Goats
Purple Goat Gardens is the proud home to seven Saanen dairy goats (four does and three wethers) and 10 Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats (five does, two wethers and three bucks). Our goats are very friendly and love to spend time with their happy hippies.
Goats are browsers, like deer, not grazers, like cows or sheep. Here at PGG our goats spend most of their time roaming all 30 of our mostly wooded acres. They enjoy a nice hike on our trails as much as we do!
Goats and humans have been living together for thousands of years and have a special relationship similar to that between people and dogs. Goats each have a very distinct personality--some are cuddly and friendly while others prefer to be left alone, most are playful and silly while some can be grumpy and solitary. No matter the breed or the disposition, goats are a joy to raise and love.
Goats are browsers, like deer, not grazers, like cows or sheep. Here at PGG our goats spend most of their time roaming all 30 of our mostly wooded acres. They enjoy a nice hike on our trails as much as we do!
Goats and humans have been living together for thousands of years and have a special relationship similar to that between people and dogs. Goats each have a very distinct personality--some are cuddly and friendly while others prefer to be left alone, most are playful and silly while some can be grumpy and solitary. No matter the breed or the disposition, goats are a joy to raise and love.
THE SAANENS
OSCAR Luckily, with goats, you're allowed to have favorites! This is Oscar, a Saanen wether who is super snuggly and affectionate. He will be the first to come up to you and nibble your coat or pants or fingers or hair for attention. He loves people and also loves to be on top of whatever he can jump on--the wheelbarrow, a bench, a stump--you name it, and Oscar will try to climb it! He and his twin brother Otis will probably sweep you off your feet basically immediately. You have been warned! |
OTIS Otis is Oscar's sweet little brother. (Check out the Baby Goat page for pictures and videos of them as newborn kids!) He is also a Saanen wether and will come right up for pets and scratches and cuddly nuzzle. You are going to ask if you can take him home, but sadly for you, you cannot. ;) |
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RUTHIE
Meet Ruthie, our demo milker and an all-around good-natured mama. She, like all the goats, is mostly Saanen, which is a breed known for their dairy production. Ruthie has a daughter, Roxy, who is a Saanen/Nigerian Dwarf cross and a pair of twins, Rosie and Ralphie, who are Saanen/Nubian crosses.
CLEOME "CLEO"
Meet Cleo (short for Cleome, named by @k8svoboda after the spikey but beautiful flower). Cleo is a Saanen doeling and daughter of the matriarch or Queen of the @applepondfarm goat herd, Cordelia. She is still a little timid but is getting friendlier by the day, with lots of love and treats! Come by and help us make this gal as snuggly as her friends!
LITTLE EDIE
Meet Little Edie, a 2-year old Saanen doe. Saanen goats are fantastic dairy goats, and Edie's mom is a fantastic milker. Goat cheese is in our future!
While our Little Edie doesn't always wear a scarf like her "Grey Gardens" kooky socialite namesake, she is a little eccentric and can usually be found looking on while the rest of the herd explores, lost in her own world. She's also got only one majestic horn adding to her quirky charm as a true unicorn. And few goats enjoy a head scratch as much as Edie! Be ready to appease her with lots of pats, head scratches, and love as she will likely nuzzle up on you asking for it!
LUZ
Luz means "light" in Spanish, which is this gorgeous doe's registered name. Luz is our only purebred ADGA-registered Saanen and she is currently pregnant and due in February! Both male and female goats have beards (and horns) and Luz's is nothing short of majestic!
Luz LOVES to have her head scratched and competes with Oscar to be the first to approach anyone who comes to the barn. She is WAY too smart and figures out ingenious ways to get treats, open doors, and generally outsmart everyone!
Come see Luz and her new babies at Spring Festival!
THE NIGERIAN DWARVES
THE SCHUYLER SISTERS:
ANGELICA,
Angelica (top left) is the fearless leader of the Schuyler Sisters (the three brown Nigerian Dwarf does). She's very close to her twin sister Eliza and is very friendly.
ELIZA,
Eliza (center) is basically inseparable from her twin sister Angelica and they are never far apart. She's very friendly and enjoys pats and scratches and will likely come say hi.
AND PEGGY!
Last but certainly not least is little Peggy! She's on the ground at right in the photo and sports a slightly different coloration without the black stripe down her back that Angelica and Eliza share.
