A BIT MORE ABOUT SHALGO
Stuff Happens and Life Goes On...
Yep - you know it! Stuff does happen and life does go on. When we moved to our small property in West Virginia in 2010, we never thought that we would be where we are today. We found that you can do a lot with 2 acres, if you set your mind to it! Since we have been here, we have grown produce, owned chickens and have owned four bee hives, and of course, goats. Then stuff happened, and you have to prioiritize what is important to you. So, now our current focus is our dairy goats and providing fresh vegetables and fruit for our family. Over the last several years, cheese making has become a passion of mine and all of the lovely products you can make with goat's milk.
You could say that in a perfect world that I would like to be a full-time farmer, but I have a job that pays bills as a wildlife biologist, so we keep our responsibilities at home manageable by maintaining a small area with a limited number of animals.
We just love our little herd of Nigerian dwarf goats! We started raising goats in 2017 and had our first kids in 2019. Our farm goal is to raise Nigerian dwarf goats that have strong genetics and that produce high quality milk. Dairy production means wonderful tasting milk, cheese, yogurt, and lot's of other products!
Our goats are treated as our pets and are pampered with lots of love and attention. In addition to being fed Chaffhaye and a locally sourced non-GMO goat feed, our goat's diet is supplemented with copper, selenium, flax seed, vitamin E, and a herbal wormer. Our goats also enjoy free choice mineral and baking soda, as well as a supplement of kelp and flaxseed.
We also test our goats regularly for parasites and treat only when necessary (which is rare due to the herbal supplements). We feel that vaccinations are necessary and we do vaccinate our animals on regular schedule.
Most of the people that find our farm are first time goat owners. We have all been there and done that! I know it can sometimes be scary as there are so many unknowns that you haven't encountered yet, and that's okay! Goats, in general are hardy animals, but they do require some specialized care to keep your everyone happy and healthy. I will work with you before and after pickup to provide information and answer any questions that you may have. I encourage you to do your research beforehand. Everyone has opinions on what is right and wrong, so I will tell you what works for me, but ultimately, it is up to you to decide how you would like to manage your goats.
Our goats are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) and there are other organizations/societies such as American Nigerian Dwarf Association (ANDDA) and American Goat Society that you can become a member of and register your goats with. I would recommend exploring at least ADGA and ANDDA for breed standards and history.