Get to know our Goats at Cormonachan Croft
At Cormonachan Croft, we currently have 10 goats comprising a mix of breeds. Among them is Heather, a breeding female Boer goat, who serves as the matriarch of the herd. Essentially, she ensures everyone stays in line and acts as the leader. Heather has given birth to three sets of kids during her time with us, and this year's kid is little Egg, who was born on Easter Sunday!
Egg's father is Vincent-Van Goat, our impressive Billy goat. He is a Boer/Cashmere cross, giving him a thick, fluffy undercoat in the winter, enhancing his magnificent appearance. He also produces wonderfully fluffy offspring!
Our male goats have a dedicated field at the top of the croft, but during the summer, they roam across several acres of the upper forested area, enjoying the lush summer growth. This is made possible by our NO FENCE collars, which allow us to expand their range as needed. We have a weather goat (castrated) named Humphrey, who keeps Vincent company. Humphrey was one of the original goats we bought as a kid and was initially intended for meat, but we grew fond of him, so he stayed! Completing the current trio in the male field is Custard, who is Heather's kid from last year.
Returning to our group of girls, we have Bramble and Willow, our smallest yet oldest goats. They are pygmy goats, small in size but with big personalities.
Bramble, the black and white pygmy, underwent an emergency c-section in 2024 and gave birth to Rudolph. Meanwhile, Willow had twins without any complications, and they were sold after weaning. Rudolph became a local celebrity, being the first goat delivered via c-section by our local vets. Bramble developed mastitis and had difficulty feeding, so we bottle-fed Rudolph and brought him indoors when he developed an infection. Against all odds, he is now a healthy 18-month-old goat, nearly twice the size of his petite mother. With plenty of character, he is one of our friendliest goats. He still tries to sneak in through the back door to jump on the sofa and raid the fridge if he gets the chance! He has also taught Fudge, our new goat kid from Clarabella, to do the same!
Last, but by no means least is our newest breed, and we're still learning about them. Jen has been wanting a dairy breed for several years and had difficulty finding the perfect one. However, last November, Clarabella joined our group. She is a British Guernsey, a beautiful, long-haired, honey-colored goat, much more delicate than the others. She's more like a deer than a goat and can jump just as high, as we quickly discovered! She arrived pregnant and gave birth to her lovely kid, Fudge, this March. Fudge is currently being weaned and will soon join the boys in the billy goat field.
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