So today I bottled milk in the morning. As soon as I have a shift that I'm not working, I'll take pictures of all of this. When dealing with the herd, you can have a clearly defined starting point and a clearly defined goal. Everything in between involves negotiating with goats and can take some unexpected twists.
After the milking we fenced off the new stretch of garden that Erin plowed yesterday. Turns out that the chickens and the little dogs can all fit through the holes. This means that the only thing we're keeping out of the garden is the people.
The really interesting bit came when we finished and Marcia enlisted our help in administering medication and vitamin supplements to the boys, or bucks, of the herd. Guess who doesn't like being medicated. It started off well enough. Each goat was to receive a oral dewormer, an injection for something, and a supplement administered atop a spoonful of molasses. The injection was the easiest part.
The oral stuff was administered via headlock. The goats all spit out what they could and smeared their molasses-covered faces onto whoever was holding them. Oh! An interesting factoid: goats don't have top teeth in the front of their mouths. I know this because I was bit several times in goaty protest. They do, however, have molars, top and bottom, in the back. I know this because I was bit several times in goaty protest. These guys are characters.
After we did the first few, the other bucks in the holding pen got wise to what was happening and decided that no more bucks would come out of the pen willingly. Naturally, the only thing to do was to go in after them. I've never tried to catch a goat before today. They're fast, agile, and skittish. When they're trapped in a 15x15 holding pen, backed into a corner, they come up with some pretty clever evasive maneuvers. Some of them had to be tackled and hauled out of the pen in a headlock. In the end, we got it done and the bucks are better for it. I've gotta get some pictures of these guys. Their goatees are pretty cool. Goatees! On goats! Anyways...
To answer one of the questions, yes. Each of the hundred plus goats on this farm has a name and a distinct personality. Marcia recognizes each of them by sight. I'll post the list of names one of these days.
And with that, I'm off to bed. Got a hot date in the morning.
- Steve
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I can just picture you running around in that goat pen trying, unsuccessfully to catch a goat, any goat, and laughing your ass off the whole time.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that the goats don't like molasses. Perhaps it's the headlock more than the molasses since I know molasses tastes a whole lot better than a sweater.
Interesting that they don't have front teeth on top but do on the bottom, I wonder what that could possibly help them do and how that evolutionary path helped goats survive.
I hope the amazement continues... And I hope you know the name of the doe you have a hot date with. =)
You said "goaty protest"... Love it :)
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