We frequently receive questions on the care of the goats and the one we hear the most concerns the treatment of made kids.  It is a question that we get relatively often. It is usually from concerned non-goat owners who have been exposed to radical animal abuse stories. We are happy to explain what we […] The post What happens to all the baby male goats born on our farm? appeared first on Honey Sweetie Acres ..read more

Kidding Season is upon us Since it is January, the kidding season is upon us. It is a tremendously fun yet stressful time of year. So, we thought we’d share what a typical birthing situation can look like. While we let mother nature “drive,” so to speak, there are many things we can do to make it easier for the birthing doe and her kid(s). It starts before the babies are even conceived. When we breed does, we DO want to know the exact date that the breeding took place. We do not turn males and females out together and hope for the best. If we see the date when the breeding occurred, we can clo ..read more

As promised in our previous Blog on “Is it Cruel to Milk Goats?”, we promised to share information on the treatment of male kids.  It is a question that we get relatively often. It is usually from concerned non-goat owners who have been exposed to radical animal abuse stories. We are happy to explain what we do with male kids. About Male Goats Activists often believe that all male kids are always killed because almost everyone wants the girl or doe kids since they can reproduce.  Male kids can mate as well, but the issue is as boys grow, they develop buck behaviors and can become qui ..read more

We appreciate any questions from customers in regards to raising our animals. When we write a blog, it is certainly “our opinion”.  However, we are Certified Humane for a reason.  Recently, we did a promotion with MyBeautyBunny.com in regards to our products and were a bit surprised at a few online comments.  One person asked how we could be deemed cruelty free when we “bred” animals and milked them. Another questioned what specifically was happening to the “boys”, with the clear assumption that they were not being allowed to survive. Knowing a small portion of society is often ..read more

Why Feed Baby Goats with Bottles? Periodically we post photos and videos of adorable baby goat nursing a bottle enthusiastically.  While most people enjoy these, I’ve noticed a few comments on twitter and other social media asking why baby goats are fed with bottles, bemoaning the fact the babies are on bottles and not their mamas.  I don’t view this as criticism, I view it as an opportunity to educate. For most people who raise dairy goats, the “udder” is a revered blessing from mother nature that produces liquid gold, whether it be for drinking, cheese making, kefir or yogurt makin ..read more

Our Nigerian Dwarf Doe Rosie……formerly known as Jasper Pine TN Mahogany Rose We have so many people interested in the stories behind our goats, that we decided to profile them in the Blog!  Some have very interesting back stories, like our goat today, Rosie. Rosie isn’t the prettiest goat around, she won’t win a beauty contest.  Early in her life, long before we owned her, a horse kicked her in the face and the result was a twisted facial profile and nose.  It gives her character, but keeps her out of the show ring. She is an older doe, (6 years) and has lost a back tooth o ..read more

For this week, we have been attending the National Dairy Goat Show in Columbus, OH.  For those of you who are not “goat” show knowledgeable, let’s just say they are similar to dog shows.   The National Show to a goat enthusiast is the equivalent of the Westminster Dog Show for dog lovers.  It is THE competition to attend. We decided to attend again this year, especially because of the location in Columbus, OH.  The National Show moves around the country every year, so we took large advantage this year and took a large number of our girls. Next year, the show will be in ..read more

We receive a lot of questions about horns on goats so we thought a blog would be a nice way to address the issue.  There are different opinions on this topic and the passion behind these opinions can run high. Over millennia, horns have provided a necessary source of protection and defense for animals in the wild. Many people believe that what nature has provided, man should leave alone.  We can respect this passion but sometimes ask our “naturalist” friends to look a little deeper at the issue. In the goat world of today, some goats still carry horns, others are “disbudded” and othe ..read more

Kidding Season.  Something that most goat owners look forward to in one way or another.  Sometimes joyous, sometimes stressful and sometimes heartbreaking.   Giving birth is one of the riskiest times in a goat’s life. We have had  multiple does due the end of February/first of March this year.  Some were coming early, some were late.  We have day/night vision cameras in the barn to watch over the kidding pens so we can be alerted when a goat goes into labor. These cameras connect through our I-Phones, so we can watch the girls without being in the barn. A won ..read more

There is a common misconception that goats are not intelligent animals. They are maligned as stupid, dirty and bullheaded. Both research and our own experience proves goats are intelligent. Earlier this year, Queen Mary University in London (UK), published their results of a goat “intelligence” study. Researchers used a dozen goats and taught them to retrieve a grass treat in a box by grabbing a string and pulling a lever.  The observed that 9 out of 12 goats learned the process very easily, but more importantly remembered how to work the box over 10 months later!!  Visit this link t ..read more