Buttermilk Goat.... the Nigerian dwarf goat video that went viral

Buttermilk Goat ~ what has buttermilk to do with a goat – one wonders !

Goats, young ones are really attractive – especially the way they jump and run .. the domestic goat  (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat.  World over, goats are  reared for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. In the last century, they gained popularity as pets too. Female goats are referred to as "does" or "nannies",  males as "bucks" or "billies", and their offspring are "kids".

In a group there is always that ‘over enthusiastic’ person – over excited and jumping in happiness with gay abandon… that happens frequently in animals……… and in a specific reference… it's five-week-old Nigerian dwarf goat Buttermilk Sky, who clearly couldn't contain contain her glee at being out and about with her mates - so decided to demonstrate her enthusiasm by jumping all over them.

Buttermilk and the gang are part of a small goat dairy herd who live at the aptly-named Took A Leap Farm in Maine, US, alongside donkeys, cats, dogs and more. Sounds idyllic, doesn't it?  Buttermilk Sky is a young Nigerian dwarf goat and the subject of a video that went viral after it was posted to YouTube on 27 July 2012.  The video was taken at Took A Leap Farm, a hobby farm in Houlton, Maine. The video was posted on 27 July with the caption, "Buttermilk 'plays' with her 'friends'",and as of Apr 2013 has had 8045623 hits....

Buttermilk Sky is seen running animatedly about in a grassy clearing while three other goats of similar size and age look on. On several occasions she jumps up, even hopping over other goats and accosting a human observer. At one point she leaps up and knocks another goat down, an act which has sparked criticism from some Internet commentators for its apparently wilful nature.

The video received rave reviews with over one million views on YouTube, has been commented on by Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, and has been featured on The Today Show.  According to her owners, Buttermilk Sky is known for her energy; however, the kicking was a first-time occurrence, which was caught on video by chance. One of Buttermilk's owners commented that, before the video went viral, she had pledged to donate $25 to Farm Sanctuary, a not-for-profit animal welfare group, should it receive more than one thousand views. Afterwards, she suggested that a collaborative publicity campaign with Farm Sanctuary was being considered, to take advantage of the attention Buttermilk has received.

The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a miniature dairy goat breed of West African ancestry. Originally brought to the United States on ships as food for large cats such as lions, the survivors originally lived in zoos. Nigerian Dwarf goats are popular as hobby goats due to their easy maintenance and small stature.  They come in many colors: white, black, red, cream and patterns such as buckskin (brown with a black cape over the head and neck along with other black markings) and chamoisee (similar to an Oberhasli goat), with or without white spots.

Nigerian Dwarfs give a surprising quantity of milk for their size. Their production ranges from one to 8 pounds of milk per day, with an average of 2.5. Their milk has a higher butterfat content than milk from full-sized dairy goats, which makes Nigerian Dwarf goat milk excellent for cheese and soap making.

Nigerian Dwarf goats are gentle and easily trainable. This, along with their small size and colorful appearance, makes them popular as pets. Some breeders bottle-feed kids, which makes them more bonded with humans.

So are you going to watch the video ‘buttermilk sky’

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

PS : made in April 2013 and posted here now.......