Bruno the Goat (aka our accidental first kid)

Our accidental first kid (and the moment we realised we were really doing this)

When we first brought goats onto the farm, it was for a specific reason—clearing the overgrown dam paddock. My dad had suggested it. “They’ll eat it down. Then you can move them on.” Straightforward advice. So we picked up a couple of does and set them to work.

They were a bit standoffish at first. We'd try offering food from our hands, but they weren’t interested. It only took a few days before they figured out the white bucket meant grain. After that, they followed it—and us—wherever we went. Over time, they warmed up, and so did we. We didn’t have plans to keep goats long-term. That changed when we noticed one of them—Betty—starting to look rounder.

At first, we weren’t sure. Maybe she was just putting on condition? But it became obvious pretty quickly: she was pregnant. We had no idea when she’d been bred, so we were just watching and waiting every day.

Then one afternoon, coming home, Betty wasn’t with the others. We walked the paddock and found her tucked into the reeds, standing over a tiny, damp kid. That was Bruno—our first goat born on the farm.

Raising Bruno kicked off a new chapter for us. From that moment on, we knew we wanted to keep goats as more than just a tidy-up crew — and choosing the right breed mattered. We spent time researching what would suit us and our farm long-term. If you're curious about how we landed on Boer goats and what makes them such a good fit, we’ve written about it here.

Bruno’s now a wether and part of the herd. He’s a bit of a character—friendly, always the first to come up for a scratch. And looking back, he was the one that tipped us over from “trying goats” to building something with them.

We’ve learned a lot since then: how to tell when a doe’s close to kidding, what to keep on hand, how to build trust with a skittish goat, and when to just stand back and let nature do its thing.

Bruno just after birth, tucked away in the reeds.

Goat in a tub — Bruno camped out in the warm sun while we kept a close eye on him.

Bruno settling in, warm and dry inside the barn.

Bruno out exploring the dam paddock with Josh — no longer a surprise, but still a favourite.