Goat Tidbits

Random Kid Picture

I'm sick. :o(   

The last few weeks of crappy food and soda pop have completely taken their toll.

I can't believe that I ever used to feel like this!

Things are kinda slowing down here finally. Which is good, because it means I can take a couple of days off. 

Well, as "off" as anyone hand milking 5 goats can take off.

Well, I'm not really hand milking 5 goats.:o)

I'm hand milking one goat and teaching the other 6 what it feels like to jump up onto a milkstand and have someone mess with their udder. So I'm taking Sweet Baby out first and she hops right up and gets started eating her grain. Then I'm taking the other girls out by what seems to be their herd order.

Clarice comes first. She's such a darling that I don't quite understand how she's the herd queen. She's sweet, gentle, elegant, and refined. I just LOVE her!! She took to the stand with no real problems. She did kick a bit as I worked with her udder but settled down after a few moments. 

Rosemary is next, and SHE seems to have the personality of a herd queen...lol. She's bossy!! But I suppose that it comes from being an old hand at triplets. It's funny to watch her kids climb all over her and she doesn't even seem to notice. 

I've been there Rosemary.....boy have I been there.;o)

She did great. Hopped right up and didn't fuss at all with the handling. I think she's going to settle right in.

Then came Lillie. She was another old soul who didn't fuss at the handling. She had a hard time getting up on the stand though. Didn't seem to know how to jump up there. I can see how a ramp would be beneficial in some instances. But I think it won't take long until she's used to it. She's so smart and pretty.

Tink is the mother of our precious little "boots", I think. He's a teeny tiny little guy with sweet blue eyes and an inquisitive mind. She had no problems at all. Like she'd done it all her life.

I decided to start bringing the young ladies out to the stand so that they could get a feel for being handled and associate it with food. Our near constant presence in or around the pens have allowed them to get very used to us being within reach. This evening was the first time I tested it out though. 

They just let me catch them and then tripped up onto the stand like it was no big deal. The both spent the first few moments shaking while I petted them, but then I think they decided that it felt good because they looked pretty happy while they ate their grain.:o) 

I'm sure they'll be easy going when their time comes.

I love hanging out with the goats. Each mama and baby has their own personality. Each of my children has their favorite. We love watching them skip, jump, dance, fight, sleep, and nurse. They're just delightful.:o)

I've also been spending time hanging out with Diego. 

He's our "Daddy goat", as Kiska calls him. 

He's mellowed a lot. I sit near him when he eats and he walked over to me this evening. Almost within reach, but not quite. 

It's alright Old Man, all in good time.

We've had lots of fun with fiber over the last couple of days I just haven't gotten pictures. Hopefully tomorrow or the next day.