State and local officials again gathered at Gedalia’s Company farm on the Lycette Road to assess the conditions and look for improvements on Tuesday, June 30th. With even the most basic of farm management practices being completely ignored since the beginning; so many things have gone wrong with the farm it is hard to know where to start.

Don Hoenig, VMD, State Veterinarian, Director with his assistant veterinarian, a State Humane Agent and a Veterinarian from the Animal Welfare Board, Amity ACO Hamilton, Galen York of York’s Slaughterhouse, farm owner Lee Feigon, and other helpers were on hand. Also present to give guidance and advice was Lou Harris of Abraham’s Goat Farm; he sent the first load of sick goats to Gedalia’s Company.

One wooden feeder, setting uncovered outside, is hardly adequate for over 500 goats, pouring grain on the ground is not only wasteful but expensive. Farm owner Feigon has repeatedly expressed his belief that all the goats should need is browse. The conditions inside the barn are, at best, dirty. On both sides of the barn, the floor is packed with moist manure caked hay, while the center is nearly ankle deep in urine and mud in places. Goats hop from manure island to manure island to maneuver around the barn. Broken metal stakes peek a few inches out of the manure here and there. The back of the barn is still over three feet deep with the manure and hay the goats have stood in all winter.

Despite repeated warnings to remove loose wire from the pens, State officials were not pleased to see a bunch of wire still tangled up and half buried under hay in the pasture. While pulling up the wire, they found a dead kid wrapped up in the hay and wire pile.  Of the goats that came in from Texas, reports are that not one single kid born has survived. With no separation, there is no way of knowing when the does were bred, it is hard to tell who is pregnant. Does close to delivery should be separated from the general population and put in a dry comfortable pen. Once they have birthed, the doe and newborn should be placed in a small quiet pen to bond. Dropping a baby on the hard, wet, cold, muddy ground with hundreds of other does walking around is not ideal conditions. Some of Feigon’s previous workers had attended a seminar on goat and sheep health, hosted by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, yet it appears none of the basic education gained was put to work in Amity.

Creating separation pens for different sized goats, isolation areas for the sick, and quarantine areas have been requested by the State Vets as far back as last October. Yesterday, the one pen that had contained the sick and blind goats was wide open and the other pen contained two dogs, tied with cable to the wall, were lying on a dirt and manure covered floor. The third dog had escaped from the pen. While yet another was dog sitting on a manure pile, tied by a cable to a wall on the opposite side of the barn.

The officials stressed to Feigon the most important thing to do is get the animals healthy and in better living conditions. The State still has not ruled out seizing the animals if the conditions do not improve.

The next evening workers did not have the money to license the farm dogs. Town Manager Frye gave them until Monday to get the dogs licensed or a summons would be issued to the farm.

Local residents are grumbling at the slowness of the case. "If it was any one of us, we'd already be in court because none of us have the money for lawyers," has been heard repeatedly.

7/2/09

"May I speak with Officer Hamilton?"

Amity's Animal Control Officer has begun receiving phone calls from out of town now concerning Gedalia's Company. Several complaints to the Houlton Humane Society prompted them to call asking about the goat farm on July 1st. Hamilton assured them the State was working on the case. Hamilton recommended that if the Humane Society has more complaints to forward them to the Animal Welfare Board; but if it concerns loose goats, then have the person call him.

At about 11:30 am this morning, a call came in asking for "Officer Hamilton".

"When they asked for Officer Hamilton I knew it had to be somebody from away," ACO Hamilton chuckled, "I didn't expect People For the Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) to be on the other end." Hamilton declined to answer questions and referred them to the Animal Welfare Board as they are spearheading the Animal Cruelty investigation.

 June 15, 2009

A dog barking in the night generally denotes a predator or intruder, however; if you live on the Lycette Road and flipped on your yard light lately, you might see a bunch of goats looking back at you.  A new herd of over 500 goats dropped off at Gedalia's Farm has brought a herd of complaints for Amity's Animal Control Officer.

After a long hard trip from Texas which included stops for breakdowns, over 500 goats were run down the ramps of a four-decker trailer into the yard of Gedalia's Farm. They ran right away from their fenced in woods pasture, headed right for the lush grass on the sides of the Lycette Road, and eagerly began mowing. Residents on the Lycette Road began finding hundreds goats trotting up and down the road, visiting the neighbors' gardens, and disappearing through the woods at all hours of the day and night.

At the June 1^st Selectman's meeting, ACO Larry Hamilton brought up that these goats were going to be a problem. According to Maine State Animal Welfare Laws, the owner of livestock has 12 hours to retrieve the wandering critters.

The owner is also liable for all damages done by said wandering livestock. The Selectmen ordered Hamilton that if he received a call about loose goats, he is to call Tim Taylor, the manager of the goat farm and tell him there were goats out. If Hamilton is unable to reach the farm manager, then he is to call Lee Feigon, Ph.D., the farm owner. Feigon resides and teaches in the Chicago, Illinois area at the present time.

Residents do not need to worry as much about the goats getting out now because most of them are too sick and malnourished to go anywhere. Some goats are completely blind; while others can barely see out of matter crusted eyelids. The same crusty ooze covers some of the goat's nostrils; others have sticky black rear ends from diarrhea. Nearly all the goats are bone thin, with many sick ones standing hunched up or coughing.

Taylor, the farm manager, said, "The new ones brought what they call Travel Fever with them, and now it has spread to the original goats. I've been told that they may all die."

Officials from the State have been watching the conditions of the farm as they have deteriorated. The goats are said to have arrived with no health certificates according to one State source.

