We Are Not Tearing Families Apart - Conversations With My Husband

So I was sitting with my husband one evening in our back yard discussing our plans for our little homestead (we love talking about what our little slice of heaven will hold) and he indicated that he did not really want to get goats. I of course was like “We are getting goats. Period. I can’t drink cow milk but I can drink goat milk, thus the whole point of having goats”  (This is completely logical in my head – not so much to him.)

This prompted a rather hilarious response from him (well I found it hilarious) – “Woman! I am not jerking off a goat!” Oh… Muh… Gawd… It took me a minute to compose myself as I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. I am sorry but I instantly had a visual of him trying to milk a goat and her expression of “really dude?!” and the bewildered, frustrated look on his face of "I am not happy about this either lady" and I sorta lost it. I reassured him that “I am already planning on being the one to milk any goats that need it and besides I only want like 2 maybe 3 goats; 1 boy and 1 girl so that I can keep her in milk. We can just butcher the baby or sell it each year.”

What came next was also not anticipated by me at all. His response was “We are not killing babies” I started laughing again because I naturally assumed he didn’t realize I meant when “said baby goat” was not a baby anymore. So I clarified “no I mean when it gets older, then we will kill it, I have a friend who really likes goat meat so we already have someone interested in purchasing it each year for meat. He firmly responded with “I am not killing anything and we are not tearing families apart.”

No problem I said. I am fine with being the one to cull off the chickens when needed and a goat once a year. No big deal! Would you like me to field dress your dear too come hunting season? He didn’t find that last part too funny and he just gave me “the look” (it was deserved).

He firmly stated “We are not tearing families apart or killing babies!” I was still laughing “Seriously honey?! You are that sentimental about a farm animal that you don’t even have yet?”

Okay, so I clearly I found this entire conversation humorous, but there is a rather serious topic that should be brought up. Death is a real part of life on a farm & homestead. Things happen to animals just like with people. Sometimes you can intervene to heal and help, other times, there isn’t much you can do and the humane/kind thing to do is to put down the afflicted animal. Then, there is the purpose of raising animals for meat. This animal will have to die for you to eat it. That is a fact.

SO… If you are not prepared to put down an animal when needed, please think very carefully as to whether you should be getting farm animals of any kind.

At any rate… the goat topic will have to be revisited at a later date… I am pretty sure I can convince him… eventually… hmmm...