Story and photos by Carol Mowdy Bond
“I grew up in the country with animals,” Kyle Woodall said. “We had horses, dogs,
cats, rabbits, chickens. We did some farming, sold watermelons, and hauled hay. There aren’t a lot of kids around when you live in the country. So animals were my friends.”
Woodall and his wife, Kense Woodall, who was raised as a city gal, own a Yukon acreage where pets rule. All told, they have 32 Nubian, pygmy, and Nigerian dwarf goats, five dogs, a lot of cats and rabbits, and 22 pigs — Vietnamese potbellied, Juliana, and Kunekune. Most of the animals were rescues, and some just showed up on the Woodalls’ doorstep.
Except for some of the rabbits, these much-loved four-legged family pets have names and respond when called. They even race to Kyle Woodall when he goes out back and simply yells, “Babies!”
The Woodalls get to know an animal’s personality before naming a newcomer. The names run up and down the Old West landscape — Wyatt Earp and brothers Morgan and Virgil and Virgil’s wife Allie
Earp, Belle Starr, Doc Holliday and his gal Big Nose Kate, Bass Reeves, Jesse James, and Calamity Jane. However, there are also Hamlet and Wilbur and Charlotte from the story Charlotte’s Web.
“I’ve always loved animals and always felt like I could bond with them better than I could with people,” Kense Woodall said.
“Animals didn’t hurt me. But I never knew that I liked farm animals until Kyle talked me into getting goats. He got himself goats for my birthday and for Valentine’s Day. He wanted a pig, so we got one. And then I fell in love with pigs.”
She is fully hooked because now she has a habit of bringing displaced or dumped animals home, such as the pig Allie Earp. Someone found Allie walking the streets of Bethany, and no one claimed her. She didn’t do well on another farm, so the Woodalls took her home.
Life at the Zoo
Days begin early at the Woodall zoo. As the sun peeks over the horizon, the pigs start to squeal as a reminder to rustle up the grub. Feedin’ time is a big deal, and the animals eat first. With two feedings daily, that’s a lot of mouths to feed. Most of the animals freegraze, even into the neighbors’ yards, and the neighbors are fine with that. And during the winter, the Woodalls bring in hay.
Besides grass and hay, there’s a long weekly grocery list: 40 pounds of rice, 50 pounds of sweet-feed grain for goats, 50 pounds of rabbit food, 25 pounds of cat food, 100 pounds of dog food, fresh fruits and veggies such as bananas, apples, watermelons, carrots, celery, and lettuce, and black oil sunflower seeds.
When the Woodalls initially moved onto their acreage, only a lean-to structure was in place. Using scrap wood and materials, Kyle Woodall expanded on that, creating a barn with stables for the goats, where a pregnant pig also resides. He also built all the other structures, and he cobbled a pigsty with shelter. The rabbits live in an air-conditioned workshop that he built.
Kense Woodall vaccinates all the pets and deworms them. She diagnoses and treats illnesses, can handle emergencies, and sleeps outside when pets are about to give birth. She also relies on the Goat Emergency Team Facebook page. “Respiratory infections are common in goats, and they can get goat polio,” she said. “Every day, you have to pay attention to every animal. Also, we don’t band our goats. We don’t dock any tails. We don’t disbud the horns off the goats.”
Besides food, shelter, and health issues, all the animals have grooming and hygiene regimens which involve everything from brushings and nail trimmings to baths.
As for security, coyotes and other predators leave the Woodall menagerie alone. Phil the donkey lives on the property behind the Woodalls’ acreage, and Phil protects their animals, especially because the Woodalls feed him. The Woodalls chose not to raise chickens because predators gravitate to them.
Focusing on Animals and People
The Woodalls — including children Kylee, Caden, and Kamden — have their share of zany pet stories. As one example, Big Nose Kate is a Nigerian dwarf nanny goat, and when she bleats, she sounds like she’s yelling “Dad!” Once the neighbors ran to the Woodall property because they heard “Dad!” They thought one of the Woodall children was hurt and crying out for help.
Zaniness aside, the Woodalls relish their petcentric world and even load up the gang and take them to venues as petting zoos. And although the pets are spayed and neutered, the Woodalls sometimes miss a beat. So the pet numbers have grown, and the Woodalls hope to sell pygmy and Nigerian dwarf goat kids and Kunekune and Vietnamese potbellied piglets as pets to good homes. But they have some words of advice.
“If you want to have animals, do your research first, and then go for it,” said Kense Woodall. “Know what you’re getting into. Keep reading, and connect with groups.”
Animals aside, the Woodalls own Animal Crackers, a children’s consignment store in Yukon. In the fall of 2022, they started the nonprofit Kommunity Kindness to raise awareness regarding the needs of mentally ill people, assist with improving their lives, and collaborate with like-minded organizations.
The Woodalls’ many concerns include the lack of temporary housing for mentally ill people and the lack of care for children with mental illness. Their goals include training and education for churches, schools, and other organizations. The Woodalls often host events to raise funds, sometimes using their petting zoo to raise awareness for Kommunity Kindness.
Getting To Know Pigs and Goats
Circling back to the animals, in the Māori language, the word “kunekune” means fat and round and is pronounced “koo-nee koo-nee.” Originally from New Zealand, the Kunekune is a small domestic pig breed. Kunekunes are intelligent and docile and make great pets, thriving on interaction with humans, including children. They are long-haired, they shed in summer, and they can weigh as much as 200 pounds. If Kunekunes don’t have enough social interaction, activities, and mental stimulation, they can become bored and destructive. They require plenty of land on which to roam.
Juliana mini pigs can be kept in a yard or small field. Bred to be companion pets, they are sociable and enjoy affection. They can be house-trained, and they train to commands like dogs. Fully grown, Julianas can be as small as 10 inches tall. But because they are not recognized as a true breed, there is no guarantee that a piglet will retain its small size.
Vietnamese potbellied pigs are smart and docile, make good pets, and have great resistance to disease and parasites. They weigh about 110 pounds but can be much larger.
As dairy goats, Nubians are bright, curious, friendly, and docile. They are easy to handle, but they are really loud.
Nigerian dwarf goats are minis developed for small-scale dairy production and companionship. They are gentle, are calm when raised around people, and are used primarily for home dairies, 4-H, and pets.
Pygmy goats are docile, playful, and intelligent and make great pets. They can grow to 23 inches tall and weigh as much as 70 pounds.
