Ms. Eliza Doolittle

Eliza Playing

Eliza is one of the two Nigerian Dwarf Goats at Piscataway Acres.  She was purchased from Hearts-N-Hooves dairy goat farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland when she was just over a month old.  She is a character and a handful.  Her favorite activities include jumping over fences, breaking into feed containers, knocking over feed containers, waiting for the back door of the house to open and then run in, and being held in the arms of a human.  She is very affectionate which is sweet, most of the time.

Although Eliza gets the most human attention, she is near the bottom of the herd in seniority.  Although she attempts to exert some power over the sheep from time to time, she is no match for the sheep who are a little larger than her and more aggressive.  Eliza just isn’t a very aggressive goat.  Because of her position in the herd, Eliza has made good friends with the pigs, Finnemore and Chesapeake.  The three of them are often off hanging out, trying to find something to eat.  As with many goats, she is stubborn.  Her stubbornness alone isn’t what causes her to get into so much trouble, it is her agility.  She is able to clear many of the 4.5 foot fences and she knows how to open feed bins.  This has caused her to have many an upset stomach and me sitting out with her to make sure she isn’t too sick.  She is also the reason that half of one of the rooms designed for chickens and rabbits was turned into a locked feed storage area.  None of the other animals seem terribly interested in breaking into things, but Eliza has a mischievousness that is unparalleled here at Piscataway Acres.

With her big personality comes a great personal relationship.  She and I know each other well and I have found that she can be a very sensitive goat.  Despite her faults, she is loved and appreciated.