The Purple Goat Lady

I visited a really cool site this morning, (well she is having a heck of a heat wave like many of us) But she has such a nice blog, I wanted to share with you. Tons of neat stories about her place, her life and her goats. I was so taken by her stories I had to make her a line of merchandise matching her name and theme, (Hint Hint if you are a loved one of her, Please bookmark this so you have a cool shopping idea for her next birthday:)
Grab a glass of ice tea and read her blog a bit, it is one of the better blogs I have read. Just entertaining and well written. Visit the Purple Goat Lady at
http://purplegoatlady.blogspot.com/

Goats Gone Wild

Like any other Birthday party the road home can be a long one, While Rufus had not had anything to drink, he would not pass a sobriety test if he got stopped on the long road home. Rufus celebrated his 3rd birthday with friends and his brother.

Last Cafepress Newsletter from GetYerGoat

If you are a subscriber to the GetYerGoat Newsletter at cafepress, Please subscribe to my New GetYerGoat newsletter at http://ping.fm/DHr2p

I will be sending out the last Cafepress hosted Newsletter tomorrow June 4th, 2009.

want to know what is going on with Cafepress NOW? http://ping.fm/hs4eL is a great place to learn :(

Reading and putting to use the forum topic Marketing - trying to build my business in Spite of CP :) http://is.gd/NJR1

William Windsor - retires as Royal Welsh Regiment mascot

Billy the Goat - Lance Corporal William Windsor - retires as Royal Welsh Regiment mascot with full military honors

From his gleaming headplate to his immaculately groomed whiskers, Lance




Corporal William Windsor looked every inch the proud old soldier as he left camp for the last time yesterday. He has seen service overseas, met royalty and led every battalion parade, but after eight years on the job, it is time for William Windsor to retire. But unlike other old soldiers, this veteran will be spending his final days in a zoo - because he is the regimental goat, better known as Billy.

The regimental goat is considered a full member of the battalion. He marches in front of the Battalion on all ceremonial duties and is much loved by all ranks. He has a full time carer known as the Goat Major who ensures the welfare of the goat at all times. Billy’s replacement will be unveiled in June when a kid will be collected from a herd on the Great Orme, North Wales.

For the most part Billy has served as unbleatingly as a goat can - although he did once butt heads with top brass when he was temporarily demoted for not marching in time.

He spent two-and-a-half years overseas in Cyprus when the battalion was posted over there and has lived in Chester since their return. During his time in Cyprus, he was disciplined and temporarily demoted from his rank of Lance Corporal to Fusilier for not marching in time during a parade for the Queen's birthday.

http://www.worldculturepictorial.com/blog/trackback/567

Goat Major Lieutenant Corporal Ryan Arthur of 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh restrains William Windsor, their Regimental Goat as he lurches towards a television report prior to his retirement parade at Dale Barracks in Chester, northern England May 20, 2009. William Windsor will live out the rest of his days at Whipsnade Zoo.

Read More:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk

http://m.cri.cn/681/2009/05/21/541s18227.htm

Grande Opening of the New GetYerGoat Goat Gift Shop

GetYerGoat.com goat gift shop has a new look and more products with 3 easy ways to do your goat gift shopping for that perfect goat t-shirt, goat calendar, goat greeting cards, goat yard signs or even goat tennis shoes ! With our New GetYerGoat goat t-shirt and gift shop, we have literally thousands of goat gifts from which to choose. GetYerGoat.com is the internet's largest and most popular place to find goat t-shirts and gifts for goat lovers. So the nest time you need a special goat shirt or unique baby shower gift for someone who love animals, do your shopping with us at GetYerGoat.com- where you will most certainly find some of the most interesting goat designs and funny goat sayings on t-shirts hoodies baby onesies, goat maternity gear and more. Yes we are the goat gift shop with the original Crazy Goat Lady tees.

New Baby Goat born May 1-09 noon

Today at Noon we had a surprise baby born, BabyGirl's grand daughter Shelbie gave birth to a pretty little angora doeling.

Goat Kidding Season

For many of us kidding season is winding to an end- we HAVE SURVIVED yet another year of nights with no sleep, quick dinners, blurry eyes watching goat butts frantically, not leaving the house for ANY reason, wrinkled fingers from hours of making sure we have surgical gloves donned and ready, and the blessing of tiny hooves, pink noses, and the sweet smell of those precious baby goats. I hope your kidding season was successful and all you were waiting for. At GetYerGoat goat gifts, We are celebrating the end of kidding season for the 2009 babies hitting the ground. At the GetYerGoat farm we have had a minimal kidding season, with 6 baby goats born this year; 3 doelings and 3 bucklings and all just beautiful- with 4 of them blue eye'd beauties. For those of you still expecting your precious baby goats I do have a great kidding article to help guide you through the kidding event at Goat-Link.com.

