Genipher's Journal

[Genipher]

Got our ND doelings today!!



Besides the car ride home where the white one was really vocal, they've both been pretty quiet.

My husband, Mathman, and I finished putting up the fence on the top tier, effectively splitting that part of the yard in half. I'm so glad we got that done because our almost year-old Lab-mix immediately wanted the goats!
In fact, he found a part of the dog side of the fence to squeeze under and chased the goat kids (completely ignoring my commands to "come!") until I was able to grab his collar. He needs sooooo much training.

Our 4-year-old dog, on the other hand, walked the length of the dog run, glanced at the goats, and calmly walked back inside the house. Sometimes I wish we only had the older, calm dog...but the young mutt is part of the pack, now.


(young whippersnapper)


(our good girl!)

We're still trying to figure out some good names. I originally wanted to name them Classified (Classie) and Confidential (Connie) but my human kids have other ideas... So everyone has come up with some names and we're putting it to a vote tonight!

 

[SA Farm]

Congrats on the doelings

 

[Genipher]

More pictures!


Decided to name them Lucy (mostly black) and Alice (mostly white).

Our younger dog, Toby, still wants to get out with them. Our older dog, Jezebel, has been showing more of an interest today. They both keep shoving their noses through a lattice "wall" we have, to try to smell the goats. The goats still freeze when the dogs come out to the dog run but after a while Alice tentatively edges closer and tries to smell them back. She seems bolder than her sister.

 

[Genipher]

Toby watches Alice and Lucy through the lattice, as they munch on my eldest child's mint. I'm gonna have to replace her plants...

 

[Genipher]

So I can't tell if it's one or both of 'em, but somebody has turd-like poop rather than pellet-poo. I asked about it on another forum and it seems it could be caused by all the fresh grass, etc the doelings are eating and that they were dosed with Ivermectin before I brought them home last Wednesday. Last night while holding Alice, I realized her tummy was big and firm. I remembered baking soda can help with bloat so I left some in the "barn". This morning, her belly looks less "full", so I'm hoping it helped. Perhaps it will help their poop get back to normal, as well?

The other night I had a dream that our family had moved to a new house. Our new living room was covered in pine shavings and I remember thinking, "I really need to get all this poop cleaned up...!"
I totally have feces on the brain!

Yesterday I trimmed Alice and Lucy's hooves for the first time. It was a first for them, I think, and definitely a first for me. Alice (white) had more hoof curling under while Lucy's (black) feet didn't need much help at all. I didn't realize a 2-month old goat would need a trim so early in life. Guess I figured they'd be, you know, 6 months to a year or so before that was necessary. Anyway, the process was easier than I thought it would be and reminded me of trimming a baby's fingernails.

 

[Genipher]

The goats seem to like having the dogs outside. Of course, the dogs are on the Dog Side of the fence, but whenever I call the mutts in, the goats (mostly Alice) starts crying for them. Let'em back out, and Alice goes back to mowing the lawn.

(Alice)

Lucy likes to tease the dogs into coming close to the fence and then she tries to head-butt them through the wire.

(Lucy)

Could it be possible that the goats view the dogs as part of their "herd"? I mean, since we got the goats the dogs want to spend ALL their time outside, watching (guarding?) the goats; and the goats have gotten pretty used to the dogs hanging around.

I'm a little .... concerned ... about their horn nubs. I thought I'd read that disbudding should be done when they're around 2-3 weeks? But these girls were "done" closer to 2 months. And their nubs are big and I can't tell if they're still growing. Something I'm keeping an eye on. I didn't want goats with horns (or scurs!) but if they end up with'em ...

 

[Bruce]

Why do people look at me funny every time I mention I'm getting goats??

Ignore them, they aren't normal.

 

[Genipher]

Rainy weather, off and on here. The first time it's sprinkled Alice and Lucy still came out and browsed. I was surprised they risk getting wet. I started thinking I had unusual goats because everything I'd read (and heard from folks here) said they don't like being out in the rain.
Well, the next day it was pouring and the girls refused to come out of the "barn". So they are, indeed, typical goats.

The goats have been relatively quiet. Our dogs are a lot louder than they are! So I don't think there's going to be any risk of people complaining due to noise.

However, they do call for the dogs...and my 9-year-old son, who has taken to spending a lot of time with them.

My son has finally learned that if he sits still, the goats will come to him. It helps that he hand feeds them blackberry leaves (even though they're capable of finding and eating them on their own) and alfalfa pellets.
My boy has the tendency to get angry easily so watching him sit calmly, talking to the goats, and laughing at their antics warms my heart. I can see why animals are used in nursing homes as pet therapy.

As an aside, Alice's horns ARE growing. Ug. Gonna have to band them!

 

[CntryBoy777]

Just don't tell them that they should stay inside during the rain.........our goats would stay out in drizzle and sprinkles, but anything heavier they would run to their house and stand in their doorway and hollar towards the house, so I could come out and turn the water off.....

 

[Bruce]

My boy has the tendency to get angry easily so watching him sit calmly, talking to the goats, and laughing at their antics warms my heart. I can see why animals are used in nursing homes as pet therapy.

Whatever works!