Well, anyone who owns goats eventually realizes that the entire species are the animal equivalent of a bunch of little Houdinis running amok. I found Narf in our neighbor's yard this morning. She had managed to climb through the larger holes in the fencing way up above her head. This is the second time she has done this. I guess I need to go and buy some more chicken wire, or she needs to grow faster! She is the only one who does it. And because she had possibly spent the entire night grazing on his lush lawn, she has diarrhea again. She went straight to the big pen I recently built and have been rotating my little pests through. Le sigh. Every time you think you have a great pen or fence built, that is escape proof, one of them proves you wrong.
Doll went to her new home today. I'm not sure how long it has been since the new owner gave me her initial deposit. Quite some time I believe. I didn't mind. She made a great companion for my buckling, who is struggling with being a buck. He isn't even remotely bucky at four months. My week old buck, Dutch, is already acting like a raging ball of hormones. I'm not super concerned, but was glad to have a chance to allow him to socialize with some girls. I have him in with my last pregnant doe, since he obviously can not accidentally get her pregnant at this point. Doll's new owner wanted her bred, so I turned her out with him, knowing there was little chance he would do a thing based on his behavior. He is simply still a baby. I generally don't like to "run" a buck with girls because if a breeding does occur you don't know a due date. However, they were only out together two weeks and I checked her every day for signs of heat.
She started coming in today, when her new mom came to get her. I just told her I'd give her a buzz when Tomahawk is ready. He needs more time to mature. Even if he was super bucky at this point, he is still awfully short to be breeding a full grown doe successfully. My last buck, Dante, didn't start attempting to breed does until 9-10 months old, according to the breeder.
Not much else to say. I've moved Pearl and her kids outside with Val and Narf in that big pen so they can stretch their legs and start socializing. Narf and Val are still small, and Pearl isn't overly protective and allows them to sniff and investigate her babies. Romeo, my Appendix Quarter Horse gelding had his first ride a few days ago. We just walked around and around in circles. No turns or stops. I don't want to throw too much at him at once. Step by little step, and easy and slow. Some people think its cruel to start a two year old these days. I think it is fine as long as the horse is mature enough, you aren't too heavy for it's size, and you don't do anything overly stressful with them. From what vet's have told me, its not the joints on a two year old you really have to worry about..but their backs getting sore and having that spiral into chronic back pain into their adult lives. Which can result in lameness when the horse steps wrong because its isn't moving properly, etc. Time to go and do homework.
