Regarding Goats: Some People Wouldn’t, But I Did

/ Ally Bean

This is a Goat Chow Dispenser, obviously.

ANTICIPATING LOUSY TRAFFIC THAT I didn’t encounter, I was early for an appointment on the other side of nowhere.

I remembered a fancy garden nursery in the area, so instead of sitting in my car staring at my phone for half an hour I went to the garden nursery to walk around.

To look at the pretty flowers.

COME TO FIND OUT, far back on the property past the perennials on the way to the trees there was a shed and enclosure with miniature goats in it.

Friendly goats. With a propensity to make their will known to any hapless person who wandered upon their enclosure.

Yes, once they saw me they were more than happy to show me the way to the goat chow dispenser– wherein a person can snag a handful of free goat chow, then allow them eat it off the palm of your hand.

With their little nibble-y goat lips❣

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Question of the Day
Would you feed the goats a handful of Goat Chow from your hand? would you put it on the ground in front of them?
OR would you walk by and not feed them at all?

117 thoughts on “Regarding Goats: Some People Wouldn’t, But I Did”

  1. Feed the goats out of my hand, for sure. Been so long since we’ve done that – reminds my of our many happy trips to Young’s Jersey Dairy so long ago before they set the tourist traps.

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  4. I would definitely feed them from my hand. Probably more than once. First off they’re adorable. Secondly, they’re adorable. Thirdly, they’re adorable

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  5. Love goats. Plan to be a goat herder in my next life. Got to raise this new puppy first. Must be kind to him as he will probably outlive me😁

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    • Becky, you made me laugh out loud! You and your puppy will no doubt be good buddies, probably a closer friendship than you’d have with a goat. But in your next life, I can see you in the role of herder of goats. 👀

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  8. What a nice surprise for you to have found. My parents have goats. So we feed them all the time. I think my son shared a bag a chips with them the last time we visited.

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  9. I would 1000% without question feed them from my hand – and swoon from their adorability and nibble-y goat lips. How clever to have installed a chow dispenser to promote greater goat love! And I just bet your unplanned expedition made for a better appointment following it. That’s the magic of goat goodness!!!

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    • Deborah, I did swoon a little bit. I must admit that their cuteness almost did me in. I’ve been to places with goats + dispensers that required 25¢ to get a handful of goat chow. But this garden nursery wasn’t trying to get rich off the goats, the goats were there for their pure goat goodness magic!

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  10. I’m not sure I’d let them eat of my hand, but with that one goat nosily pointing out the Purell… maybe. Of course, I have Wet Ones in the car, too. 🙂 That lil’ guy is quite the actor, too. That one pic is sooooo him doing Gary Coleman in Dif’rent Strokes.

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    • Tara, yes the first goat who greeted me as I came down the path was clearly The Host of The Goat Show. He paused so that I could snap a pic, then walked me down to the dispenser where he helpfully pointed out the Purell. He knew his audience, just like Gary Coleman, now that you mention it.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Oh, definitely feed them from my palm! They are so funny! They live up to their “kid” nickname! I love the on line videos of baby goat bouncing around…could watch all day!

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    • Beth, I knew you’d be a sucker for feeding goats from your hand. I hadn’t thought of the “kid” connection but you are right. I’d have stood there longer feeding them, and scratching the tops of their heads, but I had to get going. Maybe another day…

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  13. No question, out of my hand. I would try to hug them too hoping they don’t bite. Love the Purell. Do that goats want you to clean your hands first? Maybe they don’t want any people germs! 🙂 BTW I’d totally miss my appointment if I came upon this.

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    • Kate, I hadn’t thought of the idea that the goat wanted me to clean my hand first before feeding him. Do you suppose he was a germaphobic goat? Oh my… well, he got his chow from my *dirty* hand and suspect he lived to tell. I had my eye on the clock, so I did make my appointment but have made a mental note to re-visit this garden nursery soon.

