Sierra Pack Goats Blog

Herd Profile: Adella

2012-04-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

Adella is the head honcho in the herd. The herd honcho? Anyways, she is large for a doe, being about the same size as Max, and she is a good packer; once she gets going, she is the most well behaved goat you had ever seen.

Herd Profile: Bella

2012-04-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

Bella is in the same age group as Bandit, Max, and her brother Cloud, born in February 2011. Her mother is Adella, and she definitely takes after her in size, she is nearly the same size as her mother! She is a well behaved goat, and she is also very friendly, mostly on account of having been fed by my dad and I for the first few months of her life. She hasn't received much training but she does not fight the rope as much as some of the other goats.

Herd Profile: Fauna

2012-04-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

Fauna is the best milker out of the group, and she is also a very good packer. She had two kids in February who have yet to be named. She is also the mother of Bandit and Max, two of our bigger wethers. She is somewhat unrestrained when it comes to getting food, but on the whole she is a good goat. She also has a distinctive bleat, kind of a breathless "bahaha."

Herd Profile: Leida

2012-04-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is an update. Leida had two kids last year who we gave away to another goat packer whose names were Rose and Tootsie. She is one of the smaller goats in our herd, but she is very friendly and has a good attitude towards working on the trail.

Herd Profile: Cloud

2012-04-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

Cloud is as old as Bandit, Max, and Bella. He is now the smallest of the group (for now, after Leida) since we gave away Heidi, Rose, and Tootsie to a fellow goat packer. Small is a relative term here, as you can see from the picture. He has an excellent attitude and is extremely friendly and curious.

Herd Profile: Marco

2012-04-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is just an update from the first profile. He is still very healthy and fit, and he has the best attitude towards working out of the group. While Adella and Fauna might think about following us if we go off the trail, Marco here will follow us without question. We are using him to help train Bandit, Max, Bella, and Cloud.

Herd Profile: Bandit

2012-04-08T21:05:00.001-07:00

Here is Bandit, named for his mask like face markings. If given the chance, I'm sure he would steal something from you or his fellow caprids though. He is a little thinner than his brother, Max, but he is just as tall (if not taller). He too is still fighting the rope, but he is getting better.

Herd Profile: Max

2012-04-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is Max. He was born in February 2011, the same time as his half brothers and sisters. He is the largest of that group of kids from last year, and probably the most mellow and tame of the group. He is still learning to not fight the rope when going on walks, but he is making progress with the enlisted help of our largest wether, Marco.

How to Saddle a Goat

2011-10-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Max thinking about destroying your roses :3

So, you bought or made a goat pack saddle and are itching to saddle up your pack goat, but you find yourself at a loss for the technique of doing so. It really isn't all that difficult, that is, if you took the time to get your goat used to you feeling its belly so it won't try to bite you while you saddle it. The following step by step guides you through the absolute basics of saddling a goat. Mind, there are more definitive and expert sources which break down saddling into even simpler terms than this will, but they are usually locked away in expenisve books.This guide also assumes that the reader has basic knowledge about goat anatomy and handling techniques. Alrighty then! Let's move on to step one.

Step 1: Secure your goat's head.

This step speaks for itself. If on the trail, find a sturdy tree to tie the goat to. For this guide, we are using a milk stanchion since it renders the goat almost immobile.

Step 2: Get your saddle ready.

Again, not too complicated. You want to make sure all of the straps are sturdy (i.e. no tears, broken fasteners) and that the saddle blanket is in good shape.

Step 3: Place saddle on goat's back.

Alright, you want to make sure the saddle is in the right place on the goat as to not cause any unnecessary discomfort. The saddle should just touch the goat's withers. It should be far enough forward so that it rests just behind the goat's shoulder blades. The saddle should not touch the goat's hips.

Step 4: Fasten and cinch the front strap.

^^^Matchy Matchy^^^^^

Whew! That was exhausting, right? Okay, you want this strap to be a little loose, but just barely so. You should be able to fit your hand in between the goat's chest and the strap, but not both hands. You don't want to choke the poor thing!

Step 5: Cinch up the belly strap.

You want this strap to be pretty tight. This is what really holds the pack on the goat, a fact that was learned by me on the trail. If you don't make this strap tight, the pack will slide off. You really want to make sure the strap is a few inches behind the front legs, that way you won't be restricting the flow of air into the goat's lungs. Do Not cinch the strap so tight that the goat has trouble breathing.

