We were feeling so confident with the first two goats, we thought we would borrow a little more trouble!
I am not sure it’s really confidence, it’s just survival – so far. But, If one is going to feed, let out, let in, worry, give penicillin to two goats – One might as well do it for say – 5.
It is a funny thing how much goats act like kids or teenagers. Charlie – cute little Charlie – is a bully. She just had to establish that she was the boss! She bullies the little goats. we’ve had to separate the groups just so the little ones could eat. But today was a little better. Everybody went out to play together. They can’t eat together, but they are working out a way to exist together. It’s like watching toddlers play together or high school kids establishing a “pecking order – with all the “You’re not the boss of me!” going on!
Charlie – the boss, the “senior class”
Ruby, the “junior” – doesn’t try to boss Charlie, but definitely not going to take any crap from the new kids on the block – or those freshmen!
They are totally different. One set of goats and the other. Charlie is obviously bold-ish. The new little girls are VERY skiddish. We can catch them, but it you want them to be somewhere, herding is involved. Have I mentioned that we are not really great goat herders yet?
We are learning to herd more effectively, but they do make us work at it. We trimmed hoofs today for the first time. That was funny, and nerve wracking. But, we managed to do it without hurting the new girl. Not bad for the first time.
We are on a pretty steep learning curve here. I would like to be 10 so I could just sign up for 4-H and learn it a little at a time. But, for now, I will settle for alive goats, minimal mess-ups, and time to figure this out.
We let the grandkids name this batch – so we are stuck with some tongue twisters. For all you farmers out there – if we actually get an animal that will one day become dinner, we will not name those or name them bacon and pork chop, brisket and nugget etc. But these are not for eating, so we can name them!
The little all white goat – is Amelia or Millie
The baby with more white on her face – is Lilly
The other baby – the adventurous one with the loud, loud yell – is Olivia or Livvy.
I’ll call roll fussing at them as much as I do the grandkids. Probably going to resort to – here goat!
brandnewfarmers 