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    • Lynn, I had to pull myself away from the herd because I had to get to my appointment, but the next time I visit this garden nursery [and there will be another visit] I’ll plan to stay a while. Goats are too cute, must feed them..

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  16. How fun! I’ve been to places where you can BUY feed for goats (and goldfish) . . . provided that you have the right change in your pocket (which I never do) . . . but I’ve never been anywhere where I could feed the goats for FREE. Way cool!

    I would feed them out of hand for sure!

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  18. I LOVE goats. They are so darn cute. I admit to being one of those people who will watch goat videos because they make me laugh out loud.
    … but miniature goats! I’ve never seen those and they sound even cuter … especially since they KNOW where the food is and direct you to it 😆
    How could anyone resist?! 💕

    Liked by 2 people

    • Janet, these goats weren’t aggressive, but I realize not everyone is comfortable around them. I’m not keen on feeding horses with their big teeth, but goats make me smile. They nibble. Really, they do.

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  21. If the goat goaded me to the hand sanitizer I would’ve recognised a smart cutie. So yes I probably would – too dear Ally Bean. I might have pinched him/her and tucked it under my top –

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    • Susan, the goat who was most persistent was also patient as he waited for me to catch on to where I needed to go and what I needed to do. Feeding him/them was fun.

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  23. Awwwww!! ❤ Your question(s):

    WOULD YOU FEED THE GOATS A HANDFUL OF GOAT CHOW FROM YOUR HAND? WOULD YOU PUT IT ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF THEM?
    OR WOULD YOU WALK BY AND NOT FEED THEM AT ALL?

    I'd love to feed them from my hand thanks. BUT. I had a rather off-putting encounter with a big old horse a couple of years ago and maybe I'd get nervous and just toss the feed to them. I mean, I approached the horse properly and it nuzzled and snorted me. BUT. I put the apple I was giving in in the flat palm of my hand and the sod still bit me. Horse bites aren't pleasant. I mean all those BIG ASS TEETH. :O !

    But they're small and very cute, so maybe I'd be brave and feed them. I HOPE I'd notice they were back there and not walk on by. Goats are so cute, particularly tame and friendly ones. The Pastor's Sarky Wife and you have something in common now…have you read her blog? She loves goats too. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    • MBC, horses have big teeth and I’ve never been comfortable feeding them. I’m sorry you got bit. What a nasty thing for that horse to do to you.

      These goats made sure I noticed them. They were docile and knew how to train a human being so that she’d feed them. They just nibbled the chow off my hand.

      I don’t know the blog of which you speak. Will look for it, though. We goat-loving bloggers are kindred spirits.

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  25. They are adorable. I would feed them by hand. I didn’t grow up around goats (I’m a city kid), but I’ve had enough dogs and cats licking my hand after feeding them scraps. So a goat would add to my animal feeding repertoire. 😀

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    • L. Marie, I enjoy feeding goats. When they nibble kibble off your hand it’s the best. Their eyes are unusual, while their ability to get humans to feed them is spectacular. You definitely need to add goats to your animal feeding repertoire. Love that phrase.

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    • Katie, I think it’d be cool to own a goat, too. However, until such time as I do own one, or it owns me, I’ll keep feeding these goats when I get in their neighborhood. It was fun.

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    • evilsquirrel13, goats are goofy, but they train people to feed them. That’s gotta mean something. Now as for feeding a pet squirrel… maybe I would. A wild one, no way.

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  30. I would totally feed the goats. I love petting zoos and other places that you actually get to touch and feed the animals. I know, like in the case of tiger petting, that some of these are really bad places but surely a nice little miniature goat farm cannot be bad.

    I pet and fed the buffalo on a ranch in Wyoming. It had both my parents freaking out because they have gigantic tongues (the buffalo, not my parents) but I’ll put up with a little buffalo spittle for the opportunity to pet one. And I love to feed the fish at our local fish hatchery. The last time I met he most beautiful fish that I wanted to take home and hug him and squeeze him and cook him up in a little butter and sliced almonds.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Zazzy, you make me laugh! Thank you.

