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At Springmont, we’re proud of our school and like to share the accomplishments of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Here you’ll find information about Springmont, including recent school news, articles about our curriculum, and other interesting items.  For additional press or media information, please contact Julie Strickland jstrickland@springmont.com or 404.252.3910.

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On the Farm - Meet the Goats!

February 19, 2019
By Michelle Wolfersberger

This month we welcome two new additions to the Springmont barnyard, Pepper and Pickles!  Often described as the puppies of the goat world, these two adorable Nigerian Dwarf goats came to us from a farm in South Georgia.  Pepper is a black and white, one-year-old female, and Pickles is a six-month-old, tan, blue-eyed female.  

Perhaps not surprisingly, these goats hail from West Africa! The reason for their presence in Europe and the Americas is a little macabre… they were brought over as food for carnivorous zoo animals, and many zoos maintained herds of them for that purpose. Luckily for us, someone recognized their sweet, docile nature and peppy personalities and began breeding them for farm life.

Nigerian Dwarf goats are perfectly proportioned miniature dairy goats. Reaching a maximum height of about 19”, they make excellent pets and have a lifespan of 10-14 years if well cared for. Their playful nature makes them most likely to be featured in goat yoga classes! They are quite intelligent and when bottle-fed as ours were, they become very bonded to humans. A recent article noted that bottle-raised baby goats tend to be extremely vocal to which anyone who was in the barnyard when Pickles first arrived can attest!

Our goats are cared for by our Upper Elementary students who make sure they have fresh hay and water daily.   Part of our Middle School students’ Outdoor Education this semester will be to design some playthings for them. These goats love to climb and play king of the mountain so keep an eye out for some fun structures in the pen! Welcome to Springmont Pepper and Pickles! See more photos on Facebook.
 

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