Who's got your goat? Well, the 32 members of the Western Reserve Dairy Goat Association for starters. The organization held its 30th annual American Dairy…
Who’s got your goat?
Well, the 32 members of the Western Reserve Dairy Goat Association for starters.
The organization held its 30th annual American Dairy Goat Association sanctioned show May 17-18 at the Geauga County Fairgrounds in Burton.
The two-day event actually encompassed two separate shows.
More than 200 goats competed for top honors, from the gentle, pure white Saanen and the playful Oberhasli’s to the adorably exotic Nigerian Dwarf Specialty breeds.
More than 55 exhibitors participated, making it one of the largest goat shows in Ohio, said WRDGA Treasurer Lynn Kitko of Auburn.
Participants came from throughout the region, including Geauga, Portage and Ashtabula counties, as well as out-of-state locations like Beaver, Pa. and Buffalo, W. Va. with nary a naaaa-sayer among them.
The group’s president, Teddy West of Mantua, owns a working farm with 250 dairy goats.
For her, raising goats is a business, along with farming 250 acres and raising beef cattle.
She used to make cheese, but now sells her goat milk to three dairies, including the Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op, Lake Erie Creamery in Cleveland and Coach Farms in New York.
But, you don’t have to be a career farmer to own goats.
“Goats are becoming popular for hobby farmers and homesteaders,” West explained. “And, they make nice pets. Some are very gentle and intelligent.”
“Except for the Toggs,” Kitko added.
“Oh, they’re evil,” West agreed. “They can bite and are ornery.”
Kitko said most breed make good pets.
“They don’t eat tin cans, but they might eat paper,” she said. “Actually, some are very picky eaters. If the hay smells a little musty, they won’t eat.”
Are they good replacements for lawn mowers?
“Not really, for that, sheep are better,” West said. “Goats will eat your flowers and shrubs. They’re really great at clearing wild shrubs. I fenced some of mine in to clear the fence row brush 10 feet thick on my property that abutted my neighbor. Within two weeks, I could see through it.”
According to Kitko, the former Geauga Lake Park used to keep them on an island under the sky ride because they keep the brush tamed in that area of the park.
What’s a good day on the goat dairy farm?
“When nothing breaks down and they are all milking well,” West said. “It’s a bad day when the power goes out. But, I do have a back-up generator.”
She said goats are more efficient than cows. They produce more milk for their size, eat less and require less space and clean-up.
For more information, attend a WRDGA meeting held the third Sunday of the month in Burton. Membership is open to anyone age 14 and older and dues are $5 per year. A junior membership is open for age 14 and younger and costs $3 per year.
Contact www.western-reserve-dga.org or WRDGA, P.O. Box 323, Burton, OH 44021.
