For the Love of the Goat

Was I really thinking about raising goats? Well, maybe; probably not; no.

To be honest, I’ll use any excuse to visit the Zane Grey Estate on a Saturday morning. It’s such a pretty place, a connection to old and new Altadena that smells of pine and healthy earth and growing things.  So a workshop on raising goats? Sure. Should they ever offer Window Washing for Dummies,  Do it Yourself Drywalling, or any other skill I have no intention of practicing, I’ll still be first in line.

The only downside to visiting Steve Rudicel and Gloria Putnam of , is that I feel like such a slacker.  I don’t raise goats and chickens, make my own cheese and wine.  I don’t own a restaurant like Steve, I’m not an astronaut or nuclear physicist or whatever it is Gloria does professionally.

Long ago I learned to set the bar rather low so as not to be a disappointment to myself.

About 40 people turned out for Gloria’s presentation, “Goat Keeping for Dairy.”  And if I’d ever entertained the notion of keeping goats, and milk-goats in particular, this killed it.  Oh, goats are mighty cute, smart, and even affectionate, but to house them responsibly takes knowledge, skill, time, money. And it probably helps if you like milk.

Steve and Gloria own and personally care for 11 dairy goats, though not all the critters are productive members of society. A few are dairy goats in name only, and living out the rest of their lives as pets.

Under the current management system, Gloria estimates they spend $5 a day per goat, most of which goes to hay, but there are other expenses as well, including grain, supplements and medical essentials.  Doing the goat math, over the course of a year, each gallon of fresh milk runs them around $30. 

Gloria admits that that cost could be greatly reduced if they made some changes -- ordered hay by the truckload rather than by the bale, and cancelled all their goats’ retirement benefits.

But for Steve and Gloria, goat keeping is a passion rather than a vocation. It’s a hobby that they enjoy not only for the fresh milk and cheese, but because it lends an added connection to the natural world and human history. As Gloria puts it, raising and milking goats brings a “mystical and magical connection to 10,000 years of human relationships with milch animals.”

If you are considering adding goats to your own urban homestead, here are some practical considerations:

• Per LA County code,  you can keep livestock for “personal use,” provided you live on at least 15,000 square feet of land . And if you do, you can have one goat (or horse or cow or donkey ) for every  5,000 square feet. All it takes, however, is one disgruntled neighbor for the County to get your goat. As we’ve seen far too often, the County will likely side with the neighbor, whether his or her complaints are valid or not. So talk to your neighbors first, and establish lines of communications.
• Goats need a securely fenced area (6 feet tall, recommended), shelter, continuous supply of fresh water, about 2 flakes of hay per day, and grain.
• Veterinary care will be pretty much your look-out, as there isn’t a goat doctor near-by. And you’ll have to decide just how aggressive you want to be with vaccinations and antibiotic treatments.  That’s a book in itself.
• As with most domestic animals, buying the goat will be the least of your expenses over the long-term.  $300 is currently the going rate.

And finally, you’re not going to have any milk if you don’t get your girl knocked up.  And her boyfriend doesn’t drive.  Expect to be a chauffeur and extremely permissive chaperone for at least one significant date. Five months later, you’ll probably have two new additions, so plan for that, as well. The good news is, with proper management, the mom can continue to give milk for at least the next two years.

The whole presentation was fun and lively and informative, but my favorite was the milking demonstration. The goats displayed excellent party manners, waiting their turn, coming when called. 

A final item on Gloria's list of instructions: After milking your goat, always say, "thank you." Maybe that's why, when a Mariposa Creamery goat has filled the milk bucket to the best of her ability, she looks pretty darned proud of herself. I kid you not.