Monday, September 03, 2007
Well, it's not like I didn't see it coming.
A few days I was on the porch chatting on the phone and looked up to see Chops, one of my Shetland sheep wethers, chasing Bridey-goat.
"Wow," I said, "that's not something you see every day." The sheep are normally enveloped with an almost Gallic air of ennui regarding the goats. Unless there is food in the offing...then the sheep are pretty entitled. Entitled to anything the goats are offered, evidently.
I'm very fond of my buck, Leonard. He's just such the big snuggle-puss for 9 months out of the year. He likes to come up and get his head scratched and rubs against my legs like a big kitty. He has such a good temperament and I've never felt a bit threatened by him. But I knew our quiet 9 months was coming to an end soon a few weeks ago when he sidled up to me while I was watering. I felt the warm wetness on my foot. He gazed up at me nonchalantly as I realized he'd just peed on my foot. And his "boy parts" were much bigger.
And then there is the smell. Most of the year Leonard smells pretty much as unoffensive as the does do. Granted, if you are more accustomed to the whiff of petrochemicals and city life...any goat has that certain eau de chevre. Sort of like the cheese but not nearly as delicious smelling. It's goat smell. But when a buck rutts...boy howdy...what a pong!
So I go out to feed this morning and both Leonard and Mutton are standing at Phoebe's rear end with their lips curled in the air. My two wethered sheep are clearly bent. Phoebe is all aglow with the joy of her emerging doe-hood and is not discouraging them at all.
A quick butt check of the kid herd reveals that they are all experiencing the first flush of girly goathood. Their little hoo-haa's are all puffy and Vi-Vi just can't seem to keep her tail down.
So...Leonard is busy and stinky.
I'm fairly certain it is too late. Leonard works fast. But the girls are awfully big now. Bigger than the sheep that keep following them with perverted sheep lust in their eyes.
So...I must lay myself prostrate at the feet of the wise and all-knowing Goat Yoda. My Sensei of Goatdom. Should I go get the bottle of goat-morning-after injectable? I wasn't sure before...but there can be little doubt my little darlings are bred. I still seem unable to snatch that damn pebble out of her hand.
And do I really want to go through this again in January???
Where is Appalachian State? I need to buy someone there a drink!
Eric
Yes, I am thinking about getting another momma goat. I'm thinking about getting a milk goat, though, rather than pygmy or Angora. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
By the way, the stories were all WONDERFUL.
Hey Eric...yes...goat shagging seems to be very much in evidence here right now. Pearlie is in standing heat now and being escorted everywhere by the kinky sheep.
Thanks, Karen. The Saanens produce large quantities of milk, but the Nubians provide higher milkfat. Depends on what you see yourself using the milk for. Given your creative bent...I think you might enjoy soap making with it. Plus you have your studio where you could set up a corner to do soap.
KMTBERRY...it's more of a size issue than an age issue. These girls are 7 months old and quite large. They go through a growth spurt when they are pregnant. None of these kids will be milked...you usually don't get enough milk out of a first freshener to justify doing that. I have two adult dry does that will be added to the milking rotation once they freshen. So, really, right now, I'm more concerned as to whether I should delay these girls for breeding in late October...but I'm not sure they will put on that much size in the meantime. They are already almost as large as my smallest adult doe.