the low down

So what do we mean when we say “naturally raised” or “ nature knows how “ ??

We certainly don’t mean leaving things to chance, praying for things to workout or trusting in some other power - we work with nature (she does a pretty damn good job or we wouldn’t be here, and thanks to us human’s things are looking pretty dicey these days….)

We operate on a foundation of deep integrity, and draw from our many years of experience and diverse background to help us make choices and decisions that keep our goats healthy, happy and importantly, resilient in the long term. This means that the kids we breed and offer to you are benefitting from the best of our knowledge and experience - how you then choose to raise them is up to you, but we know we have given them the best start and health foundation that we can, and that only makes what you do ‘better’.

Natalie is a trained health professional (BSc Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine), with a gut health speciality - she knows about digestion, supplementation and picks up clinical signs of issues with an eagle eye and keen mind.

But we raise goats right? Right!

And goats of course are ruminants, so a bit of a different digestive system, but not at all irrelevant… and what is VERY relevant is that Natalie’s first degree was in Ag Science, her first job was managing the farrowing shed in what was then one of QLD’s largest piggeries; she has been breeding animals since she had budgies as a kid, while her parents bred dogs, and her grandparent’s ran the Oakey Butter Factory.
It’s fair to say its in her genes… and she has an incredible wealth of experience, education and natural wisdom to draw upon.

We understand that we are what we eat eats…. and that means we care about what goes into our goats (and chickens!), because that is ending up in our milk, and our soils ( goat poop = nuggets of fertilizer!) - we look to the big picture, and then look further.

We not only believe, we feel and understand that everything - all of us, animals, plants, fungi, soil, minerals, air - it’s ALL connected.

We are Connectivores!

We keep in mind + heart the proverb ( hopefully not too misquoted) “ trust in Allah but tie up your camel” - that means we use food as medicine, herbal de-wormers, mineral supplementation, homeopathics - and the wisdom to know when it’s time to call the vet.
We don’t vaccinate or disbud - with the understanding that a healthy animal is the best ‘defence’ and that horns are a natural part of a goat - very close to the brain, and an important part of the goats temperature regulation system. That is a trust in nature moment. It doesn’t take much to work out how to work with a horned animal - a bit of patience. And as for possible injuries - well there is a very real possible injury with each disbudding, scurs are very unpleasant ( we find them the most difficult for handling)….there are as many possibilities as there are goats. .
For Natalie, being a Type 1 diabetic means allopathic medicine is a life essential, so we are well versed in using what is needed to meet the moment, and we treat our animals the same way we look after ourselves… its all connected and this helps us create great outcomes for everyone.

It’s very important to remember, that while goats are very cute, and very pet-like, goats are livestock - we don’t advocate for having them in the house, we don’t bottle feed if we don’t have too - and do when we do need to. Its a loving relationship, that we take to heart.

We won’t keep an animal alive when we can see its not in the animals best interest ( or the herds), and we do do everything that we can to give every animal in our care the very best care, to give them the best opportunity for a healthy, happy life.

We invest time and care connecting with our goats ( and other animals) to understand them, it is a beautiful relationship when we take the time to do so - and our bigger picture is that we ALL benefit - including you.

…and then there is breathing with goats, naturally…… but that’s another blog!