I have some personal history with goats, none of it pleasant.
Goats are singular critters. They are canny, tough, resilient, and adaptable. They can eat almost anything and are quite efficient at converting rough forage to meat and milk. We had a few neighbors who raised them, and the most notorious of local billygoats, whose genes were spread far and wide throughout northeast Iowa, was Old Stinky. Old Stinky lived on a farm down by Canoe Creek, was vindictive, mean as a snake, and you could smell him for a mile and a half downwind. He was so awful he was kind of wonderful, and I once had a rather horrible run-in with him that involved a big cottonwood tree that overhung the road, his predilection for standing on a limb over the road and letting his scent drift down onto passing cars. The event also involved me, a girl, and her Mustang convertible — but that’s a story for another day.
So, with some knowledge of goats, I was intrigued to see that King Charles had bestowed a royal title on an entire breed of goats.
King Charles III has bestowed a royal title on a rare golden goat breed.
From now on, the breed known for its connection to the island of Guernsey will have the special title of Royal Golden Guernsey Goat. The title, bestowed Tuesday during the king’s visit to the island in the English Channel, will apply to the livestock breed anywhere in the world.
“Hopefully this will raise awareness for the breed,” said Rebecca Martin, the owner of eight-year-old Summerville Tamsin, the goat chosen to represent the breed.
So, what does a royal title do for a breed? Apparently, it raises awareness. And this breed is a rare one. That’s too baaaad.
The goats are a rare breed and considered “at risk” on the Rare Breeds Watchlist. Considered friendly and docile, they produce good milk.
In recent months, we’ve seen Greek sheep getting baked, Saudi camel beauty contests, and now goat nobility. The world of agriculture is full of oddities, and I’m not kidding about that.
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These Guernsey goats may be rare because of their personalities. Oh, yes, their aficionados will assure us of the good nature of these animals, but one wonders if their rarity is due to bad dispositions; goats, in general, are notorious for butting heads.
These beasts are dairy goats, as the story notes the quality of their milk production. I’m not a fan of goat cheese, although it’s possible this would be better than the kinds I sampled back in the day. I do remember a rumor that one billy had been trained to produce deep-fried goat cheese sticks, which I suppose would make him a battering ram.
On a more serious note, growers of rare breeds like this can be very devoted to their stock, and while it’s unclear precisely how the royal title will help the breed, it certainly couldn’t hurt; and it had to be quite a big deal to have the King to bestow a royal favor on… yes, a goat.
One final note: It’s important to note that, on the Isle of Guernsey, many among the population speak French, not English, despite it being a British possession, which makes one wonder if these goats have French horns.
In honor of RedState’s 20th Anniversary, we’re running a fantastic sale on VIP membership this week. If you’re not already a VIP member, when you join today, you’ll receive 60% off with discount code RS20. That’s not baaaad! Don’t let it goat away.
