Getting to Know Lust: Peanuts Required

One of my absolute favorite breeds of goats is the French Alpine.

There is just something about them.

They are a good size, they can produce a LOT of milk, and they are just plain pretty goats. They have the look, the production, and the personality that make them a great fit for what we’re building here on our homestead.

Basically, they check a whole lot of boxes for me.

Which is probably why I needed another one.

Because apparently when you’re a homesteader, the answer to “Do we really need another goat?” is always:

“Well… technically…”

And that’s how Lust came to our homestead.

Meet Lust

Lust came to us as the next addition to our goat herd, but she arrived with a little bit of a different starting point than some of our other goats.

She wasn’t a bottle baby.

That means she didn’t grow up with a human standing in for Mom, feeding her several times a day and becoming the center of her little goat universe.

And you can tell.

Lust isn’t a particularly shy goat. She’s actually pretty confident and curious.

But she’s also not the kind of goat who immediately decides that every human she meets is her new best friend.

She’s more of a “I’ll observe you from over here and decide if you’re worth my time” kind of girl.

She has opinions.

She has boundaries.

And she has absolutely no problem letting you know when she’s not quite ready to cross either one.

Honestly, I think Lust has a little bit of sass built right into her.

She’s independent, curious, and just cautious enough to make you work for the relationship.

She’ll watch what’s going on around her, investigate when she feels like it, and then casually stroll over as if she wasn’t just studying your every move for the last ten minutes.

She’s not afraid.

She’s just selective.

Lust likes to make you earn your membership into her inner circle.

And I’ve been working on my application.

Slowly Earning Her Trust

Getting Lust to trust me has taken a little more patience than it did with our bottle babies.

But we’ve made progress.

And I don’t mean the huge, dramatic kind of progress.

I’m talking about the little things.

Lust will walk up to us now.

She’ll stand close enough for a few pets on her head.

She is becoming more comfortable with our presence.

And those small moments mean a lot.

Because when an animal chooses to come closer to you — when she doesn’t have to, but simply decides that you’re okay — that’s trust being built.

Lust isn’t going to fake it.

If she doesn’t want something, I’m pretty sure we’ll know about it.

But when she decides she’s comfortable?

She lets you know that too.

And I’ve really enjoyed getting to know that side of her.

Lust Has Found Her Happy Place

One place where Lust has apparently decided she has zero trust issues is the milking room.

She LOVES the milking room.

More specifically, she loves getting on the milking stand.

Which I find absolutely hilarious.

Some goats see the milking stand and immediately start acting like you’ve announced their sentence.

Lust walks in like she has a reservation.

“Yes, I’m here for my appointment.”

“I’ll take my usual spot.”

“And don’t forget the snacks.”

She is genuinely interested in what’s happening in the milking room, and she seems more than happy to climb onto the stand.

I’m certainly not going to discourage that.

A goat who willingly gets on the milking stand?

That’s a girl with priorities.

And Lust’s priorities appear to be food, the milking room, and deciding exactly how much affection I’m allowed to give her.

In that order.

The Way to Lust’s Heart

And then we discovered her weakness.

Peanuts.

Lust LOVES peanuts.

Suddenly, that independent little goat who likes to make you work for her attention becomes extremely interested in whatever happens to be in my hand.

“Wait. Are those peanuts?”

“I may have misjudged you.”

“Perhaps we should spend more time together.”

It’s amazing how quickly a goat can reconsider a relationship when snacks enter the conversation.

But I’ll take it.

If peanuts are what help Lust realize that humans aren’t so bad, then I’m happy to participate in this very serious diplomatic negotiation.

What’s Next for Lust?

One of the biggest reasons I love French Alpines is their size and milk production.

They are a great fit for what we’re building here because dairy is an important part of our homestead.

And Lust has the potential to become a really important part of that.

We’re hoping to breed her soon to our French Alpine buckling, Pride.

And yes…

Lust and Pride, Those are their names.

I feel like that deserves a moment.😅

I’m not saying the name combination was intentional.

I’m also not saying it wasn’t.

But now I’m really looking forward to seeing what these two might produce.

I’m hoping for beautiful, healthy French Alpine babies with the traits we love about the breed.

Although, if they inherit Lust’s personality, we may want to prepare ourselves, because Lust is definitely her own goat.

She doesn’t need to be the first one to the gate.

She doesn’t need to demand attention.

She doesn’t need to be in my lap.

She’s perfectly happy to take her time, watch what’s happening, decide whether she approves, and then participate when it suits her.

And honestly?

I like that about her.

Why Lust Matters

Lust is still finding her place here, and I’m really enjoying watching that happen.

She may never be the goat who comes running up looking for attention, and that’s okay.

She’s Lust.

She’s got her own personality, her own pace, and apparently her own rules about when we’re allowed to be friends.

But every time she walks up to us, accepts a little scratch on the head, or happily steps onto the milking stand, I see a little more trust. And that’s what makes those moments special.

That’s one of the things I love most about homesteading.

It’s not just about raising livestock, filling milk pails, raising babies, growing food, or checking chores off a never-ending list.

It’s about building something — and building relationships.

It’s learning that every animal has its own personality and that not every relationship develops the same way.

Some animals love you immediately

Some make you work for it.

And some apparently require a carefully negotiated peace treaty involving peanuts.

But when an animal that once kept you at arm’s length finally chooses to walk over and stand beside you, there’s something pretty special about that.

Lust is teaching me that trust doesn’t have to be loud to be meaningful.

Sometimes it’s just a goat taking a few steps toward you.

Sometimes it’s a little head scratch.

Sometimes it’s willingly stepping onto the milking stand.

And sometimes it’s a suspicious goat deciding that maybe you’re not so bad after all.

We’re still getting to know Lust, and I’m sure she has plenty more personality to reveal.

For now, we’re happy to have her here, excited about what the future might hold with Pride, and enjoying every little step forward.

Because this is homesteading to me — showing up every day, doing the work, caring for the animals, growing and raising what we can, earning their trust, and finding joy in the little victories that would probably look completely ordinary to everyone else.

We’re building a life here, one animal, one chore, one harvest, and one muddy boot at a time.

And if one of those animals happens to be a beautiful, independent French Alpine who requires a few peanuts before she’s willing to admit we’re friends…

Well, that’s just part of the story.

And I’m pretty happy Lust is part of ours