots of instructions from these professionals. He was instructed to watch the goats closely so that the two girls would not pick on the new guy. He was told to watch and make sure they didn't crowd him out or butt him away from the feed and water troughs. There were many instructions imparted. Plus, there was a promise that the guys would check back in after a day or so to see how things were going.

Wisdom Being Shared

The customer relations representative also made a visit. She had her chauffeur bring her down the hill to check things out during the delivery transaction. (The chauffeur was not photographed, however.) She supervised and oversaw the introduction of the new visitor. She seems to be quite the company spokesperson and shared friendly smiles and information about goat names, habits, and friendships as well.

The Goat Guys and Gal

Now that Mike is dealing with this highly regarded group of folks, it will be interesting to see how things go and whether his goat business will grow and prosper. Stay tuned for updates in the future!