Herd
happiness Pygmy goats bring farming fun Story by ALISON JAMES Photos by MONTANA HESTER
W
hen little Ellie Cay was 2 years old, her mother used to sing that classic lullaby, “Hush Little Baby.” Although the promise of a mockingbird, diamond ring or looking glass didn’t mean much, “Mama’s gonna buy you a billy goat” captured the young animal lover’s imagination. “Ellie decided she wanted her Poppa to buy her some goats,” explained Lisa Stockton, wife of “Poppa” Tim Stockton. Of course, the Stocktons first thought Ellie’s obsession with goats would eventually fade away. Tim tried to appease her by taking her to a farm with a petting zoo in the fall – but that plan had the opposite effect. “I think you’re just fueling the fire,” Lisa said she warned him. “Sure enough, she just became more and more enamored with these goats.” When Christmastime rolled around, Ellie broke down in tears when she didn’t get goats for her Christmas present. That was the final straw for Gran and Poppa Stockton. “We started looking, that day, for goats.” Now four and a half years later, 6-year-old Ellie hasn’t lost her love for the animal, and the Stocktons have grown the belated Christmas present of two goats to a full herd. “The pasture looked really empty with just two goats, so we decided to buy a couple more,” Lisa explained. Then it was six more. Then Ellie wanted babies, so they added a male – and that’s when the whole family fell in love with raising the sweet miniature goats.
8
Franklin Living
