A Weedy Problem Leads to A New Passion

Therese Nerat sets high standards for potential adoptees of her goats, requiring them to shower the babies with love and attention. Chickens, roosters and other fowl also find a home at Nerat’s ranch. Photos by Regina B. Elling By Regina B. Elling AA few weeds in the yard, a few goats to eat them, and Therese Nerat found herself in a whole new occupation. At the time, she didn’t realize what those goats would mean to her future. At present, she can’t imagine her future without them. Nerat and her husband, Terry, moved to Ramona just shy of 10 years ago. Like many, they wanted more land, and they found themselves in a somewhat common situation —their 3-acre property was overrun with weeds. Between the rocks on their land and the hillside it backs into, they had few options for clearing the brush. That’s when Therese Nerat decided to invest in a couple of pygmy goats. “We just let them roam, and within six months they had cleaned up the property," Nerat said. And while the goats were busy eating, the Nerats got busy constructing. They build sheds. They put up fences. And their herd of two expanded to a herd of eight. Those goats were then bred. Nerat was ready for the babies. “I've been raising something all my life,” she said, laughing. While she has a lifetime of animal experience, she also is mom to two grown daughters, Michelle and Evette, who both live in Ramona. Son Philip lives in Washington. Surprisingly, Nerat found that she didn’t have to advertise to find homes for the baby goats. Word spread, and she now has a long waiting list for any kids — as baby goats are called — that arrive. People also started to bring her their unwanted goats, and she either kept them or found them new homes. She even caught and tamed a feral goat that was living in the rocky hillside above their home. But although it might be relatively easy for a goat to live with Nerat, it is a bit harder to get one to leave. Potential buyers have several ways of “adopting” their new goat — they can choose the mother they would like to have babies from, or they can choose from among the many babies already on the ground. Buyers have a wide choice of breeds: Nerat owns pygmy, Nigerian dwarf, Nubian, Toggenburg, Alpine, mini-Manchas and pygmy/ Nigerian crosses. A buyer can even choose when they would like to have their new kid; the goats may have babies year-round, with a small break in the births around Christmas. What any buyer may not do, Nerat said, is ignore or neglect their purchase. “When you buy the goat, you have to take the time to love them,” she said. Nerat is true to her word. She is present with her does when they give birth 99 percent of the time. This is no small feat, but Nerat knows each and every one of her more than 20 does, and she seldom if ever loses any newborns. Unless the buyer already owns a herd of goats, the babies are sold only in pairs. The kids stay with their mothers and on Nerat’s property for at least two months. The new owners are encouraged to visit and play with their new family member as often as possible during that time. Taking the kids home is often the hard part for the new owner. “The baby goats often cry nonstop for two or three days after they leave their mothers,” Nerat said. “I tell owners it’s normal and they will get through it. And after that, the baby goats forget all about it and never look back.” The transition is relatively easy, because almost all of the babies are thoroughly bonded with their new owners by the time they leave. New owners know that Nerat is just a visit or phone call away, always ready to help if needed. When the baby goats leave, they have been weaned off the doe. They have been vaccinated and dewormed, and castrated and de-horned if the owner desires. With all this care, Nerat breeds her goats strictly to be pets. “My babies do not go for meat or human food,” she said sternly. “Do not even call and ask!” Nerat also raises a variety of poultry and sells adults, chicks and eggs. She raises chickens of almost every variety, as well as ducks, turkeys, geese and guineas. When not tending to the animals, she stays busy with daily visits from her grandchildren, Samantha, 8, and Christopher, 5. “They help with cleaning the pens, feeding, collecting eggs, and are responsible for 50 percent of the baby goat handling,” Nerat said proudly. At present, it appears the future of her goats is both happy and secure.