In September, the first article in this series stated, “Some consider the goat to be ‘the new dog.’ A goat’s potential to be a delightful pet will be explored later.” Be assured that no competition between goats and dogs is suggested or implied: only an opening of one’s mind to a variation, a novel outlook on what can be a “pet.”
Only two months remain until December. Imagine how the inclusion of pet goats in Santa hats will convey instant panache to your family’s holiday photo this year.
Choosing your goats: Pygmy and Nigerian dwarf
These two miniature breeds of goat are recommended as best choices for adorable pets with friendly personalities. Due to their smaller size, they are less expensive to keep and take up less space than a standard dairy goat. Pygmies have been bred to be short and stocky and are a meat-producing breed. If selling goats for meat is a goal, this breed is a good choice. Nigerians, on the other hand, have a more refined overall body appearance and are considered a dairy goat. (Note: The Town of Granby’s protocols for keeping goats on your property are found in Section 8.15 of the zoning regulations.)
Pat and Bill Fiocchetta’s Hobby Farm
Misty Meadow Farm, Pat and Bill Fiocchetta’s hobby farm extraordinaire, sits close by the Dewey-Granby Oak on Day Street. This 25-acre paradise is surely a model of its kind. White fences, red barn and silver silo. Manicured lawns giving way to fields and pond and then to forest turning yellow and bronze on a brisk sunny October morning. A view of the Connecticut countryside that brought unexpected moisture to the eye and a catch in the throat.
The Fiocchettas have fashioned their patch of Granby into a hobby farm, a property defined as a small-scale farm of less than 50 acres that is primarily for pleasure rather than for commercial use. Misty Meadow is home to seven sleek American buff geese, 13 huggable Nigerian dwarf goats, 40 bustling hens and a rooster named Rocky, 30 cacophonous Guinea fowl and one substantial Irish wolfhound named Whiskey.
As Bill explains, “This is for fun—our animals are just pets; there is no commercial enterprise. We just love our animals.” Pat quickly points out that there is limited income; eggs from resident Rhode Island reds, white leghorns, black copper Marans and the geese are on offer in a self-service cart at the top of the drive.
Bill and Pat chose Nigerian dwarfs as their preferred breed and decided to limit their herd to females, buying them as doelings (three months old). In August 2020, they drove to Craftsbury, Vt., to pick up the first two, named Parsley and Sage. “Just two” was the initial idea. Then “maybe two more” crept into passing conversations. And now there are 13 Nigerian dwarfs. Discovered through contact with enthusiastic “goat groups” on Facebook, they came from throughout the Northeast.
The Fiocchettas had decided not to breed their goats or to milk them. It was a surprise, then, when one new doeling (now known as Mama) was observed to be developing an udder and filling out into a motherly roundness. Consultation with previous owners shed light: prior to adoption, this four-month-old had apparently (and unknown to the previous owners) been courted by a precocious five-month-old buckling during a 15-minute breakout of males into female territory. Mama gave birth to triplets.
The Soul of a Goat
Somewhere around 11,000 years ago goats were becoming domesticated in the Middle East. Here we are in 2024, fortunate to have this amazing animal thriving in our town. And how particularly favored we are to have Sweet Pea Cheese goat dairy minutes away where one can purchase goat milk, cheese and yogurt daily, and then walk outside and back around the corner of the store to have a personal encounter with the very goats who make such treats possible.
Look closely into the rectangular pupils of one of these goat’s eyes. Imagine you can see into the psyche of all goats. Early cultures saw strength, virility and fertility. Determination and resilience are also attributed to this animal that can survive on limited food and water in harsh environments. Joyful agility and curiosity are on show whenever goats climb on rock piles and roofs and nibble on you and your shirt. Celebrate the soul of the goat as you read the following.
Benediction: The Prayer of the Goat
from Prayers from the Ark (1969) by Carmen Bernos de Gasztold, translated by Rumer Godden.
Lord,
Let me live as I will!
I need a little wild freedom,
a little giddiness of heart,
the strange taste of unknown flowers.
For whom else are Your mountains?
Your snow wind? These springs?
The sheep do not understand.
They graze and graze,
all of them, and always in the same direction,
and then eternally,
chew the cud of their insipid routine.
But I — I love to bound to the heart of all
Your marvels,
leap your chasms,
and, my mouth stuffed with intoxicating grasses,
quiver with an adventurer’s delight
on the summit of the world!
Amen.
Dr. Christopher Weber, “goat whisperer” veterinarian at Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital, states, “We see anywhere from 400–500 goats in our practice. They come from all over—from Otis, Mass. to Stafford Springs and Deep River.”
Common concerns range from diet to parasitism to reproduction issues. Weber observes that, “Our clients are usually well educated about caring for goats and know when to ask for help,” noting that, “Most of our goat owners are in 4-H or were in 4-H.”
Happy New Year parties, goat style
Goats celebrate the new year by eating discarded Christmas trees. When Nancy Butler of Lyric Hill Farm asks for trees for her goats on the farm’s Facebook Page, she stipulates that they be “Only locally cut; no pesticides or sprays please.”
Dorothy Hayes of Sweet Pea Cheese explains that only the needles and bark are eaten. The needles fill in for greens at just the right time of year—during December and January when no fresh plants are available.
Raising Goats for Dummies, by Cheryl K. Smith (2021)
This is an indispensable resource for those who want to know everything.
A gently used copy of Raising Goats for Dummies was a serendipitous find at the Granby libraries’ book sale this past June. The opening chapter, Discovering the Joys of Raising Goats, leads into Getting Your Goats: Choosing, Buying, and Bringing Goats Home. Getting your Property Ready for a Goat covers fencing, shelter types, removal of poisonous plants, and using guardian animals for security.