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Adopt a Goat!

Our New "Adopt A Goat" program allows virtually anyone to "raise" a goat!

Perfect for those new to farms, thinking about getting into goats, or who live in a city and don't have room to raise their own goat!

Here's how it works:

1) You choose a goat from pictures on our website

or let us know you would like to adopt a goat. You

will NOT own the goat. You choose if you would like a baby, a boy, a girl, a mature doe, a buck, a bred doe, etc. If the goat is not already named, you can choose the goat's name. Students / Families will be able to learn about the operations of a Minnesota Boer Goat Farm including feeding, caring for, and health issues involved in a goat operation.

2) You will receive a letter every other month (sometimes more often) including pictures written from your goat's perspective. These letters will include all the aspects of what it takes to raise a goat, including goat terminology with definitions, feeding regiments, and basic and in depth care if your goat needs it. These are real goats so parents/teachers will need to choose what parts they share. For example: the birth of a baby, or banding of male goats which is a way that some male goats are casterated to become wethers. All will be written in a "child friendly" way to the maximum extent possible, but this is a real goat in a real goat operation. Reasons will be given as to why things are done to give you a better understanding of how the goat farm your goat comes from operates. We also encourage you to email us with individual questions you may have or clarification of information in your letter. Your goat would love to hear from you!! sweetcreekboergoats@yahoo.com and put ADOPTION in the memo.

NOTE: There is also the possibility that your goat will go to a new home or be sold during the year. In that instance the goat will write you a letter about the new home they are going to and you will be allowed to choose another goat. As with any livestock operation, there is always the risk that something will happen to your adopted goat. The class will then have the opportunity to adopt another goat. If you feel your class is unable to adjust to the loss of their goat….a replacement/look alike goat can be substituted. This is up to teacher discretion.

3) You will also receive a gift from your goat at the end of the year. This may be one of the following: a ribbon, a goat figure, goat greeting cards, goat soap, coloring book pages. Gifts will vary and there is no guarantee which one you will get due to availability and class size (we don't make the goat soap but do purchase and use it, and the goat figurines are not always easy to find, etc.) but this is what we will strive to do for families (classrooms will be either ribbons, coloring pages, etc. since we would not be able to purchases figurines or soap for every child).

4) This is free for classrooms unless the list gets too long (more than 5). Then I will ask for sponsors to sponsor the adoption fee for your classroom goat at $40. There is a $40 dollar adoption fee from individual families.

READY TO ADOPT YOUR GOAT?

Step 1: Contact Us- by e-mail, phone, or letter. Just tell us you'd like to "adopt" a goat!

Step 2: Pick a Goat- we have bred does, kids, bucks, doelings, etc.

Step 3: Pay $40 (free for up to 5 classrooms), and then get ready to receive a letter from your newly adopted goat! Have Fun & Learn about raising Goats!!!

An example of a goat available for classroom adoption...your letters will include pictures (words highlighted may be new vocabulary for your classroom/family):

NOTE: This is a bottle baby just born, so there is some information that may be too graphic for your class. If you would like to exclude things such as this you have the option. This particular little goat's next letter is going to talk about how he will have to grow a thick coat quickly, start eating creep feed, and move into the cold weather using heat lamps, etc. Of course he will also talk about hopping and playing with his friends!! Pictures would be included in all letters.

Hello! I don’t have a name yet. Maybe you can help me out by giving me a name! I am a boy that was born on December 30 to a Mom called Tag 100. I had a sister as well. My mom was unable to produce milk for my sister and I, but she loved us very much. My farmers took me into their house and mixed up replacement colostrum. Colostrum is the first milk, sometimes called immune milk which is produced by mammals in late pregnancy and the few days after giving birth. The replacement colostrum comes as a powder with all the important nutrients I needed to live. The powder is mixed with water and then put in a big baby bottle. Colostrum is much thicker than regular milk. My farmer says colostrum is about as thick as Elmer’s Glue. It took me a while to catch on how to drink out of a bottle because I kept thinking my mom should give it to me.

I loved being in the farmers house. My sister did, too. Eventually we had to move back out to the “kidding” barn. Kidding is what they call it when goats have babies. So when my mom had us, the farmers kept saying “She is kidding”.

My sister caught pneumonia. The farmers did everything they could to save her, but she died. I miss her, but am ok now. I know she would want me to be happy. Since my sister had pneumonia the farmers gave me a ½ cc of nuflor. It is a liquid antibiotic that is very thick and given to me through a shot. I screamed loud when they gave me the shot, but I did not cry afterward. I knew that the shot would be good for me and help me avoid pneumonia since I was a little “raspy” too. By raspy, I mean that the farmers could hear that I was having difficult time breathing and they worried that I had something in my lungs making it difficult for me to breath – that is what pneumonia is.

I felt much better after the nuflor. My farmers brought me a bottle of replacement milk every six hours. I loved it when they came to visit me and ran around jumping after I ate!

Then on January 5, I was adopted by a new mom that had just delivered a baby girl. I now have a mom and new sister!! My new mom didn’t want me at first as is common with goats. Goats only like their own kids that they deliver. My farmers grafted me onto my new mom. They did this by wiping the after birth (placenta; slime from my new mom) on me and then my new mom instantly loved me because she thinks she had me. Boy, I sure tricked her!!  The placenta (after birth) supplies oxygen and nutrients to goat babies while they are still in their mom's tummies. It also removes wastes and produces hormones which means I will be healthy when I am born. I love my new mom and sister and they love me. I have been living with them in a kidding pen, sometimes called a “jug” for the last couple of days. She has lots of milk so I can eat whenever I want and my farmers can sleep more because they don’t have to get up to make me a bottle. My new family and I are very happy. I will have pictures of my new family soon and will tell you about my dad!! My dad is pretty awesome, although I haven’t officially met him yet. He lives in a different barn than I do.

“Wikpedia describes it as this: Pneumonia is an illness which can result from a variety of causes, including infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Pneumonia can occur in any animal with lungs, including mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Symptoms associated with pneumonia include fever, fast or difficult breathing, nasal discharge, and decreased activity. Different animal species have distinct lung anatomy and physiology and are thus affected by pneumonia differently. Differences in anatomy, immune systems, diet, and behavior also affects the particular microorganisms commonly causing pneumonia. Diagnostic tools include physical examination, testing of the sputum, and x-ray investigation. Treatment depends on the cause of pneumonia; bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics.”

Goat #1: Male, needs a name, is dappled (spotted) Is very curious and has 2 other siblings.

Goat #2:Male (show weather), needs a name, and will be shown in many shows over the summer. Lots of energy and cute ears!

Goat #3: Female, needs a name, is painted (colored on the butt). This little cutie has 1 other sibling and loves to cuddle with her other kid friends.

Goat #4:Female, needs a name, and will be shown in many shows over the summer. Lots of energy, and enjoys to play with her friends a lot.