Pygmy Goats: Born - 19 Apr 2007 Goat: Johnny, White W/ Long Fur
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Background Information for Interactive Exhibits Hobby Farm What is a hobby farm? A hobby farm is a farm that is operated not as the sole income for the operator/owner. In Michigan, many farms are hobby farms. In fact, over half of the farms in MI operate at a loss, rather than a profit. Most hobby farms are family farms, 85% of farms in MI are operated by a family or an individual. Many hobby farms have come about because they have been passed down from one generation to the next. Many smaller hobby farms have also come about because when a larger farm company comes in and buys up what used to be a large farm, they do not want the farmhouse and the barns. They often just want the fields for crops and grazing. In these cases, they sell the structures enough acres to make a small farm. In MI, just about half of all farms are 5-50 acres. What kinds of animals are found on hobby farms? Hobby farms include many different types of animals. You name the livestock or the small animal breeds and they can often be found on a hobby farm – goats, sheep, cows, alpacas, cattle, equine, pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, buffalo, rabbits, donkeys, mules. Hobby farms often specialize in smaller animals and rare breeds. These farms are where you can find the less common breeds of livestock, this can include bee farms. Why do people have a hobby farm? Hobby farmers have their farms for many reasons and income is usually not the primary one. Hobby farmers love being closer to nature, they like the hard work, they like seeing the product of their hard work and they love their animals. They sometimes just have the animals for companionship and the fact that they enjoy raising them. Raising animals on a farm bring us closer to the food we eat as well. When you raise an animal, you understand everything that goes into that process. The meat or plants you eat are not just found at the grocery store. They started with the birth of an animal or with the planting of a seed in the ground. Getting them from that point to your plate takes a lot of hard work and hobby farmers understand this. Many hobby farmers get food from the animals they raise on their hobby farm. Goats and cows provide milk, chickens provide eggs, etc. As the name suggests, hobby farms can also be used as a hobby, for instance bee keepers making honey to sell, or sales of alpaca fur for knitting. Exhibit Animal Information: Picture Guide to the animals of the Farm (as of February, 2017) (Note: Both male and female hoofed animals can have horns) Nubian Goat: Spot, Black with white spots Nubian Goat: Snap (sister to snip) 1 horned surgically removed other is also snapped Nubian Goat: Dobie, Black and tan Nubian Goat: Snip (sister to snap) 1 horn is snipped at end Nubian Goat: No name, Blackish stripe down back Pygmy Goats: Born - 19 Apr 2007 Goat: Johnny, White w/ long fur Melvin, dark brown Anthony, black and white Simon, white Dwarf Pygmy Goats Sugar (white), Saffron (reddish brown), Cagney & Lacy Theodore, light brown Katahdin Sheep: Born - 22 Mar 2003, Bob Chickens Chickens vary year to year and throughout the season. Turkin (NOT a mix between a turkey & chicken, but rather a breed of chicken with a long “naked” neck.) Polypay Sheep: Brownie (brown), Benny (white with black freckles), May 2012 Buff Orpington Fainting Goat: Ringo, 2011 Silkie Chickens Exhibit Animal Information: Katahdin sheep are a breed of hair sheep developed in the United States. The breed is ideal for pasture lambing and grass/forage based management systems. They have demonstrated wide adaptability. They were derived from breeds that originated in the Caribbean and British Islands and the state of Maine was their original home. Katahdins are docile so are easily handled. Weight of a mature ewe ranges from 120 to 160 pounds; a mature ram will weigh 180 to 250 pounds. Mature ewes usually have twins, occasionally producing triplets or quadruplets. The hair coat of the Katahdin varies in length and texture among individuals and can be any color or color combination. It generally consists of coarse outer hair fibers and an undercoat of fine wooly fibers that becomes very thick and longer if cold weather sets in and day length decreases. This undercoat and some hair naturally shed as temperature and day length increase seasonally, leaving a shorter, smooth summer coat. The Nubian goat is a goat breed, which is actually native to Middle East and North Africa. The Nubian breed is highly resilient, withstanding very hot climates