Typical Signs of Early Labor (Not necessarily in order):

1. Appears restless, shys away from herd
2. Eyes glossy or luminous
3. Paying much attention to her sides and smelling the ground
4. Pawing at bedding or dirt
5. Looking behind her and talking to her sides (typically in a voice you have never heard="mama talk")
6. Talks to you alot as if she is telling you she is getting ready (she is, so listen)
7. Gets dreamy eyed or star-gazy (euphoric)
8. Looks less pregnant than she did before-sides have hollowed out, under-belly is full
9. Lifts tail frequently and urinates frequently, usually not much urine at a time
10. Lays down and gets up more than usual-figidty
11. Udder begins to fill more-looks tight and shiny-teats get full
12. Vulva becomes flabby then looks flat and opening looks longer
13. White discharge (this may or may not happen) changing to an egg-white looking discharge, sometimes may have some blood streaking in it.

The Place:
Make sure you have somewhere clean, draft free and warm for your doe to kid in winter and cool,shady and airy (yet draft free on the ground level) in summer. Whether it’s a covered shelter in the goatyard, a place in the barn set up just for her or a spot you are willing to share in the house - don’t laugh! I’ve had many babies born in my house. Some of my more spoiled goats demand it and WILL wait until I let them in to kid!
Here are a few of the baby goats born in 2009 at my farm- these are the pygora babies born, I will try and get a couple of good pictures of the angora goat babies born this year. I do have a spoiled bottle baby as you can see basking in the sun on the bed.

I hope your kidding season is going well and keep in mind I do have a great selection at Goat-Link.com of baby goat articles to help you with everything from feeding bottle babies, to giving enemas to baby goats- how to tube feed baby goats, castration and disbudding. I also have a new article on comparing milk vs milk replacers for feeding bottle babies

Doe's Secret Code of Honor

To those of you that have never herd the legend of the code.

It is said to be older that domestic goats, written back when man first realized
that goats could be tamed and tasted the sweet taste of fresh goats
milk.

It was then that the code was written. It has been passed from
doe to doeling, hidden first under stones and in hollow trees. Then
later as people begin to house goats in barns and stables it was
hidden in the cracks in the walls and hollows under the mangers and
hay racks.

Even though no one truly knows who discovered "The Code" (I
think they were scared to admit finding it for fear their does would
revolt) It is rumored that it was first found on a small farm in the
mountains of Switzerland early in the 19th century. That copy was
carbon dated and it was found to be written in ancient goat language
dating 437 B.C.

It took scholars years to translate it, late in the 20th century
around 1963 the translation finally completed it began to be passed
from goat keeper to goat keeper. I was given a copy a couple of years
ago by an old goat keeper who took me under his wings and here it is
for those of you who are new to goats and haven't seen it.

Doe's Secret Code of Honor

The doe's secret code of honor is as old as goats themselves and is
ultimately the species best kept secret.

No doe shall ever kid before
it's time. (It's time being determined by the following factors):

1- No kid shall be born until total chaos has been reached by all
involved. Your owner's house must be a wreck, their family hungry and
desperate for clean clothes, and their social life nonexistent.

2- "Midwives" must reach the babbling fool status before you kid out.
Bloodshot eyes, tangled hair and the inability to form a sentence mean
the time is getting close.

3- For every bell, beeper, camera or whistle they attach to you,
kidding must be delayed by at least one day for each item. If they use
an audio monitor, one good yell per hour will keep things interesting.

4- If you hear the words, "She's nowhere near ready. She'll be fine
while we're away for the weekend," Wait until they load the car, then
begin pushing!

5- Owner stress must be at an all time high! If you are in the care of
someone else, ten to fifteen phone calls a day is a sign you're
getting close.

6- When you hear the words "I can't take it anymore!" wait at least
three more days.

7 -You must keep this waiting game interesting. False alarms are
mandatory! Little teasers such as looking at your stomach, pushing
your food around in the bucket and then walking away from it, and
nesting, are always good for a rise. Be creative and find new things
to do to keep the adrenaline pumping in those who wait.

8- The honor of all goats is now in your hands. Use this time to
avenge all of your barn mates. Think about your friend who had to wear
that silly costume in front of those people. Hang onto that baby for
another day. OH, they made him do tricks too! Three more days seems
fair. Late feedings, the dreaded diet, bad haircuts, those awful
wormings can also be avenged at this time.

9- If you have fulfilled all of the above and are still not sure when
to have the kids, listen to the weather forecast on the radio that has
been so generously provided by those who wait. Severe storm warning is
what you're waiting for. In the heart of the storm jump into action!
The power could go out and you could have the last laugh. You have a
good chance of those who wait missing the whole thing while searching
for a flashlight that works!

10- Make the most of your interrupted nights. Beg for food each time
someone comes into the barn to check you. Your barn mates will love
you as the extra goodies fall their way too.

Remember, this code of honor was designed to remind man of how truly
special goats are. Do your best to reward those who wait with a
beautiful doeling to carry on the Doe Code of Honor for the next
generation of those who wait!"

This is being shared with permission from Tom Kuettner