Goat Math – It. Is. Real.

You may have heard of Common Core Math and how today’s parents can’t help their children learn it due to its convoluted methodology.  Well, I know of something that is more amazing and incredible than Common Core Math.

Goat Math.

Goat math is what happens when you just want a few goats (3 or 4) for homesteading and less than 12 months later you have a shed-turned-goat barn, 3 field shelters, a re-purposed dog house, six pastures, and 22 goats of varying ages.

In the beginning, we only needed a doe in milk and a companion for her.  These are herd animals and don’t do well as individuals.  So, we found a great goat mentor who had an adorable little baby goat for us.  We converted a portion of the shed to be the goat house and put in 2 pastures.  Mid-May and we were ready for our girls to come home.  🙂

Opal (our first doeling) and Rosy (her companion – the first goat I fell in love with) enjoyed their week of being on the farm as the only goats.  Then, we went to our first goat show where Peso won First in Class and Reserve Champion.  We brought her home after the show.  A couple of weeks later, Icey joined us at the farm.  Sigh.  In less than a month we had our four goats – one in milk, one preggers, one youngster, and Rosy.

At this time we planned to “rent” a buck for future breedings.  A month passed of our blissful ignorance and then I saw the sweetest little buckling available.  “Honey, can we?”  And we did.  While we were awaiting our handsome fellow, Icey kidded with two bucklings of her own. 

Next thing we knew we’d purchased a buck because our little guys weren’t quite big enough to breed effectively.   So, six months after bringing home our first two goats we’d already increased our herd to 8.  Twice as many as we originally planned.

I then purchased an entire herd — three bucks, one doe in milk with two babies at her side, and four bred does ready to pop anytime.  And there you have it.  Just a few goats for our own milk use.  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…