Faerie Kid
goats' milk soaps
Home
About our soaps
Which soap for you?
Online shop
Shows, Markets and Retailers
Contact us
About our goats
Live Kid Cam
About our goats
The goats we keep are pedigree Golden Guernseys, a rare breed originating in the Channel Islands. The total population of these beautiful animals numbers only around 1,000 and they are one of only two breeds of goat on the Watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST).
There are many attributes of the Golden Guernsey which make it particularly suited as a domestic animal and it has been described as the perfect
“Cottage Goat”. They are smaller in size than most breeds, have excellent temperaments, are quiet, do not tend to escape, produce a sensible
quantity of milk and are good converters of feed. With their golden coats, upturned ears and delicate, dished faces they are also extremely
attractive.
Golden Guernseys tend to be kept in small herds, most keepers have only two or three of these goats. Many of these herds are kept on a "zero grazed"
or "backyard" basis as ours are. Our little herd now consists of two adult females and four kids, only one of which will be a
permanent addition to the herd.
Why we keep them
Our original reason for keeping goats was for a regular supply of quality milk. Even with the modest yield of the GG (we average 4 pints/goat daily) we soon found ourselves swimming in milk and we now regularly make yoghurt, soft and hard cheese as well, of course, as our soap.People often ask us if we sell our milk and cheese, unfortunately the regulations covering the sale of dairy products for human consumption are far too complex for us comply with. We do, however, sell milk to help puppies get a good start in life.
We are also committed to the Golden Guernsey as a breed and aim to add one or more kids to the population each year. This year we have been
fortunate enough to get two quality female kids to add to the breed register, one of which is the daughter of a male kid we also bred and registered.
When we started we could not have foreseen how intelligent and responsive these creatures would turn out to be. Each of our goats has a distinct personality and can be alternatively affectionate, devious and obstinate. One of the greatest pleasures is gaining the trust of each new generation of kids and watching them mature.