In an effort to
a) Save on hay/expenses
b) Minimize mowing and brush-clearing
c) Keep our goats healthy with fresh nutrients
d) All of the above,
I have been rotating the goats out to graze. First thing in the morning, I have been putting Isabel and her
little doeling Kayla (born August 3rd, after I’d just about given up on her arrival) out in the playpen
surrounded by metal fence panels.
If she is around, little Sara loves to help. Until recently, she was able to carry the adorable and
remarkably patient little black and white baby all the way to the pen, where she would set her down
triumphantly and then insist on staying in the pen with her to play while I went on with the next chores.
The last several times, partway to the pen Kayla has managed to wriggle free. Sara instantly bursts into
tears, ignoring the repentant goat kid who runs over to nose and try to comfort the toddler.
Wednesday, Kayla also managed to escape the pen. Rather than try to re-configure the pen to hold her, I
decided to just let Isabel and her baby join in free-ranging with the other does and kids. Isabel used to
jump over the manger into the barn while grazing, but now that she was a staid mama, I thought maybe
she would have outgrown the habit.
When I checked back some time later, I found that not only had she made her way into the barn, but
had also managed to scramble in and out of the chick pen. She didn’t score much in the barn (one
advantage of low funds and not a lot of extra grain right now) but cleared out the remainders of two ice
cream buckets that had started out the morning full of chicken feed!
As I called, the mama goats and babies ran back to the barnyard. I hadn’t been sure if Isabel would come
back of her own accord, but they all ran in. A couple of the babies started to get mixed up, so I helped
each black and white baby to follow it’s mama in, one set into Isabel’s stall, and other into the barnyard.
I fastened the gates. As I put fresh water in the stall, I noticed the baby’s growing horns. “Oh, phooey, I
thought Kayla was naturally polled like her daddy and wasn’t going to have any horns! I know I’ve been
distracted with DJ’s surgery, but how could I have missed them growing out so much!?” I thought.
Then, seeing one of the dams butting a kid in the barnyard, I realized that I’d accidentally switched the
little black and white half brother and sister, both of whom strongly take after their shared daddy,
Jeremy. Kayla has grown so much this month; their size isn’t that different at first glance.
I unfastened the barricaded barnyard gate (reinforced to keep inquisitive babies from pushing out
through every nook and cranny), extracted Kayla, swapped her into the stall while removing Koda, and
put him in the barnyard, once again barricading the barnyard gate. As I turned to go, I saw Kayla being
chased by an irritated mama in her stall—NOT hers! Only then did I realize that the mamas (similar in
size and color) as well as the babies had been reversed. Both looked at me indignantly as yet again I
unbarricaded the gates and put them in their right places.
I guess I’ve been more out of it than I realized.