Mini Nubian Goats Bring History Alive

We think of our Mini breeds as something new, but in fact they are not all that different from the first domestic goats brought to North America by English settlers.  The Old English goat was a small, thrifty dairy goat, with excellent feed conversion, thriving primarily on forage – sound familiar?  After more than a century of “improvement” is the dairy goat industry starting to come full circle?

Goats certainly were some of the first domestic livestock to be brought over from the Old World.  The first dairy consumed by the colonist came from goats and sheep, and we all know that goat milk has saved many a baby whose mother was unable to provide.  Goats are ever present in human history.

Interest in living history events, reenactments, is alive and well.  My family has found this to be an excellent way to get the word out about our wonderful goats.  We attend two events a year in Indiana – The Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous in May and The Feast of the Hunter’s Moon in October.  We dress in colonial costume and demonstrate goat milking, cheese making, and sell homemade goat milk soap.  In Vincennes we are allowed to let the children young and old try milking, and this creates a lot of excitement.  I have trained my goats to stand patiently on the stand without feed.  The Mini Nubians were super sweet with the kids.  I don’t know when I’ve been prouder of my little goats!

Reenacting may not be for everyone.  We do primitive camp right next to our goats who sometimes feel the need to talk to everyone who walks by in the night.  Proper tentage and costumes are not cheap, but goat milk soap sells well and helps offset the costs.  Taking goats requires temporary fencing and shelter, buckets, feed, hay, and milk stand.  Even though it is at times hard, I have found it hasn’t really ruined the pastoral fantasy.  If anything it is strengthened it for me, because when I let go of how I feel (hot or cold, uncomfortable or dirty, tired or thirsty) and look around, there sure is a lot of beauty in life!  The greatest part is seeing people enjoy the goats.  We may take them for granted and even see them as a chore sometimes, but when we see them through the eyes of others – goats are magical creatures indeed!

Angelia Mercer
Editor
www.stillwatersfarm.blogspot.com