My kids have some unusual chores like getting mugged by goats. Payback is sweet. Sweet feed that is in this case.

Particularly: Making and feeding our dairy goats sweet feed.

Right now, my niece is my biggest help on the farm. I don’t know how I’ll manage my farm without her when she leaves in September for college.

I’ve always believed kids should help contribute towards the household and so I started teaching my children when they were very young how to help out…even if some of their attempts weren’t much help at all.

Like the time I had my youngest son spread gravel in the driveway and a bucketful somehow ended up on the garage roof.

There’s also the time I had my four oldest process chickens and ducks in the backyard and for some reason I kept finding random chicken and duck feet all over the place for the following two months.

I think the worst example, though, is when I told my boys to clean out and organize my crafting cabinet and instead they pulled out my garbage bag of down feathers (from processing ducks and chickens) and ripped the bag open and swung it all over the dining room. I’m still finding feathers several months later from that disaster. I’ll never save down ever again. EVER.

Which brings me back to getting mugged by goats.

Today I had my youngest son help me make homemade sweet feed for our dairy goats. We’re using this mixture to help add some weight to them. I had a horrible year with parasites and feed quality issues starting last summer which caused my goats to have issues maintaining weight. I recently reached out to my neighbors who were extremely gracious and hooked me up with some good hay and sagely advice.

That’s what I love about my neighbors out here in the country–they are understanding and have been more than supportive of my situation as a single mom running a household of six, along with a farm. No matter my need, whether it’s advice or a feral hog with a bullet through its head, my neighbors are more than happy to help.

When Ryan was finished mixing the sweet feed, I had him fill our big scoop with it and take it to the front pasture to feed the goats.

He and the goats were more than happy to oblige.

After a few minutes of watching the goats head butt each other for the best sweet feed gluttony spot, I thought it’d be fun to tell my son to RUN just so I could watch the goats chase him. Yup, I’m that mom. You left my shovel in a tree? Payback is goats chasing after you and fighting you for the scoop of molasses infused grain and feed pellets.

I don’t get many guilty pleasures out here in the country…

So, for now, my guilty pleasure is watching my youngest get mugged by goats.

Don’t feel too badly for him. He wouldn’t stop laughing as he ran as fast as he could. After all, I know this is his favorite after school farm chore.

Now how do I break the news to him that he’s also gotta learn how to milk them?