Kidding Season

The gentle rustling from newbies in the barn and the sounds of ducks quacking ring in spring here at the Mountain Goat Lodge. The soft fur of the newborn kids is gentle to the touch and watching them learn to stand on their own four feet can make an afternoon here that much more rewarding. We are proud to announce the birth of three little ones here at the farm born in the past two weeks! Additionally we are expecting about 10 more kids this spring from the rest of our ladies! Both moms (known as Does) are doing well and the kids are happy and healthy. Here we focus on making sure our Does get the appropriate ratio of grains and greens. This makes nutritious milk for the kids while providing extra calories to keep up with them. Our Does and kids are routinely housed in a separate pen to ensure a healthy bonding right from the start. After a few days they are introduced into the herd to meet their extended family!  Here at the Lodge we focus on making sure that our goats are well taken care of from birth. Unlike a commercial dairy which will separate the kids from the mother about 24 hours after they have been born, we give the goats opportunity to develop and learn from their mothers. We also wait to milk the does until their kids are three weeks old and starting to wean off of milk. We wait to sell the kids until they are at least two-to-three months old – again assuring a healthy foundation and long life.  Unlike commercial dairies we never milk during pregnancy for two reasons: there are far too many hormones that the mother is developing and it is not something that we should be drinking, secondly, the Does really need all their energy to produce kids, not milk. Here at the Mountain Goat Lodge we work to make the lives of the goats happy, healthier and longer. On average they live to 15 years staying with us on the farm and we are happy to share our home with them and you.

Clean and Pet Friendly - Mutually exclusive?

Many guests are curious about our pet-friendly policy. We love animals - maybe too much, if I am being honest. That being said - as much as we love our guests' pets and our own - we love a clean lodge just as much.
We hear of hotels and motels that offer a designated "pet" room, usually the stinky carpet-stained room with which guests and their dogs are relegated. Smokers too.
Not so at the MGL! All of our rooms are pet-friendly! And while we realize there are guests that potentially won't stay with us due to extreme allergies to pet dander and/or aversion to animals - that's a small price to pay for all of the wonderful guests that come to us in large part because of our pet policy. And behavior? We experience great behavior by the dogs and their owners- after all - who would bring an ill-behaved pet on vacation and expect to have fun? Our guests are so grateful that they can travel with their pets that they bend over backwards to make sure they are not a problem.
In addition to our rooms accommodating pets -we also have a 20X40 kennel, with 6 ft tall chain link fence and a dog house for shelter - if you would rather leave your pets outside for awhile.
A fee is charged for pets - $10 per night, which includes a doggy goody bag and dog bed. Pet sitting and kisses are free!
Now - about that clean lodge. In a previous occupation, I owned and ran a cleaning service. Clean rooms are extremely important to us at the inn. We recently have invested in new Dyson vacuum cleaners - and they do not disappoint. So - after you check out - our clean team goes to work on every square inch of carpet, bedding and any other surface including the couches to make sure that all traces of your adorable Jack Russell or Labrador Retriever are eliminated and we are ready for the next guest.
Now that we have a new barn, my husband D'Arcy is building a corral and stalls for visiting horses. This is a new venture for us - so please call if you will be bringing a horse and we can discuss your needs.
Gotta run - Chloe is telling me she wants to go outside!

Of Life and death on the farm

This has been a trying couple of weeks. Lots of animal trauma and death, but also birth! I wish I was an old-time farmer that could take it all in stride, but this former city-girl will never be that thick skinned. We had a predator take out Steve, our beautiful rooster, who died defending one of the hens. We found another hen dead in the coop - from unknown causes. We lost a hen to the wild and another is gravely sick. I never thought I would be trying to keep a chicken alive but this week I have had her in my home, force feeding her water, medicine and what little food she will still eat. Roxy is my favorite hen - a wonderful brooder that has always been healthy, until one week ago. I can't bear to lose her.
Last night our guest's dog got onto the highway and was killed instantly by a hit and run driver. We are all reeling from that heartache. Mudd was a beautiful boy and had been rescued just two years out of his four year life when this tragedy happened. We have experienced an outpouring of sympathy from neighbors and friends who came forward to help bury and honor him. The heartache was lifted temporarily this morning when Mudd's family and I witnessed the birth of two beautiful baby goats. I don't cry much, but I do cry when animals are harmed or killed. I just can't help it.

Baby Goats need you!

If you are looking for something to do with or without your kids, come on over between 3-6pm and pet our baby goats! They are too cute and need lots of socializing. We even have some you can bottle feed!