Pat’s #MyTrustStory for Home Fresh Feeds February 25, 2022 March 14, 2022 Pat Blank believes βone goat is a lonely goat.β And so, for more than 30 years, she and her husband Terry have always kept a lot more than that on their ranch in Shell Rock, Iowa. The Blanks have 17 Nigerian Dwarf goats β the smallest of all dairy goats β and are registered breeders with the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA). βOur goats are so calm, you can handle them easily,β Blank says of the multi-colored mini goats. βEven toddlers can hold them.β As a breeder who frets over her βbabiesβ like any good mother, Blank says nutrition and appearance are extremely important to her. She has trusted Home Freshβs line of goat feed for years, and credits the ingredients β which she describes as βthe perfect balance of nutrition, vitamins and mineralsβ β for her herdβs excellent body conditions, shiny coats and clean bills of health. Typically, each of her 14 does will have two or three kids a year; last year there were 31 born on Black Eagle Ranch. βThereβs no way their bodies could support that kind of work if they werenβt extremely healthy,β Blank says. βItβs a testament of the nutrition they get.β Most of Blankβs customers are 4-H members who raise and show the Nigerian Dwarf goats at fairs. She educates every customer on the importance of proper nutrition and βcarefully vetsβ each one to ensure the goats will be well-cared for (and have other companions) at their new homes. Each year, she donates one of her registered goats to the Iowa Dairy Goat Associationβs Share-A-Kid program. A committee chooses the winners from a few dozen entries, and breeders β including Blank, a longtime award-winning Iowa journalist β select a winner based on a few key points: proof that the applicant has other goats; a description of where the goat will live and why they would make a good owner. Demand for Blankβs goats β many of which have blue eyes and no horns β typically outpace supply. βThese animals are really special to me,β Blank says. βThey bring a lot of joy to us.β Blank usually begins feeding lamb starter to her kids, and gradually introduces them to Home Fresh 16 Goat Grow and Finish. The entire herd also gets Kentβs Goat Mineral, which Blank likes for its granular texture because it isnβt hard on her goatsβ teeth. βBasically, when you get a 50-pound bag of this feed, you get a 50-pound bag with not a lot of junk at the bottom,β Blank says. βI can recommend the full line to my customers with confidence. People who visit our farm always ask about our goats and their beautiful coats, and I tell them it comes from the Kent products I use.β Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Print Email Related Posts Jillianβs #MyTrustStory for Kent Feeds Read how Rooster and Forrest β Jillianβs rehabilitated standardbreds β inspired the recent opening of Peaceful Haven Farm, where horses can regain a healthy mind, body and soul, thanks in… Read More Charlyβs #MyTrustStory for Kent Feeds Barrel-racing quarter horses, frisbee-obsessed aussie/collies and an O.G. lady (a.k.a. an elderly layer hen) named Gwenny β they mean everything to Charly, the teacher turned stay-at-home mom who runs Forever… Read More Meet Mary Schroeder β Senior Formulations Manager Mary Schroeder oversees a formulation team that works with Kentβs nutritionists to develop new products, deliver new formulas to manufacturing facilities and evaluate costs for each ingredient. Read More