The herd on the other hand, not only has varying physical needs, but emotional needs, as well. A situation occurred just a couple of weeks ago that truly could have been tragic. Most of us know dogs and cats have personalities, but goats do as well. When Zeke joined the land of Goshen, I put him in the north pasture, but realized very quickly, he needed more company than Babe, one of the guardian dogs. Since I was drying Gert up, she seemed the obvious choice, so . . . Gert went to the north pasture and she and Zeke became virtually constant companions, but Gert's move left a void.
The folks who had sold her, had told quite the tale about Jackie and another goat they had purchased at the time. It seems they bought three nannies from the same place and Jackie and the other nanny were just bad girls together. So bad, in fact, the people sold the other one and Jackie never did settle down for them. She had never been on a lead or a milk stanchion until she came here. Gert on the other hand was not milked either, but she just has a docile, cooperative way about her, usually . . . She has her trait as well, but back to Jackie.
When I saw Jackie tuck into the shed and just lay there, I knew something had to change. So, I "dragged" her out and led her down to the north pasture where Gert was. She moped around a bit, but by morning she and Gert and Zeke were all within view, and pretty much are always in the same general area. She snapped out of her doldrums, but her milk supply never returned. Like all of us, she has her quirks.
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| April 2014 |
Gert and Jackie had come from the same place last spring, and the people I bought them from, had bought them from the same farm, also. These gals had been together their entire lives . . . The next day, I noticed Jackie gave significantly less milk. She'd been grazing, and had a cud, so I went on about my business, thinking she was probably winding down her milk production based upon the breeding season. The next morning, though, she was laying in the pasture alone and appeared to be moping. I watched her all day, and she was moping. She even went and got in one of the sheds on a beautiful breezy day . . . It was then that I remembered the story of her arrival at the last place. It seems Jackie is rather codependent.
The folks who had sold her, had told quite the tale about Jackie and another goat they had purchased at the time. It seems they bought three nannies from the same place and Jackie and the other nanny were just bad girls together. So bad, in fact, the people sold the other one and Jackie never did settle down for them. She had never been on a lead or a milk stanchion until she came here. Gert on the other hand was not milked either, but she just has a docile, cooperative way about her, usually . . . She has her trait as well, but back to Jackie.
When I saw Jackie tuck into the shed and just lay there, I knew something had to change. So, I "dragged" her out and led her down to the north pasture where Gert was. She moped around a bit, but by morning she and Gert and Zeke were all within view, and pretty much are always in the same general area. She snapped out of her doldrums, but her milk supply never returned. Like all of us, she has her quirks.
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