My mentor once said the at goats originally come from mountains where they may roam and jump on rocks, finding browse in hills and forests.  Truly they are alien livestock in the plains of Illinois.  Within the environment of a city, their ability to thrive is stimulated by their owner's care.  Basic goat care includes the following:
Clean water
Clean living quarters, no deep litter options.  
Ability to exercise in sunlight
Good hay to eat
Minerals to balance odd diets
Trimming of hooves

For GlennArt we work to maintain our animals beyond the basics.  it has been a journey of mine to learn how to care for these animals to thrive in the city.  When I started this experience over eight years ago, I had no desire to get this technical.  When we became permitted to sell milk by the State of Illinois, life became more integrated.  In order to assure these animals live healthy lives, I had to change:


Supplements like yeast and kelp;
Measurement of grain and nutrition;
Fecals, or poo review to understand parasite in goat stomachs;
Somatic Counts or infection indicators in mama goat milk;
Seven Point check of observations for healthy goats done monthly;
COWP timing which is a copper supplement vital to their health;
Herbal treatments for Parasites to avoid chemicals as much as possible;
Obtain vegetables to provide a variety of food sources (Sugar Beet Food Coop and Whole Foods).

This year I have committed to setting up the wonderful GOOGLE FORMS which bring my data from my phone to the spread sheets of information. Every time I change something, I have a form app on my phone.  Thank you Google.  (Just don't sell my data). It makes me happy to see my girls healthy.
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Yikes! During our trips to Garfield we also almost ran over a bird on Pulaski and Lake. I looked for a nest in the Elevated train pillars.  It turned out to be a baby pigeon.  I called the Trailside Museum of Thatcher Woods.  Here are the instructions if you find a baby pigeon.  As you can see it looks like a small chicken.  It had formed wings, close to flying. We tried not to touch it.

DO leave it alone when found.

DO NOT pick it up and take it.  Baby pigeons are fed out of the nest by parents and will be cared for.  Opps.

DO NOT feed the bird, as it will make it sick.  Pigeon parents regurgitate a mix of food for the baby and will feed it on the ground. 
 
Do NOT handle it much.  We tried not to touch it.

So we brought it back to where we found it and praying for its survival. 

With everything else we  have done with goat care and farm work, our urban animal interactions gave us a new understanding of life in Chicago. 

Our Lab Samples are IN.  After complications from kidding season, our quality control on the milk is updated to the first of June. All our girls are now on the milk line. I will be sending lab samples biweekly to check on my goats for health checks on their milk, and once a month for bacteria checks as well.    

SOOOO, if you wish raw unpasturized goat milk, please complete the form on the link listed below. I simply cannot remember who is coming unless I receive an email via the order form. Customers may call to confirm arrival to pickup milk AFTER completing the order form online and receive a confirmation email.  All inquires made via phone will be directed to the website to complete the form.   

Thanks to all who have already discovered the form and have been ordering their milk. We hope all future customers will benefit from our product as well.