Goats vs. Sheep

I have determined, after much going back and forth with my emotions and farm situation, that I am going to sell all of the goats. While there are things to love about goats, re: their wonderful cheeses that I have produced, there are more things to not love about goats.  This morning is a great example.  Goats entire existence, I've come to learn, is to ALWAYS get to the other side of a fence.  No matter what they have to go over, under, around or through - their goal is to get to the other side. When I looked out my window first thing, there were goats in my driveway and the front of the house and sheds. While it was easy to get them back inside their pen, we only had to open the gate, the damage they did to the flowering crab trees, perennials and sand cherry shrubs, is maddening - it will take months for them to recover.  The major thing I HATE about goats? - they destroy everything in their path. Did they contently eat all of the plush grass and clover at their disposal? Of course not. Goats eat trees whenever they can.  I've come to realize that I love having trees and shrubs and flowers - more than I love having goats. Besides the fact that we have grown much fonder of their not too distant cousins, the sheep.

A separate species of the subfamily Caprinae, there are so many ways that sheep are NOT like goats.  They don't destroy everything in their path. They don't care about getting to the other side of the fence. A sheep sees a barrier and respects that barrier.  Period. No questions asked. And, best of all, they would rather eat plush grass and clover, than trees. Over the past couple of years, we've really grown to LOVE our sheep.  We love the fleece they produce.  We loving winning awards with the fleece they produce.  We love seeing the things made out of fleece, that sheep produce. Hands down, we have converted from a multi-species Caprinae household, to a fully vested sheep-only household.

Because of all of the issues with goats, we are selling the herd.  I think I even have Ada convinced to sell Bouquet - since she will not be bred anymore, she won't be able to be shown at the fair - the main reason Ada wanted to keep her anyway. And since having lambs and purchasing mini horses, Ada does nothing with the goats at all - other than to curse them when they get out - which is an all too frequent occurrence.  Personally, I am looking forward to the day when the goats are all gone. So anyone knowing anyone interested in buying goats, send them our way! We promise to give them an exceptional deal.  And, besides, if I still want to milk something to make more cheeses - there are a couple of excellent sheep breeds for that purpose and there are farms in Iowa who raise them! Maybe next year ....