      I agree with you that a miniature goat herd in the middle of a garden nursery is not animal abuse. The tiger thing, I dunno.

      The closest I’ve been to bison is a 16 oz chub pack of ground meat. I don’t know if I’d pet one, they seem LARGE and as such they might consider me edible. As for having an ulterior motive while befriending fish, only you could do that! 😁

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  31. Are you kidding? I wanna know where the goats with the free goat food are so I can make a road trip just to feed them! 😉
    I LOVE goats, and wish I could have a couple, but the stupid city has a stupid grandfather clause on farm animals and so no goats for me 😦
    Yes! Always feed the goats!
    And bonus points to you for not suffering traffic AND thinking of good ways to spend the extra time! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey, I was tickled when I stumbled upon these goats. There were no signs indicating that the herd was on the property, so finding them was serendipity. And they were super photogenic, as seen above.

      We can’t have farm animals here, either. Just as well, really. I can only imagine the vitriolic arguments about noisy chickens and wandering goats. You know that’d happen…

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  32. I’m am so incredibly jealous! A nursery with goats!!?? I would not only feed them the free food, I’d bring them all sorts of (owner approved) treats… just to feel their nibbley lips on my palm. We had a backyard goat in the area once and I always went out of my way to visit him or her on my walks.

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    • Janis, these goats were friendly as in FRIENDLY! I couldn’t help but be charmed by them. I’ve fed goats before, putting quarter after quarter into the machine, but not this time. I’ve never lived in a neighborhood with any backyard farm animals, but I know I’d get a kick out of it.

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  34. Little goats are adorable, but their rectangular pupils get a bit creepy if I look at them too long. Certainly wouldn’t say no to feeding them out of my own hand though! Sounds like a half hour well spent 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  36. The goats are adorable. I’d probably try to pet them, but might not actually feed them. Whenever I’m someplace where there are goats, lots of children are generally feeding them, so I assume that they get plenty of food without me feeding them.

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    • Sheryl, one of these goats wanted the top of its head patted, like a dog. It didn’t try to get me to feed it, so I’d say petting them would be good, too.

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  37. Not a fan of the goats. I had a run-in with a goat as a child that was less than pleasant. SCARRED FOR LIFE. 😉

    I do love all the videos of the Fainting Goats, however, not to be cruel. They’re fascinating!

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    • nance, I can understand how a traumatic childhood goat encounter could turn you off of them for life. The fainting ones are funny, poor things… but you gotta wonder about the genetics that make them do what they do.

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  40. I would definitely feed them from my hand, esp if they took the time and energy to walk me to the feed station. That took some intellectual gender and work. As opposed to yesterday when a panhandler approached me in my car and asked for money for food. I shave a difficult time handing over money to panhandlers/free loaders on the street. Some folk don’t at all. That probably makes me a bad person in some folks eyes. But with ‘help wanted’ signs posted everywhere, my first thought is, ‘get a job’. The second thought is, ‘dammit, big government has made a dependent society of a large group of folks’.

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    • srbottch, most of the commenters here have said that they’d feed the goats out of hand. Such a kindly group we are! I agree that it was smart of the Host Goat to lead me to the dispenser, then show me the Purell just in case I had any hesitations. I hadn’t thought of these goats in contrast to panhandlers on the streets. These goats seemed emotionally stable, while many of the people asking for handouts who I encounter on city streets seem to have some mental issues. Or addictions. Difficult to know what to do in those moments. 🤷‍♀️

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  41. Oh yes, from the hand my all means. Nice of them to offer Purell That’s new. I am curious about how the food is regulated, so the goats get enough or not too much. ??? Perhaps their daily ration is put out in those dispensers and they get whatever is left at the end of the day? That works for me. Nice fun post, Ally, yet again. 🙂

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    • Janet, I’m guessing that the goats daily ration of goat chow is put in the dispenser then whatever is left when the store closes is given to them. These goats were plump, so I don’t think they worry about where their next meal is coming from.

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