We have twelve little goats at Blue Silo Farm that are hoping for a little something extra at Christmas–maybe a special cookie. I found this recipe at Hobby Farms and it sounds like something they would really like to eat.
For their Christmas list, in the addition to the cookies, the goats wanted electric blankets and pretty collars with a key to the back door on them. The dogs wanted a big goat roast and rubber boots for when they go fishing in the pond.
Want to make some treats for your goats? Mix up a crunchy animal treat for them. Remember to give all treats in moderation.
How to make Goat Cookies: Printable
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
2 cups raisin bran (crunched up works best)
1 cup raw wheat germ
4 large shredded carrots
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup applesauce
Combine molasses and applesauce in a bowl.
Combine all other dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Gradually add the molasses and applesauce mixture to the dry ingredients to obtain a thick dough. (If more dry ingredients are needed, add a little more raisin bran and/or wheat germ to the mixture.)
Shape into desired-sized balls and place onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 300 degrees until dried out and done (about 30 minutes). These can burn easily.
The first goats we acquired were the pygmy goats, Pamela Anderson and Priscilla Presley. They were my birthday present and I was so happy to get them. Never being a goat owner, I was not aware that you don’t own the goats, they own you. I opened the car door and said, “Come on girls, get in, we are going to the Dairy Queen.” They hopped in the back seat of my car like they were used to riding in a taxi. They did not mention that they wanted pickles with their ice cream but it didn’t take me long to understand that ice cream and pickles were in order because they were both pregnant. I now call them “the Mamas”.
Over the years we have tried to contain them and their offspring in several types of fences. I have watched them with amazement at the ways they are able to escape. The baby goat would get in a corner and push out until the fence lifted up and then the other goats would roll under it and escape.
Another time they broke welds in the fence to make a hole the size of two squares in the fence and then they climbed out using all kinds of contortions so they could get their bodies through the hole. I saw it with my own eyes. It was almost like watching a baby chick hatch from an egg. Unbelievable!
A couple of years later they discovered that the fence alongside the road was low so they started to jump the fence. They waited until everyone was over the fence and like a little Girl Scout troop on a march, they headed down the county road to our back deck. They would start crying for us to come out to give them crackers and then they would allow us to lead them back into their pasture. Their internal clocks went off at 10:00 like that every day and the procedure was repeated just like it was time for their break. We had to do something before a vehicle came barreling down the road and wiped them all out.
We are on our third fence and finally made some progress when we switched to cattle panels. Note to self: Do not use plastic ties to attach cattle panels. One morning I went outside and found two panels flat on the ground. They had meticulously chewed through the plastic ties until they got the panels down and walked out. Can’t you just hear them organizing everyone where to chew so that we wouldn’t know what they were doing until they escaped. I think they should have been on Santa’s Naughty List.
grouchymama blogs at Blue Silo Farm. Do you have a recipe post or kitchen-related story to share on the Farm Bell blog?
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Mary says:
Oh my goodness, they are adorable. I have had Nigerian Dwarf goats in the past and they were escape artists as well. I finally had to find them homes with more room to roam. When we moved to this five acre property I wanted to get goats again so I did my research and decided to get fainting goats because they don’t test fences as much. So far, so good. I have four girls and they wander in an enclosed 2.5 acre pasture without tearing things up. The trade off is that they aren’t as comical as the Nigis because they don’t do the stunts and really stupid tricks because it causes a myotonic “faint.”
Sounds like you have a system in place that works for you.
I am going to try that goat treat recipe. I made my own version once and had them cooling on the counter. My husband thought they were for him and ate one! Cracked me up. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
On December 28, 2011 at 10:33 am
oneoldgoat says:
That’s funny – I’ve been in your boat so many times! Seems like the little critters are fine for a while and then they decide they are bored and make the grand escape!
Beth One Old Goat
On December 29, 2011 at 10:54 am