CORAZON, A.K.A. CORA RAINBOW UNICORN HEARTS-ON-HER-BUTT
Born under a rainbow (well, at least brought home to Purple Goat Gardens under one), Corazon aka Cora Rainbow Unicorn Hearts-on-her-butt is a serious sweetie! She was our fourth Nigerian Dwarf doeling and had the unique honor to briefly be a "house goat" while she was still trying to fit in with the much bigger Saanen crew and find her place among the Nigerian Dwarves. She's extra snuggly because of it even though she's now solidly part of the Nigerian Dwarf pack and lives outside now. She's a very charismatic character who will follow you around like an adorable puppy all day. Did we mention she has hearts on her butt? That also explains her name, a shortened version of "corazon" or Spanish for "heart", and is one of the reasons you'll fall for her too!
Born under a rainbow (well, at least brought home to Purple Goat Gardens under one), Corazon aka Cora Rainbow Unicorn Hearts-on-her-butt is a serious sweetie! She was our fourth Nigerian Dwarf doeling and had the unique honor to briefly be a "house goat" while she was still trying to fit in with the much bigger Saanen crew and find her place among the Nigerian Dwarves. She's extra snuggly because of it even though she's now solidly part of the Nigerian Dwarf pack and lives outside now. She's a very charismatic character who will follow you around like an adorable puppy all day. Did we mention she has hearts on her butt? That also explains her name, a shortened version of "corazon" or Spanish for "heart", and is one of the reasons you'll fall for her too!
BO DIPPER, aka "Little Dips"
Our first Nigerian Dwarf guy came to us when Cora was still trying to fit in so we set her up with a "beau" as another little friend. While our plan almost backfired when Cora just starting hanging out with the Schuyler sisters instead of Bo, he's such a cutie that they became friends before long. In fact his "dipped" coloration of black and white with some brown seems appropriate for his role in uniting all five little Nigerian Dwarves. He'll probably sweep you off your feet too!
CHLOE "BO MAMA"
Chloe is our only unregistered Nigerian Dwarf doe. She is Bo Dip's mom, and the two are never far apart!
While she isn't the friendliest goat, (she's a little standoffish with people and sometimes a bit aggressive with the dogs or other goats), she's a very good mama and we can't wait to welcome more of her babies in the spring!
PIPSQUEAK aka "Pip"
This little guy is our youngest goat, the pipsqueak of the herd! He is a Nigerian Dwarf buckling, meaning he is intact and will be part of our breeding program. He is a handful and a half but in an adorable, baby goat kind of way!
We love his mismatched front legs and his tricolor coat, but most of all we love his mischievous personality!
GIMLI
Gimli is a full-grown Nigerian Dwarf buck and he takes his job as a buck VERY seriously! When bucks are ready for some action they pace back and forth and even sometimes neglect to eat! They do lots of other, ahem, unappetizing things, but one of the funny things they do is make silly faces, like the one here. (He is curling his lip up to expose the vomeronasal organ and get a deep whiff of a doe in heat. This is called the Flehmen Response.)
Gimli has the appealing trait of being naturally hornless ("polled") and is truly very good at his job on the farm, so get ready to meet some cute mini-Gimlis this spring! (Don't worry, the babies will be cute! haha)
SHAGGY & SCOOBY
Shaggy is our moonspotted buckling and Scooby is his wether BFF. They live with the bucks and are completely inseparable! They are both Nigerian Dwarf goats, and Shaggy is part of our breeding program. They are best buddies with Simba, our Nubian, and the three of them are never far apart!
OUR NUBIAN:
SIMBA
Simba is our only Nubian goat. Nubians have big floppy ears and big noses. Simba is a very laid-back guy, which is good because he's a LOT bigger than the other bucks he lives with (who are all Nigerian Dwarves). He LOVES people and is the first to ask for head scratches and cuddles. He also is our dog Ellie's favorite goat, even if the feeling isn't mutual!
Chickens
While not technically in our name, chickens are a hallmark of Purple Goat Gardens and are often found hanging out with the goats and in the gardens. So that basically counts right? We love our chickens and let them free-range all day to gobble up bugs and live their best chicken lives. We have a number of mostly heritage and exotic chicken breeds because who wants a boring chicken?
