You all may remember Thomas, one of our goat additions from last summer. Thomas is a Pygora which is a cross of Angora and Pygmy that produce a cashmere like fiber (depending on the goat) but stay smaller than the average goat. Sounds like fun right? So cute! Yeah. Fun. Cute.
Let me just say that they came very close to finding a new home this spring. I had them in with the momma ewes because I wasn't totally comfortable putting them out in the big pasture yet. They're so small and they were used to being in the lambing pen all safe and snug (and getting grain almost everyday).
On my nightly visits to the lambing shed before lambing began, Thomas and his pal Megan, decided it was their job to drive me insane. They nibbled, they rubbed, they butted...and they knocked over my coffee. That folks, is a federal offense. NObody messes with my coffee.
Then Thomas started getting his head stuck in the fence between the back yard and pasture. Because he has his horns (Megan was debudded when she was born, Thomas was not), his horns would prevent him from pulling his head back through the woven wire fence. Then a neighbor filled me in on a little trick.
TA DA! Problem solved! Just get a stick and duck tape it across his horns and he is no longer able to put his head in the fence!! Bridget suggested I put duct tape over the ends because they were rough and might hurt someone. As soon as I did, I declared that he looked like the Flying Nun. That's aging me huh?
Funny thing is he has adapted to the stick quite well actually using it to scratch his own back. Now thats a resourceful goat!
He doesn't seem to mind it at all. I do have to chuckle though when he walks along the garage which is made of corrugated metal and the stick makes the thunk thunk thunk like a kid running a stick down a picket fence.
So all is well again, they're back to being cute and fun!
How funny! They're so cute!
ReplyDeleteYes Jen was getting very testy. Those goats are like toddlers. Got to taste, touch, knock over everything! We had orignally thought of breeding Megan. WHAT WERE WE THINKING! Megan is going to be a happy spinister-no kids for her! Famous last words.
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We had goats as a kid and I remember getting them "unstuck" all the time when they put their heads through the fence. They would cry so pitiful. But then someone showed me a trick... they brought out a pale of feed and the goats would twist their heads just right and be out of the fence in a split second. Little fakers.
ReplyDeleteI actually tried the grain thing once and it didn't work. Plus when I'd get home from work to find him stuck in the fence, it was pretty obvious he'd been there for a while. I used to think I could wait him out but the baaing drove me crazy! Thankfully we have no more issues now with the stick and it stays on really well. I did have to replace it after a couple days of wet weather but I'm ok with that!
ReplyDeleteThey messed with your coffee! They ARE lucky to still be there : )
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