and also temperatures down to -15 degree Celsius. The coat is short, fine and glossy, which gives a sleek look to the body. The coat can be of any color, spotted or parti-colored. They are much larger than the common dairy goats, and can be raised for both meat and milk. They are often considered as one the best goats for milking purposes. Nubian goats have many distinctive characteristics, which help them to get easily recognized. Some distinguishing characteristics include large floppy ears and a “Roman nose” for the prominent and slightly curved bridge. The male Nubian goats are pretty large and can weigh up to about 175 lbs, while the females usually weigh around 135 lbs. The female Nubian goat or 'does' usually attains a height of 30 inches, while the male or the 'buck' can grow up to a height of almost 35 inches. Apart from meat and milk, Nubian goats can also be raised as pets. In fact, they can be considered as excellent pets, due to their good temperament. These goats are sociable, intelligent and won't bother you much, unless they need something. They can eat grains, grasses, alfalfa and clover hay along with lots of water, about 3 to 5 gallons of water daily. The Pygmy Goat is hardy, alert and animated, good-natured and gregarious; a docile, responsive pet, a cooperative provider of milk, and an ecologically effective browser. The Pygmy goat is an asset in a wide variety of settings, and can adapt to virtually all climates. Pygmy goats are precocious breeders, bearing one to four young every nine to twelve months after a five month gestation period. They are very sociable and are happier in a herd atmosphere or with another goat as a friend. A pygmy goat is a small breed of domestic goat. Although they produce a very large amount of milk for their size, and can be eaten, pygmy goats are not typically used for milk or meat, unlike larger dairy and meat goat breeds. The pygmy goat is quite hardy, an asset in a wide variety of settings, and can adapt to virtually all climates. A myotonic goat, otherwise known as the fainting goat, is a domestic goat whose muscles freeze for roughly 10 seconds when the goat feels panic. Though painless, this generally results in the animal collapsing on its side. The characteristic is caused by a hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia congenita. When startled, younger goats will stiffen and fall over. Older goats learn to spread their legs or lean against something when startled, and often they continue to run about in an awkward, stiff-legged shuffle. Slightly smaller than standard breeds of the goat, fainting goats can weigh anywhere from 60 to 170 lb. Males, or bucks, as they are often referred to can be as heavy as 200 pounds. They have large, prominent eyes in high sockets. The eyes protrude from the eye sockets, as opposed to recessed eyes seen in other breeds. Their hair can be short or long, with certain individuals producing a great deal of cashmere during colder months. There appears to be no angora strain of the fainting goat. Common coat colors are black and white; however, most possible coat colors are found in this breed. Fainting goats have many other names, including Myotonic Goats, Tennessee (Meat) Goats, Nervous Goats, Stiff-leg Goats, Wooden-leg Goats, and Tennessee Fainting Goats. They are smaller and somewhat easier to care for and maintain than larger meat goat breeds, which makes the fainting goat desirable for smaller farms. They are also raised as pet or show animals as they can be friendly, intelligent, easy to keep, and amusing. Pygmy Goats Origin: Originally found in Africa, they were domesticated and were quickly spread to Canada and Europe. Eventually, they were brought to the U.S. The first documented case of Pygmy Goats was found in 1959 by the Rhue family in California and the Catskill Game Farm in New York as they were shipped from Sweden. They were originally found in zoos and used for research, but later on were used by private breeders as pets. Relatives: The pygmy goat is part of the Bovidae family and is closely related to sheep. Diet: Their diet is one of a foraging animal. They thrive on hay and usually some sort of grain or oats. Salt and minerals are an important part of their diet. Most owners will have a salt block or mineral block on sight for the animals to use at their discretion. On the contrary, copper in large quantities is toxic to the goats because they cannot digest it. Goats are actually very picky about what they eat. They do not eat spoiled or contaminated food/water unless facing starvation. They also can eat some weeds that are toxic to cattle and sheep.