Welcome
Last Updated 03/10/2010
Hi, welcome to Home Groan Acres (HGAS is our registered herd name). We breed and raise Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats! Home Groan Acres is located in Salem, Oregon, which is about sixty miles south of Portland, Oregon. Home Groan Acres is just outside the urban growth boundary, where we have just over seven acres. Since we are not raising Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats to show or milk for human use, we work toward breeding them to meet the standards of the breed for others to show or to produce milk. To achieve those goals Home Groan Acres has\is formed(ing) our herd, with animals from established herds that breed for show and milk.
OUR FARM
Home “Groan” Acres was built in the ’60’s by Carl Livingston. Carl is no longer with us. In April of 2003 he went home to be with his Lord. We all miss him but know we wil see him later on.
Our farm (such a big word for such a small place) is located on the edge of the urban growth boundary (across the road is the city limits) but we are still very much country, with an abundance of wild life to enjoy and deal with. It is not uncommon to find deer, hawk, heron, pheasant, barn owls, fox, coyote and a never ending parade of opossum and skunk. With the exception of the coyote all share the pasture with the goats without problems. This year we have had reports of cougar being about ten miles away. Which for them is just a hop, skip and jump away. As you might guess predators are an issue so the goats are shut in the barn from dusk til dawn.
Our barn is a 75ft wide x 50ft long pole barn with ceilings of 8ft to 20ft high, with concert floors. The width is divided into three sections of 25ft wide with the does on one side the bucks on the other with the middle for hay, feed, milking, a few pens and the assorted tool and vet stuff.
We have had our Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats since April of 2006 and still have much to learn. However, I have learned the following:
A herd of goats resembles a group of people. Some won’t shut up and there are others that never say a word. Some are bullies, others are wimps. Some you have a hard time getting next too, others you can’t scrape off of you and most of the time you can’t figure out which way you like it best!
Kidding used to mean telling a joke. Now it means sleepless nights and trying to make yourself remember your biology course… which of course is a failure just like the class was when you took it. You see where most other breeder’s say that they are present at all births. You wonder how you will ever get that done because you remember that you did not make your own kids birth. So you come up with the idea that you will bring the doe into the house and put your recliner next to the pen so at least you can say you where present for the birth and hope no one asks you if you were awake.
It is suicide to walk in a herd of goats, especially Nigerian Dwarf Goats. The best you can hope for is to shuffle your feet.
Lastly, I have learned that humans are never ever smarter than these goats!
Home Groan Acres hopes you will enjoy your trip around our Nigerian Dairy Goat Farm.
Please feel free to contact us at 1-503-589-1921 or the e-mail button at the top of this page with any questions or comments.
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