Mike's Ranch or Why I Almost Came Home with a Baby Goat

I recently visited a friend's ranch. I'm pretty sure they have a ranch simply because they love the animals. I don't think any of them are being raise as food. It is a wonderful place. Here, let me show you.

I love the kids. They had 48 of them by that point. Most are fed by their mamas, but a few are bottle fed. The bottle fed ones area very friendly. They are all very curious and silly fun.


They like to climb on their mamas. The mama's don't seem to mind one bit.


They have begun to make goat's milk soap and lotion.


I love how some of them seemed glad to see me. Do you see her smile?


The boys are in another pen. The alpha goat was a big boy who acts very much like a golden retriever. He simply wanted to be loved on and would not let me move back enough to take a photo. I think he was unhappy when I left their pen. I imagine that they could see all of the visitors playing with the kids and wishing some people would visit them, too.


The kids run, scamper and play. A storm was brewing so the mama had to be moved to another pen to separate them from the kids. That way the kids would go inside where they would be safer from hail. The mamas are big enough to ride it out outside. They did not like being separated. They kept calling for one another.


They have a few other animals that simply needed rescuing. Mike has a big heart and took them in. Several of them will get bigger pins soon.


This emu is called Freeway because he was found battered and most likely near death when he was found. Since there is no emu farm within a reasonable range, someone must have dumped him. When the police found him he was missing most of his chest feathers were missing. His feathers are really lovely.


I think this is Mike's favorite horse. All of the horses were born on this ranch, or the one they owned before.


They also have lots of cool birds, too. I loved the rooster and he was happy to let me pet him. I am pretty sure that he considers himself the king of the birds.

They have built a huge, wonderful, multi-room bird sanctuary/ coop.


I'd never encountered chickens like these. They reminded me of the people in the cities in the book, "Hunger Games."


They raise several kinds of pheasants that are indigenous to the area.


This is the only surviving +-turkey hen. The others were stupid enough to stay outside of the coop at night and became dinner for the coyotes in the area.


These geese were huge, about 3 or 3.5 feet tall. They seemed to have their own party going on as they fretted about the weather.