Step 6: Slide on the back strap.

Pretty self explanatory. This strap does not have to cinched very much. If it's too tight, the goat will have a strange, uncomfortable-looking gait. This strap prevent the pack from slipping forward on a steep downhill descent.

Well, you are done with the saddling part! All that's left is hanging the packs/panniers over the crossbucks, then you're good to go! Here is the end result:

I hope you all found this helpful!

2011-09-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Coyote Lake Trip 2011

2011-09-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

On the trail

2011-09-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

Now broadcasting live video of the goats every morning!

2011-06-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow goat lovers and/or packers! Starting today you will be able to see the goats in their morning and nighttime pasture for a few minutes every Saturday and Sunday sometime in the morning between 8 and 10 AM pst.

Our new little guard dog!

2011-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

This is our new little guard dog for our goats, Lambert. According to the people we bought him from, he is a pure bred Great Pyrenees, although he is the wrong color and doesn't have the back two dew claws. To make a long story short, we have learned not to buy a dog without papers, and our trust has been somewhat betrayed. All that aside, he is an adorable dog and if he turns out to be large we will definitely use him as a guard dog.

Taking the kids with us for a walk for the first time!

2011-05-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

Frollicking Kid defends her fortress!

2011-05-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Seat covers: an inexpensive saddle blanket

2011-05-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

While the wood, straps, nuts, and bolts that go into making the pack saddle are relatively inexpensive, a commercial felt saddle blanket can cost upwards of thirty dollars for the smallest sizes. Since goat packing is supposed to be more economical than mule/pony packing, than there ought to be an economical solution to this problem. The answer: bucket seat covers! Seat covers are cheap, lightweight, and depending on which one you buy, can fit snugly under a goat pack saddle. A trip to Pep Boys can get you a couple of inexpensive yet durable bucket seat covers without breaking the bank. We have opted for this route with two of our pack saddles since they didn't come with a saddle blanket when we got/made them.

If anyone wishes to go this same route, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, the seat cover cannot have any springs inside it, as these can chafe. Second, the seat cover should be lightweight, ideally weighing less than a pound or so, though it shouldn't be so flimsy that the goat can't even wear the pack. Third, the seat cover has to be the right width and length so that it can be folded underneath the saddle and still fit snugly over the goats back. Finally, the seat cover should be made so that at least a little air can flow through it, which will help to keep the goat from sweating and getting overheated.

Hilarious video of us trying to teach the goats to cross a bridge

2011-05-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

Those goats must have smelt a troll under that bridge....

A picture of one of our destinations this summer

2011-05-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of swede lake, a lake that is part of the Dinkey Lakes wilderness. It's my favorite of all of the dinkey lakes, being surrounded by scenic cliffs, atop which is island lake, also a favorite.

Aha! Evidence of our escapades at last!

2011-05-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

I found this photo on Guarantee Real Estate's blog and decided top put it on this blog since it's a picture of OUR pack goats, after all. This was taken on the San Joaquin River Gorge trail, north of Millerton Lake about a year ago.

Weight Training (Continued)

2011-05-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here we see one of our little training walks in progress. Believe me, they were not this well-behaved-looking when we first started. Since there are usually only two of us on these outings, we separate into two groups: a human in front, with a trained goat following, and a semi or untrained goat being led by the first.

Weight Training

2011-05-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

We use 1 gallon jugs weighing 7 1/2 pounds each, and so thirty pounds per goat. We simply hang them from the crossbucks on the pack. We used to put the bottles in gorcery bags. but the bags would often break.

The kids are growing!

2011-05-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

The Pack Saddle

2011-05-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

A popular question asked about our herd is how the goats are able to carry our supplies. The answer: a pack saddle! The goat pack saddle has been used in Europe for centuries, often in the Swiss alps for carrying anything from blankets to produce for goatherds. We have two or three aluminum pack saddles, which are the more expensive kind and can cost more than a shiny penny. The easier to make and more economical pack saddle is made of wood, preferably oak. We have made several wooden pack saddles and they work just as well as the aluminum ones, although they won't last as long.

Our herd has nearly tripled in size!

2011-04-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

Over the past two and a half days three of our does had babies! Our lead goat, Adella had a whopping four kids! Fauna had three and Leida had two. They are all very healthy and strong and will probably be great pack goats!