Frankie and Raisin have the absolute LUXURY of living here with their mother, Martha. It’s a rare occurrence for farmed animals to be able to live out their lives with their actual family members, so we try to celebrate it whenever we have the chance. Frankie and Raisin are two of our most dominant goats in the herd, but they are gentle and sweet to their tiny little mom. It’s endearing and beautiful to see them spend their days lounging in the sun snuggled beside her.
Both boys are a breed of goat known for milk production. Female mammals only produce milk when they have a natural need to feed their offspring, which also means that they must be impregnated over and over to continue producing that milk. Not unlike human mammals, milk production declines as offspring grow, and it also declines as females age. Those two things present a problem with “productivity” in the dairy industry, but the bigger problem is always figuring out how to dispose of the males. Even in situations where goats are being raised in homes that provide good care for their animals, it is an unsustainable practice to continue bringing more animals into the world. There are not enough good homes for the ones who are already in existence, and exploiting animals for what they “produce” always involves creating victims of that industry
