Meet Annabelle. The most infuriatingly loveable goat ever. She was also the romantic wedding gift my husband presented me with many years ago. He still claims to regret the interesting choice of gift - not because I'm a diamonds and caviar kind of girl - but because my love of goats didn't begin and end with Annabelle. In fact it wasn't long after Annabelle's arrival, that she was joined by Chloe and Capri. Then Emma, Biscuit, Zoe, Honey, Kenna ..... Soon Farmer Buckaroo was complaining that my (fill in the blank) goats were eating better than him and taking far more of my time!
By the time the growing flock of goats were expanding their waistlines and ultimately popping out adorable twin and triplet goat babies I knew that if my goats didn't earn their keep they may be filling the freezers! Beginning with Annabelle according to the giver of the goatie gift!
While I now strictly keep pure bloodlines - Saanen (swiss) dairy goats - Annabelle was a cross. She came from stud Saanen accidently crossed with stud Boergoat. An important thing to understand about goats is that while they are not notorious tin eaters they do have the remarkable ability to get to the other side of a fence. The theory is that if water can pass through a fence, so can a goat. Whether it be over, under or through, you can be sure that your fences will be tested by (and fail to contain) goats.
Annabelle is what is called "hybrid vigour". She had the best of both the milk and meat goat worlds - she also has their worst traits! Saanen are far more tame and prone to obedience than a Boergoat. Annabelle was pathetically needy but extraordinarily infuriating. Without fail if the goats found themselves on the wrong side of the fence Annabelle was the leader. Blinking innocently with her liquid amber eyes and long fluttering eyelashes. She was a prolific milker, thanks to her Saanen mother. However, true to her patriachal tendency to do exactly the opposite of what a human expects, she would hop and kick and squeal like a stuffed pig for her daily milking experience. It was enough to challenge even my goat loving temper(ament).
Every winter Annabelle's waistline would balloon out as if she was birthing a baby elephant. By spring a boy baby would join us. Always a boy. Always one. Always huge. Always as needy as Annabelle. She was one of the most desperately protective goat mothers I have encountered. And I have encountered dozens having grown my flock to 60. Interestingly enough when we crossed her with our beautiful stud Saanen buck her kids would look exactly like their mother. When we, twice, crossed her with a Boergoat she birthed baby boys of a beautiful chocolate colour. Which seemed to really freak out the rest of the flock! As much as we love the babies and enjoy teeny goatie cuddles, being dairy goats, we obviously do not want boys.
Then one year Annabelle popped triplets! All 3 were little Saanens with flopping Boergoat ears. The first two out were big boys. No surprise there. And then Lily was born. She was tiny. Half the size of her strapping brothers. She was very petite and generally overlooked by her mother. She had to fight to survive and I didn't waste time in supplement feeding her. Despite being petite and seemingly delicate little Lily was fiesty. She grew to be the total opposite of her mother. She stayed rather petite but was a placid goat and pure delight to milk - when the time came. She was also loved by Farmer Buckaroo.
I love animals. We have cats - not just two or three. We have dogs. Chickens. Sheep. Cows. Fish. Bees (I stick to cuddling goats) but it's no secret: My passion is for my goats. They are certainly a cut above the rest. And they know it.