BIELEFELDER KENNHUHNS
Bielefelders are a German breed of chickens known for their gentle demeanor. Our Mr. and Mrs. pair are extremely sweet and will let us pick them up without a problem. You'll see them near their little coop along the driveway next door to their black Ayam Cemani neighbors.
AYAM CEMANIS
Ayam Cemani chickens (or ACs for short) are a rare breed from Indonesia known for their hyper pigmentation--their feathers, beaks, combs and even their skin is black! The ACs are more "wild" than our other breeds, meaning they're great foragers. They have adopted our Bielefelder rooster as their guardian and those five chickens live in their own coop.
The "wildness" of the breed has paid off; one night a hen got scared away from the coop and we couldn't find her. She survived three days on her own until we finally located her hiding spot and reunited her with her family.
While the Ayam Cemani's aren't the cuddliest and will likely scurry away if you approach, they bring some great character to our driveway and we're sure you'll enjoy seeing such a unique breed of chicken!
LAVENDER ORPINGTONS
While sadly only purple in name, these greyish-blue-silver birds are beauties and great layers. We have a small flock led by Leroy the rooster, seen announcing to the world how big and bad he is here. They're also gentle birds and will likely be happy to peck some treats from your hands.
BLUE CUCKOO MARANS
Meet Bonnie, our one and only Blue Cuckoo Marans. Marans lay gorgeous dark chocolate brown eggs, and, like all of our breeds, are known to be friendly and docile. The legs of this rare breed are lightly feathered and their feathers have beautiful banding.
SILVER PENCILED PLYMOUTH ROCK
Look at regal Victoria, a gorgeous Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock hen! She hatched on May 10 and is getting ready to start laying eggs this fall.
We can't wait--there's nothing like pasture-raised free range chicken eggs!
SWEDISH FLOWER HEN
Meet Sonja, our one and only Swedish Flower Hen (named after our dear friend Sonja of Apple Pond Farm). Swedish Flower Hens (Skånsk Blommehöna, or ‘Skane Bloom-hen’) are an endangered heritage hen species and a landrace breed, meaning they were not specifically bred or engineered by humans but adapted to their natural habitat. They are hardy in cold and heat and do well here in Northeast Ohio. Sonja loves to forage and can be seen around the farm pecking at bugs and enjoying her independence in her delightfully flashy plumage.
BRAHMAS
Our biggest chickens, Brahmas are charismatic chickens with fluffy feathered feet and a sweet demeanor. We have two Brahma roosters to be the big guys to help protect the many egg laying hens.
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THUNDER
A dark colored brahma, Thunder Thighs is maybe our most uniquely colored chicken with his black and white and iridescent green. You'll see how he earned his name when he run-waddles toward you! |
PUDGE
A buff colored brahma, Pudge is our biggest and goofiest chicken. And yes, Pudge controls the weather. |
Dogs
With more land comes...more dogs! We have between 3-5 dogs depending on the day and they all love the farm. Well, some love the couch more than others, but all love exploring the trails, gardens, and land!
POLLYANNA "POLLY"
Our first dog, Polly is the queen B of the pack. She's a feisty terrier mix rescue that Emy saved from the brink of death outside her classroom on the Mexican border in south Texas so she's still attached at the hip and can be found wherever Emy is. She's cute with adorable curly fluffy hair but still a bit of a trauma dog, so please give her space and let her come up to you if she wants but don't try to chase her or pet her otherwise.
BUDDY
Buddy is Polly's husband and a fellow rescue from South Texas. We're not quite sure what breed he is, but we think he's half Chupacabra and half Sheddenpooper. Regardless, he's a goofy sweet old man who loves to sit on the couch and live his best life sleeping. He does love exploring the property and camping, but mostly the couch or his bed. Can't blame him really! You do you buddy boo.
CHIQUITA "CHIQUI"
Our tiniest farm dog, Chiqui the Chiweenie is half miniature Dachshund and half Chihuahua. We were lucky enough to get her as a puppy from our neighbors in South Texas. James had to bottle feed her as a puppy, so she's a little more "his dog" but since she grew up as a child star dealing with constant adoration from children and adults alike, she's used to the spotlight and happy get belly rubs from just about anyone. She has a brave bark but unsurprisingly is not fearsome at all ...she's a lover.
