Oaken Leaf Goat Farm

08/30/2026

08/30/2026

Today marked the end of our goat journey. Mea and Arwen went to their new home! Mea showed her sweet, loving nature by letting her new family love on her. Arwen wasn't as sure about these new people. She even went back to the pasture while Mea was getting all the pets! All she needs is a few animal crackers and she will be best friends.

I feel very relieved that all 6 girls went to homes that will love and care for them. All 3 families had extensive goat experience. I know in my heart that these new homes are better than the one they left. This is an answer to my prayers.

Karma and Kiara headed to Seymour to be foundation does in a show herd. They have 2 little kids to help achieve great things. Bell and Bree went to Monticello to improve a herd and be loved by a couple of girls. Mea and Arwen went 1 county over to Morgantown to bring great milk genetics to a herd and be shown by 2 kids.

I am very sad tonight. No more goats yelling at me as I make my way out to the barn. No more glancing at the pasture as I pass the window, always seeing Karma eating hay. No more moonlit walks from the barn, carrying a bucket heavy with milk. I wouldn't trade any of the last 5 years. The happy births. The health scares. Putting up hay, milking twice a day. All has been life changing.

I never thought in a million years that I would have goats. Thank you Erica Hopkins for trusting us with your goats!

08/16/2026

Bree and Bell went to their new home today. They will have 5 kids to enjoy. A large goat family. New adventures! They deserve the best!

08/15/2026

I work 12 hour shifts. I haven't really been "home" in 2 days. Out to the barn to feed and clean their area. We sweep up p**p and scoop p*e inside the barn daily. Refill water buckets, hay and mineral. I check the girls over. All look good. Bree has scurs where her horns would be. We trim them or pop them off as needed. The daily zinc pill and higher zinc mineral is helping her skin lose the flakes.

The girls are adjusting to life without Kiara and Karma. No big battles. Just a little shoving here and there. We've removed one hay feeder as they have enough room to eat together.

Chickens are well. Barbie was on the swing for a brief minute. Teriyaki seems to be thriving. We will switch them to an All Flock feed with the next refill of feed. Teriyaki does not require a high calcium diet usually found in hen feed. We have containers of extra calcium out for any hen to freely supplement if she feels she needs it. We also have a container of grit which helps keep a chicken's crop free of obstruction.

Lucy was in the nest box. Caught Wendy laying outside the box.

A lady has reached out and wants to see Bree and Bell tomorrow. She has a daughter in 4H. I am hopeful it is a good match.

08/15/2026

Its been a week. Selling goats you have bottle raised and acted as midwife for is really rough. At least for us. They trust you and our farm has been their home their whole lives.

But these girls were bred for a purpose. They have wonderful milk genetics behind them. They love people. Letting them go in bonded pairs helps them integrate into their new herd easier.

Karma and Kiara left on Saturday. Their new owner has 2 little kids they will love. She is a former 10 year 4H kid who is wanting to build a strong show herd for them. They also make soap! And her mother has tried mozzarella. Kiara and Karma will definitely be valued and loved in that environment. The plus for me is that they have knowledge in goats. Because goats are complicated!

The barn is quieter now. Feeding time is less chaotic. I miss them.

08/04/2026

Katie Royer

08/04/2026

08/04/2026

As promised, Teriyaki singing the song of his people.

08/04/2026

Our daughter who is going off to college brought us a gift. Now we are down sizing responsibilities. So she brought 3 gold fish home from the fair. We had gotten down to 2 fish in the tank and thinking "when these 2 die...". Now we have 5.

They didn't even have to tell me about the next gift. I drove home from a tough shift at work. Opened the car door and IMMEDIATELY heard it. Did I say IMMEDIATELY? Yes. I heard him. And now I hear him ALL DAY LONG. Not so bad in our home. But outside he rarely stops.

Meet Teri. Short for Teriyaki. He is a Japanese Bantam rooster. A true Bantam. And yes he always has the upright posture you see. Google says he needs a low roost, so we built one. Google is wrong. He isn't tall enough to drink from our ni**le waterer. So we lowered it and added a cup waterer that ALL the girls like as well.

All my knowledge of chickens tells me you can't just toss in a micro chicken in a coop with 8 large Fowl hens and expect him to live. Guess what? You CAN. Apparently Katie Royer tossed him in before I got home. Barbie came charging up and they chest bumped in an aggressive way. Katie checked Teri over but no injuries were noted. Now he is one of the flock. No chasing or harassment.

We are already researching how to keep a lower waterer free from freezing this winter. Open to your tips. We already take precautions against frost bite and keep the coop floor dry (which he needs). We feed a high protein feed that will help his feathers grow as his previous owners may have clipped his wings to prevent him from flying. Our coop is 100% enclosed and covered.

Meet Teriyaki Royer

Will add video of him crowing

08/02/2026

Next up for new pasture: Bell and Bree. These 2 are sisters, daughters of Karma. Both are yearlings. Bell is a big girl who loves everyone. She did very well at our 4H fair. Bree is a little smaller and more gentle. She has struggled with a zinc deficiency that we are treating with daily zinc tablets.

Both lead well and are used to being on the goat stand. Both love people and would be perfect for any kid but especially a kid wanting to start 4H. Their mother is a great producer of milk and their sire has great udders behind him.

Both are ADGA registered and disbudded. Clean tested herd.

4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣/pair