Farm Manager Taylor said, "They unloaded the goats and they started running everywhere. We were trying to catch them and the truck just drove away. I was told that they were all supposed to have had their shots before they were shipped. I didn't get any papers from the truck drivers and I don't know if they sent the papers to Feigon or not."

During the last few weeks the State Police, the head Veterinarian for the State, a State Humane Agent, and ACO Hamilton have visited the farm to issue warnings. Last Friday, despite knowing agents from the state were going to revisit at about 10 am, when the agents arrived there was no water in the tubs and no grain available to the goats, only old hay. There was a dead goat lying outside the pen by the driveway and more dead kids were found in the barn. The thin sick animals were standing nearly shoulder to shoulder in the barn trying to keep out of the steady rain.

As the people entered the barn some of the wild goats ran outside. One of the blind goats became disoriented and stumbled around the pen crying. The State Veterinarian asked why the goat was behaving so oddly. Someone called over, "The goat is blind, look at its eyes. It needs help finding the barn again." Then, despite the pouring rain, the goat was gently guided back in the right direction to the barn.

Taylor said he has given his notice, "I didn't sign on for this, I don't like coming out every day and picking up dead goats because I can't get the things I need to care for them properly."

Almost since its inception, Gedalia's Farm has been rumored to be plagued with money problems. Allegations of workers not getting paid, unpaid medical bills for on the job injuries, never enough feed or supplies, etc. Most of these allegations have been passed off as the complaints of disgruntled former employees.

Workers from York's Slaughter House of Medway were on hand to help give shots to the goats. Previously, Feigon told Taylor he'd thought of renting a freezer trailer and holding the frozen carcasses until sale. The State Veterinarian said it would be good to do that now if possible. If the goats received the shots, they would have to be held for at least another 34 days before they could go to slaughter. Considering the condition of the farm, the State Veterinarian said he has not ruled out seizing all the animals.

A hand from the slaughter house commented he had never seen anything quite like this. Pointing out different goats he commented, "These are supposed to be meat goats, but many of these are dairy goats; where is the meat on them?"

One worker waved his arm towards the back of the barn where the animals are standing on about three to four feet of packed hay and manure, shaking his head with evident disgust, said, "Look at this mess! What he (Feigon) needs is to get some women in here to clean this barn while the men go out and put up the fences like they are supposed to."

Also in the barn was a Llama, and a year old male Great Pyrenees dog tied by a cable to the wall. Along with the load of goats came three young female Great Pyrenees dogs, which are wild. According to Taylor, Feigon ordered him and his workers not to touch or go near these dogs. Taylor said that Feigon told him these dogs are born and raised with the goats; Feigon was told the dogs know instinctively what to do with no human contact. Taylor believes that Feigon plans to breed the dogs despite the fact that the male has genetic problems that will be passed on.

ACO Hamilton worries, "If these dogs are not to have human contact, how will they get their rabies shots? We already know we have rabies in Amity. This breed of dog can grow up to 150 pounds, if one gets sick or hurt, who is going to catch it and take it to the vet?"  

UPDATE: Gedalia's Company Now Gets the Goat of State and Local Officials

 June 27, 2009

With displaced goats being sighted everywhere from across the Estabrook Road to Colin Bartlett's garage on Route 1, area residents have had enough.

"Do something about those goats!" was the cry heard throughout Amity.

Tim Taylor has left the employ of Gedalia's Company and workers from York Slaughterhouse of Medway are now operating the farm. Galen York's workers are trying to correct the numerous problems the business has repeatedly been given written warnings for by both state and local officials.

One state official remarked that the state has done it's best to educate Mr. Feigon as to the needs of these goats, and so far he has not complied; when education fails, we have to rely on enforcement. Feigon, the farm owner is supposed to meet with state officials on Tuesday (6/30/09) to review the complaints and discuss what he intends to do about the problems.

Now, a few days have gone by with no calls reporting lose goats and Amity Town Manager, Margaret Frye, is glad for it. A constant stream of phone calls and visitors to the office with complaints about the goats left her with little time to get any other work done. Frye also commented that it is good to know that so many of our residents care so deeply about the welfare of animals.

Taylor said, Feigon also plans to add a large scale pig raising operation to his existing large scale goat operation. How soon will the tune change to, "The Pigs are out!" once they arrive?

Feigon's property consists of over fourteen hundred acres, and crosses from Amity over into Cary. Three brooks, Durrell, Tracy, and Davis run through it and some residents have expressed concerns about water quality issues with so many animals.

Feigon is in the process of having a several hundred acre area clear cut to provide forage for the goats, which radically changes the natural features of the area. Folks driving on the Lycette Road  in Amity can see the back of Jake Bartlett's saw mill on the Calais Road in Cary. 

Gedalia's Company boasts on its website that "Gedalias Farm is located in Amity Maine right up against the Canadian border. Located on more than 1400 acres, we are the biggest goat farm in the Northeast. We strive to use our land to raise our goats as naturally as possible."

Although the farm is closed to visitors, the exterior of the operation can be viewed by driving down the Lycette Road, watch for the white tarp barn on the right if coming from Route 1.

To learn more about Gedalia's Company go to gedaliascompany.com.

To view a YouTube interview with farm owner/film maker/author/professor Lee Feigon, Ph.D,  click here.

To learn more about the name Gedalia (Gedalia the little tiny goat )

New links to the State Animal Welfare Program amd to the Maine Division of Animal Health and Industry can be found under links/state governmet at the top right of your screen.