At Ellie’s Dairy we try to raise our goats in as natural an environment as possible. We are not certified organic but we farm as traditionally as possible and work to the highest standards of responsible and ethical farming.
We operate a ‘closed’ herd and all our animals are of the highest health status. They are pasture fed with free range access to grazing all year round but when they prefer to be indoors in their large airy barn they can enjoy hay from our own ancient meadows, made without pesticides or additives. The goats are fed minimal cereals, and when we do they are grown by a local farmer who has ethics and values similar to our own. All our feed is GM and additive free which we blend with a mixture of natural herbs and minerals for optimum nutrition.
We raise all our male kids alongside the females and they enjoy exactly the same conditions – like all our animals, they are thoroughly spoilt! As we are a pedigree herd, we select the top few of our best males each year to work as stud males in other commercial herds, most usually in the West Country. The remaining boys are raised for meat and are sold directly to private customers at our farmers' markets. They are slaughtered less than a mile away from the farm at a very small traditional butcher who maintains the highest standards of animal welfare and hygiene.
Every animal is individual and at Ellie’s Dairy we pride ourselves on our animal husbandry and in knowing the name, character and behaviour of every single goat. This ensures that we can very quickly spot any animal that may be feeling slightly off-colour. We use a lot of homeopathic and herbal remedies for our goats and do not routinely use hormones or antibiotics.
We believe in what we do. We hope that you agree.
