photos by Gena Dye Grover, Jack, and Pip (L-R) relax and dine on their very own playground equipment.  Nothing says fun in the country like an old tractor tire, a couple of boards, and a few fresh branches of privet and oak. 

I have become a goatherd.

Surprisingly, it actually happened rather quickly. Although as I have come to say with just about every undertaking here at the farm, “There are no easy projects.” I keep saying that I’m going to have t-shirts printed with that motto on the front, a different colored shirt for every day.

How does one become a goatherd you may ask?

The simple answer is buy a goat; however, since goats don’t like to be alone, you need to buy at least two or, in our case, three.

Last fall, G told me that I couldn’t keep referring to our home as a “farm” unless we started adding more critters. Apparently, the addition of Birdie the wonder beagle (as in we sometimes wonder if she is a beagle) wasn’t enough. I quickly set about righting this injustice of livestock deprivation by having a fence built to corral our future farm animals.

While working in town a few weeks ago, I stopped in to pick up my contact lenses at Ellis Optical and Nancy inquired as to what animals we had added to the farm. She had recently come across my article and wanted to know what steps I had taken to end G’s plight.

When I told her we (meaning I) still hadn’t added any new critters, she basically shamed me. I left with my head down thinking that I had better take action quickly if I hoped to maintain my farm “cred.”

All of our current animals with the exception of Birdie, who came from near the farm in Louisville, required a fairly lengthy drive to obtain. The cats, Ruby and Louis, came from an animal shelter in Oxford, MS, Moose the GSP from a good friend in Labadie, MO, and Murphy the golden retriever from Hytop, AL.

A few weeks ago, G found three Nigerian dwarf goats while perusing facebook. The trio were available from Mississippi Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Our research told us that wethers (or castrated male goats) were the best options for new goat owners. They make great pets, were less stinky (which seemed very important), and were less aggressive (also very important).

In keeping with the “nothing is easy” theme, these Mississippi Nigerian Dwarves were located in Bay Minette, AL, (just a short 3 hours and 43 minutes away). Transport would be “easy” as the boys could ride back in dog crates. We just needed to put a tarp under the crates to catch any goat droppings.

As I envisioned the rolling petting zoo barreling north on Highway 45, I began to have my doubts. However, I also knew that it was time to hold up my end of the bargain. Critters were one of the main reasons G had agreed to leave town and move to the country and she had waited long enough.

On a different note, I’m always amazed at the small world we inhabit. Mississippi Nigerian Dwarf Goats actually did originate in Mississippi, Nanih Waiya to be exact. The goat farm is owned by Dr. Kristin Teague and her family. Dr. Teague practiced in Meridian at Till-Newell Animal Hospital and actually helped care for our dogs while we lived in Meridian.

She and her family relocated to Bay Minette when her husband, who works for Southern Company, transferred from Mississippi to Alabama. We figured all of this out as we messaged back and forth about the goats and, as we began to make the connections, it seemed that this trio was destined to be ours.

Saturday morning we made the drive down to get Jack, Pip, and Grover (yes, G had already named them) and as excited as I was about seeing them in person, I was even more excited by the look on G’s face and the joy in her eyes. She was finally getting some farm critters and she was truly blissful.

When we arrived, Dr. Teague gave us a tour of her farm during which I took many pictures of goat barns and play areas for future reference while G was given the rundown on what the goats would need in terms of food, meds, and grooming. After our tour, it was time to meet the boys.

I got to hold Jack for our walk from the barn to the car while G carried Grover and Dr. Teague carried Pip. Soon, we were on our way home and by the time we had reached Buckatunna, G’s SUV had that “4 o’clock at the petting zoo smell,” but we were happy. I also knew, without a doubt, that our goats were cool as they seemed to love listening to both the Dave Matthews Band and Dead & Company.

Back home, we bonded immediately. Actually, Jack and Grover have bonded with us and Pip seems to be coming around day by day. Since we got back, I have put up a fence inside of our fence (did I mention that nothing was easy?) along with a long list of other goat projects, and each evening I have sat in the shade of the goat pen enjoying a beverage, listening to goat noises, and watching my wife smile–It has been wonderful!

Until next time, here’s to new adventures and here’s to seeing you out there in our great outdoors.

Email outdoors columnist Brad Dye at braddye@comcast.net.