Posted in Animals

I have been reading up about this amazing breed of goats lately, thinking that I would like to get some next year. My 5 year lifestyle farming plan puts goats in our second year of being on the land. The hens are the first year. This breed is somewhat mysterious in its history, but there is some evidence to support that they were introduced to New Zealand by Captain James Cook in 1777 on one of his voyages to our islands. He released a pair of them on a large island (Arapawa Island) in the Marlborough Sounds (the same area where we recently took our holiday). It has recently been proven that they are from the English goat which died out in its native England last century due to a harsh winter. So the Arapawa Island goats are the only ones of this particular breed that is left in the world, although efforts have been made to preserve the bloodlines by sending small herds to England and the USA, so that in case of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease here, the breed will be safe.

Well, I read in the newspaper this morning that our government - under the Department of Conservation - are planning a cull of these goats in the next week or so! Apparently they are threatening a rare native plant on Arapawa Island, although this is debatable. The organization which protects this breed say that there are only up to 500 maximum on the island and they only occupy 1/5th of the large island, and that it is in fact the sheep and cattle which are eating the plant.

Over 2000 letters of protest against the cull have been sent to the DOC and to the government ministers involved in this, only to be ignored, which does not suprise me in the least. This current government of New Zealand are democratic in name only. They are just bulldozing through some ridiculous and draconian laws, and closing their ears to the people of New Zealand. Their arrogance is incredible. Reading the Hiding Place challenged me to pray for these leaders in love - a very hard thing for me to do. It's election year though, which is a mercy.

I don't know whether to speed up my 5 year plan and get my Arapawa goats now, or not? I have absolutely nothing in place for them - housing or fencing or feed. If I was going to fast-track it, what would be the essential things to get? Do any of you expert goat-breeders have any advice?