Old Dallas Mountain Farms - Nigerian Dwarf Goats

GOAT GOLD AND WEIRDNESS WEDNESDAY

Today’s picture is Callie and Ollie, stepping in as honorary goats for Goat Gold and Weirdness Wednesday. Callie is on the left, having what appears to be a difficult hair day. Ollie is on the right, looking supportive but not particularly empathetic of Callie's situation.

GOAT GOLD:

Around here, you do not technically have to be a goat to participate in goat-level judgment. Callie and Ollie may not be a direct part of the goat herd, but they are absolutely part of the farm rhythm. They know the routines and know when people are coming and going. They know feeding times, chore times, suspicious bucket times, and the exact moment we walk past without offering Nicker Makers (horse treats).

Farm animals are very good at learning patterns. They know who brings food, who opens gates, who carries treats, and who might be convinced to make poor decisions under pressure. Different species may show it in different ways, but they all seem to develop opinions about how the place should be run.

So many opinions.

GOAT-ADJACENT GOLD:

Donkeys and horses are both highly social animals, and companionship matters to them. They notice their people, their surroundings, and each other. A good farm routine gives them comfort, structure, and a sense of what to expect. It also gives them plenty of opportunities to stand in a doorway and quietly evaluate Barney and/or Tonya.

WEIRDNESS:

Horses cannot vomit.

That is not a joke. Because of the way their digestive system is built, horses are basically unable to throw up. Their anatomy makes it extremely difficult for food to come back up once it goes down.

So yes, Callie may be having a difficult hair day, but she is also living with the unfortunate knowledge nature gave horses speed, beauty, sensitivity, dramatic manes, and then apparently forgot to install reverse.

Ollie, meanwhile, appears to be offering emotional support from the side. Or possibly waiting to see if apple treats are involved.

So in summary:

- Callie and Ollie are not goats, but they are fully qualified to judge us like goats.
- Farm animals learn routines, people, and feeding schedules very well.
- Horses cannot vomit, which seems like a pretty serious oversight.
- And Callie’s hair suggests she has already been through enough today.

GOAT GOLD AND WEIRDNESS WEDNESDAY

Today’s picture is LU3, wearing what appears to be most of his breakfast.

We bottle feed all of our kids here, which means feeding time is a little more involved than simply pointing them toward mom and letting nature take its course. There are bottles to mix, babies to wrangle, schedules to keep, and, occasionally, one small goat who finishes eating like he just wandered through a good ole southern thunderstorm made entirely of dairy.

GOAT GOLD:

Bottle feeding is about more than just making sure the kids are fed. It also builds trust and connection. The kids learn our voices, our routines, and the very important fact that Tonya and Barney are the people who arrive with dinner. Around here, that earns you a certain level of respect. Mostly temporary. Usually conditional. Almost always food-related.

Still, these daily feedings matter. They help the kids become comfortable with people, easier to handle, and more confident as they grow. It is food, care, routine, and bonding all rolled together.

Occasionally, it is also a facial treatment.

WEIRDNESS:

Baby koalas cannot digest eucalyptus leaves on their own when they are first born.

Eucalyptus is tough, fibrous, and full of compounds most animals would wisely avoid. Adult koalas can handle it because they have the right bacteria in their digestive systems. Baby koalas, however, have to get those bacteria from their mothers.

And they do that by eating a special soft form of their mother’s poop called pap.

So yes, LU3 may have milk on his face. But compared to a baby koala’s introduction to solid food, he is living a life of luxury and dignity. Relatively speaking.

So in summary:

- Bottle feeding helps build trust between us and the kids.
- LU3 believes milk is both food and skincare.
- Baby koalas begin their digestive education in a way that makes a messy bottle look downright elegant.

GOAT GOLD AND WEIRDNESS WEDNESDAY

Today’s picture is nine of our new kids experiencing betrayal in real time. They thought they were getting fed, but, unfortunately for them, they were mistaken. This is what weaning looks like.

As you can see, the reviews are not positive. There is judgment and there is disappointment. Much disappointment.

GOAT GOLD:

Weaning is an important step in a young goat’s life. It is when kids transition away from milk and learn to rely on hay, grain, browse, and the general business of becoming proper little goats. It is healthy, normal and necessary.

