Home Sweet Home

When most people think of Spring Break, they think of things like vacations, sleeping, going out and having fun, movies, family and friends. I think of all those things too, but for me breaks and weekends often mean more work than school days. I tend to think "Great, no school, I can finally do ____" and pack everything I need to do into as short of a time as possible.

So, this week I finally made it down to visit Summerhill Dairy in Hanford, CA. Summerhill is a fantastic place with a lot of really cool people, well-cared for goats and one of the most fascinating milking parlors I've ever seen. They are certified humane and spend a ton of time making sure their goats are well-fed, healthy, comfortable and generally well-cared for. I spent a day and a half touring the facility, seeing the goats, and helping with milking, preg checks, sorting dry does, giving shots, etc - generally getting a feel for the place. Each of their goats has a number and an RFID tag, which is read as they come in to be milked so that their milk production is recorded and sent straight to the computer. Goats don't get names (except for a few special ones, like 12-year-old 2-gallon-a-day-milker Jazz) and although they receive the highest level of care, they generally prefer to avoid people. Which is completely fine - they don't have to be friendly, and in truth they're easier to bring in and milk that way because they'll actually move away from you instead of trying to climb into your pocket.

HOWEVER.

After spending two days working with goats who could care less if I existed, wanted to be left alone, and often had to be cornered to be caught or moved, it was so incredibly refreshing to come home and be greeted by forty-odd furry faces who couldn't wait to see me:

Okay, they also wanted food, but they all came running when they heard me.
L to R: Carly (hiding next to the post), Patricia, Talia, Caidy, Ears, Atlanta and Llady.

Just spending time with the girls, seeing them respond to their names, and scratching heads and backs was really cathartic. It was especially cute to watch a few of them (notably, Tina, Lyra and Zephyr) come charging over to plaster themselves against my legs and try to chew on my belt loops. I get way too attached to my goats; but how could I not? Sometimes I find them irritating, but I get over it. Tisane often gets my attention - when it's not 100% on her - by sneaking up behind me and jumping on my back, then ducking the hand that swings back at her to get her off and sticking her head between my legs. (Can you tell she's done it a few times?) Even at my grumpiest I can't stay mad at that irrepressible little face.

So...from a purely economic point of view, it makes more sense not to name or tame the animals you're working with any more than necessary. But then, from a purely economic point of view, it makes no sense to have a herd of show goats in the first place. Coming home to these guys just reminds me that all the work really is worth it.