The Grovestead
  •  Blog
  •  Events
  •  Publications
    • Durable Trades
    • Audio Recordings
    • The Grovestead Newsletter
  •  Gather & Grow
  •  About Us
The Grovestead
The Grovestead
  •  Blog
  •  Events
  •  Publications
    • Durable Trades
    • Audio Recordings
    • The Grovestead Newsletter
  •  Gather & Grow
  •  About Us
  •  Blog
  •  Events
    • Farm Camp
    • Workshops
    • Internships
  •  Publications
    • Durable Trades
    • The Grovestead Newsletter
  •  Farm Stand
  •  About Us
Uncategorized

Six weeks with the goats

  • June 26, 2016
  • 2 comments
  • 16 views
  • Rory

Goats foraging just outside the barn

It’s been a little over six weeks since we brought goats to our farm.  All in all, it has been very smooth. I was expecting a lot of fence-breaking and otherwise mischievous tomfoolery, but that hasn’t been the case at all. It took a few weeks to establish routine, but since then it has been uneventful. Just the way I like it.

Goats eating down the weeds

The goats have lived up to their species’ reputation by making quick work of a weedy forest. Once they figured out there was no more hay in the trough, they really started mowing down the undergrowth in our woods. I ended up moving the fence to add an extra few hundred square feet and within 2 days I had to move the fence again. In the last 3 weeks the progress has been so effective that I no longer have to mow certain areas around the barn and cabin.

Farmer boy with the goats

Ivar has been a great farm-hand. I’ll find him hanging out with Darcy and Precious on many occasions. They’ve warmed up to their new owners and are quite friendly now, scaling the pen walls to get a pet on the neck (but what they really want is more corn).

Resourceful goats reaching high up

The electric fencing has been fantastic. After the first shock or two, they never test it again. And before you get overly concerned, the shock isn’t bad. Its about the same as rubbing your socks on carpet and touching something metal. More startling than painful. Pictured above I have two strands covering about an acre of woods. The goats are quite resourceful at finding interesting forage, but they never test the electric fence.

It’s been a good six weeks with the goats. Besides the brush control and friendly demeanor, they put on quite a show. It’s not uncommon to find a peanut gallery watching the local entertainment.

Peanut gallery

0
0
1
Total
1
Shares
0
1
0
Avatar photo
Rory

Rory Groves moved his family from the city to the country several years ago to begin the journey towards a more durable way of life. Rory and his wife Becca now reside in southern Minnesota where they farm, raise livestock, host workshops, and homeschool their six children. He is the author of Durable Trades: Family-Centered Economies That Have Stood the Test of Time.

Tags
  • Goats
  • Goats

Durable Trades is Now Available!

Our book about historical, family-centered professions is now on sale!

DETAILS & PURCHASE


Receive our Print Newsletter!

We publish a free quarterly newsletter to encourage Christian families and cover articles about farming, family, and faith.

DETAILS & SIGN-UP

You May Also Like
View Post
  • Farming

A Very Photogenic Winter

  • February 27, 2023
  • Becca
View Post
  • Family

Working Together

  • February 20, 2023
  • Becca
View Post
  • Farming

How Much to Grow?

  • January 14, 2023
  • Rory
View Post
  • Family

A Table for Generations

  • December 26, 2022
  • Becca
View Post
  • Family

Good News for Mothers

  • December 24, 2022
  • Becca
View Post
  • Faith
  • Family

A brave, young girl and her faith in Jesus

  • December 13, 2022
  • Becca
View Post
  • Family

Christmas Tea

  • December 8, 2022
  • Becca
View Post
  • Family

Sledding Season

  • November 18, 2022
  • Becca
2 comments
  1. MARLENEGROVES says:
    June 27, 2016 at 8:25 am

    Good job, goats! Keep it up!

    Reply
  2. Troy says:
    June 27, 2016 at 4:56 pm

    Thanks for the update! Can Darcy teach our dog to mow?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts
  • A Very Photogenic Winter
    • February 27, 2023
    • 98 views
  • Working Together
    • February 20, 2023
    • 188 views
  • How Much to Grow?
    • January 14, 2023
    • 616 views
Popular Posts
  • Where’s the Beef? It’s time to build our own supply chains.
    • April 25, 2020
    • 23.5K views
  • Managed Intensive Rotational Grazing for Sheep
    • December 27, 2016
    • 14K views
  • Boiling maple sap over home-built evaporator
    How to Build an Evaporator (from stuff laying around)
    • April 12, 2014
    • 11.4K views
Mailing List

Be notified of events and goings on at the Grovestead!

Contact
The Grovestead
  •  Blog
  •  Events
  •  Publications
  •  Gather & Grow
  •  About Us
Copyright © 2022 by The Grovestead. All Rights Reserved.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.