It is also, according to the nine little faces in this photo, a war crime.

No one here is starving or abandoned. Everyone has food, water, shelter, and friends. But milk has been removed from the schedule and, apparently, was the only thing holding the farm and greater society together.

WEIRDNESS:

Baby flamingos are not born pink. They are usually gray or white, and they only turn pink over time because of the pigments in the food they eat.

So somewhere out there, a young flamingo is also learning a hard truth about growing up: Dinner determines your future, which feels appropriate to point out here.

These kids thought breakfast was coming. Instead, they got a life lesson and some temporary emotional damage.

So in summary:

- Goat kids eventually have to be weaned.
- Flamingos have to eat their way into being fabulous.
- And this group would like it noted, for the record, they are deeply disappointed in management.

Sunday farm life, featuring a failed attempt at a nice group photo.

Tonya was trying to snap a cute picture of the new kids, and wouldn’t you know it, LIL MISCHIEF MANAGED (aka Mischief) decided this was her moment. Not a shared moment. Not a group moment. Her moment.

The others showed up for a sweet Sunday picture. Mischief showed up and pretty much said, "Not in my house". Typical.

Around here, there is always one goat who believes the camera was invented specifically for them. Today, that goat is Mischief.

GOAT GOLD AND WEIRDNESS WEDNESDAY

Today’s picture is the herd in black and white. We thought we’d post this one because it reminded us of an old-school country album cover. A 33, of course. The kind you’d find in a dusty crate somewhere with a title like, “We Refuse to Leave the Porch” or “Maggie Pooped on the Sun Deck. Again.”. There’s drama. There’s attitude. There are at least three goats looking like they left the band over creative differences.

GOAT GOLD:

Goats are highly social animals, and herd life is full of quiet communication. They use posture, eye contact, head position, vocal sounds, and personal space to sort out who is in charge, who is annoyed, who is being pushy, and who is pretending they had absolutely nothing to do with whatever just happened. Basically, goats can hold an entire committee meeting without saying a word. Which, frankly, is more than we can say for most committee meetings.

WEIRDNESS:

Crows can remember human faces and hold grudges for years.

Researchers have found that crows can recognize individual people, remember who bothered them and even warn other crows about that person. So somewhere out there, a crow has an enemy list. No notebook, no spreadsheet. Just pure bird rage and excellent facial recognition. That is simultaneously impressive and deeply unsettling.

So in summary:

- Goats communicate through looks, posture, and quiet herd politics.
- Crows remember faces and apparently maintain personal vendettas.
- And this photo still looks like the debut album from a band that broke up halfway through recording the B side.

GOAT GOLD AND WEIRDNESS WEDNESDAY

Today’s picture is Coco.

Coco is wearing a tutu because Tonya has apparently decided that plain, unadorned goats are no longer enough. We have now entered the costuming era, and frankly, there may be no going back. Coco seems to be taking it in stride, though. She looks a little like a tiny rural ballerina who just found out the production budget was three dollars and a dream. But she is committed and we have to respect that.

GOAT GOLD:

Goats wag their tails when they’re happy or excited. If you bring a bottle, a snack, or literally anything they approve of, that little tail starts going like a windshield wiper in a nasty thunderstorm. It is one of the clearest signs that a goat is delighted with the current state of affairs. So while humans smile and dogs wag, goats basically throw a tiny rear-end celebration.

WEIRDNESS:

Decorator crabs make outfits out of whatever they find on the ocean floor. Seaweed. Sponge. Coral. Random debris. Occasionally bits of things that used to be alive. They stick it all to themselves for camouflage, which means somewhere under the sea, there is a crab walking around in a handcrafted algae ensemble thinking, “Yea, this is definitely the look.”

So yes, Coco is wearing a tutu. But at least she is not accessorizing with sea garbage and the remains of her enemies. That really puts things in perspective.

Coco’s take:

“If the crab gets a whole wardrobe, I don’t want to hear one word about this tutu.”

So in summary:

- Goats wag their tails when they’re happy.
- Crabs accessorize with ocean debris and the remains of their enemies.
- And Coco is one tiny tiara away from taking this thing professionally.