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ELOISE "ELLIE"
By far our sweetest and gentlest dog, Ellie is a big baby "Shar-Pei / Lab mix" (according to the APL) rescue who's about 4. She is good at alerting us to the delivery people, but mostly she loves to be where the excitement is or pretend she's a tiny lap dog and lumber onto your lap for a snuggle. Ellie loves our big Nubian buck, Simba and always tries to play with him. Good thing Simba is a chill dude and doesn't mind this silly doggo constantly at his side!
ELOISE "ELLIE"
By far our sweetest and gentlest dog, Ellie is a big baby "Shar-Pei / Lab mix" (according to the APL) rescue who's about 4. She is good at alerting us to the delivery people, but mostly she loves to be where the excitement is or pretend she's a tiny lap dog and lumber onto your lap for a snuggle. Ellie loves our big Nubian buck, Simba and always tries to play with him. Good thing Simba is a chill dude and doesn't mind this silly doggo constantly at his side!
MOLLY
Molly is the ultimate adventure dog! Believe it or not she's part Chihuahua like Chiquita, though long haired and mixed with something else, (though her pedigree is unknown as she was a rescue). Molly LOVES exploring the woods and has been known to take herself on trail walks, sometimes bringing Chiquita along for the trip. She's not scared of the goats but they are wary of her, maybe because she looks a bit like a skunk to them! She's sweet as pie and loves to cuddle and play.
MIRABEL
Our newest farm dog, Mirabel is a precocious little puppy who loves snuggles and shenanigans equally! She was named for the spunky heroine of Disney's Encanto because of her high energy and bright spirit. Born Nov. 25, 2021, she was surrendered at a friend's veterinary office at a few days old and made her way to PGG through fate! She is part Chihuahua and part terrier (though her pedigree is unknown). In true puppy fashion, she has endless energy and is always up for tagging along to do chores, go for a hike, or play with the other pups here at the farm!
Humans
Emy
Emy is the resident "farmHer" and goat guru. Whenever possible Emy is out with the goats, giving scratches and pats to her favorite people--err, animals. Ask her anything about caring for her herd and you won't be able to get her to stop talking!
Polly (pictured) is her fulltime shadow and doggo BFF so you will rarely see one without the other!
Emy also loves any creative venture including painting, building, and ceramics. Check out her pieces in the PGG Gift Shop!
James
James is a climate change and sustainability consultant by day and a farmer by night (and weekend!). He also has the patience to tend to those tasks around the farm that need attention to detail and careful execution.
James is always there to help care for the goats, but he is the main caretaker for PGG's many chickens. He visits the coops at least twice a day, checking on PGG's hens and roosters, and making sure they have everything they need for a happy and healthy life. James also leads beginning pottery workshops and can often be found strumming his guitar on the porch.
T.C.
T.C. is a "Jack of All Trades" around the farm, jumping in to help with the animals, build coops and shelters, organize the workshop and studio, and keep everything on track. He also owns and operates The Cabin at Purple Goat Gardens, an overnight rental on the property for those wishing to stay and experience the joys of the farm as part of a relaxing getaway.
T.C. is a "Jack of All Trades" around the farm, jumping in to help with the animals, build coops and shelters, organize the workshop and studio, and keep everything on track. He also owns and operates The Cabin at Purple Goat Gardens, an overnight rental on the property for those wishing to stay and experience the joys of the farm as part of a relaxing getaway.
MaryCatherine
MC is our resident carpenter; among other projects she led the build on our giant chicken coop, constructed our milk stand, and is working on a new "chickshaw" for our spring chicks. You can find her in her overalls with a power tool and measuring tape in hand, or tooling around on the ATV checking on the animals.
As the daughter of a family doctor, MC is also the go-to farm medic when things get rough. She is our go-to when the job requires a strong stomach and a tough attitude! She also loves our goat babies, especially her two faves, Oscar and Otis.
Tom
Tom is our master gardener and our [literal] trailblazer! He has a green thumb and an undying work ethic--regardless of the weather, you will find him outside early in the morning putting in new trails (with stairs, bridges, and trailmarkers), tending the plants in the garden beds that he started from seed, or spending time with the goats in the woods.
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Baby Maya
Baby Maya really increases the cuteness factor on the farm! She loves being outside and the quickest way to make her smile is to bring her to see the goats or call over one of her doggies. |
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