ats are by far the most entertaining and completely frustrating animals I own. They act like huge puppies, following you around the pen and investigating everything you bring in, only to topple whatever tools you may have put where you thought they couldn’t reach it.
Let me say this-I am 4’8”. There is NOWHERE I can put things that my goats can’t reach it.
And worming or medicating them? One the one hand, you don’t want it to taste nasty because then you end up with a goat in a headlock trying to force-feed it. On the other hand, if it’s tasty-nobody wants just one turn. Then you’re left either trying to shoo goats away from you so you can give everyone the correct amount, or you walk every individual goat out of the pen, to the fence, where you clip a leash on them and then dose everyone one…at…a…time. I’m sure people who raise goats for a living have facilities that make life easier than this, and that’s nice for them, but I have one pen…and a leash.
That being said, I’d like to introduce the individual caprine terrors that make up my motley crew of goats.
First and foremost, we have Siggy. Siggy is the matriarch of the herd. Nothing happens without her knowing, and certainly not without her approval. She wants attention on her terms, and her time frame. Initially we were concerned about her bullying behavior towards everyone, but once she asserted that SHE rules the roost here, everyone else just learned to move out of her way. She doesn’t like anybody but Flloki, but she’s at least learned to tolerate everyone else.
We then have Zoey. Zoey doesn’t get ruffled. She doesn’t pick on anyone. She is perfectly happy munching hay and getting hugs, and she is especially fond of having her face rubbed. She’s a very go-with-the-flow kind of gal, and sits happily at the bottom of the totem pole.
Winifred arrived with Zoey, and shares the same calm demeanor. She is madly in love with my husband, and has an affinity for licking you , or simply holding your clothes in her mouth as she follows behind you. Normally, she is very laid back and wants to be near you but she has bursts of energy, when she can be found headbutting others and running full speed around the pen. She especially dislikes the smaller goats.
Moose was the oddball who came with Winifred and Zoey. It took five people to catch her. High strung does not quite describe this goat. She has days that she is friendly, and will allow you to scratch her chin, but for the most part she wants to be left alone. It is best to handle her at breakfast, when she relaxes enough to eat. Moose has distinctly “moosey” behavior and will shove the other goats off a pile of hay, yelling at the top of her lungs-even though she’s considerably smaller than everyone else.
Then there’s The Trio. Bambi is the first born sister-long and lean, and with obvious “big sister” behavior. She acts like her younger sisters irritate her, but is the first one to notice if anyone picks on them. The tallest by several inches, Bambi barely looks related to the younger two. We joke that she is the supermodel goat-gorgeous to look at but just a little ditzy.
After Bambi comes Sindel. She is very demanding, and will rest her forehead against you and slowly increase how hard she presses until you give in and pet her. She will gladly climb into your lap and take a nap with her head rested on your shoulder, and bullies everyone else so she can sit closest to where you’re at.
The littlest sister is Sarabi. Without a doubt, she is the friendliest goat in the pen. She insists on touching you at all times, usually walking between your knees and looking up at you while you work. She is intimidated by the larger goats unless a person is outside-then she gives them a look that says, “Nananananana you can’t touch me!” There is not a food she won’t eat-but strawberries are her favorite.
Then there’s Rotten. He never gets in any trouble, and being the youngest, gets picked on a lot. He hangs out with The Trio, but tries to lay low around everyone else. He’s a sucker for belly scratches and adores people. You can tell he is waiting until he’s much bigger and then NOBODY will pick on him anymore.
Then… there’s Flloki. Flloki is all boy. Headbutting, rubbing against trees, flirting with all the ladies-but deep down, he’s a total momma’s boy. There’s nothing he likes more than having his head scratched, and he’s as well-mannered as they come around people. He never picks on anyone-preferring to take the high road. He plays like a boy-rough and tumble and EVERYBODY ends up covered in dirt by the end of it.
We recently added Gruff. Gruff is a character. He looks like an old biker, walks stiff-legged like an old, grouchy man, but is really a big puppy dog at heart. He is the newest addition and we are still learning what Ol’ Billy Goat Gruff is all about
.
Let me say this-I am 4’8”. There is NOWHERE I can put things that my goats can’t reach it.
And worming or medicating them? One the one hand, you don’t want it to taste nasty because then you end up with a goat in a headlock trying to force-feed it. On the other hand, if it’s tasty-nobody wants just one turn. Then you’re left either trying to shoo goats away from you so you can give everyone the correct amount, or you walk every individual goat out of the pen, to the fence, where you clip a leash on them and then dose everyone one…at…a…time. I’m sure people who raise goats for a living have facilities that make life easier than this, and that’s nice for them, but I have one pen…and a leash.
That being said, I’d like to introduce the individual caprine terrors that make up my motley crew of goats.
First and foremost, we have Siggy. Siggy is the matriarch of the herd. Nothing happens without her knowing, and certainly not without her approval. She wants attention on her terms, and her time frame. Initially we were concerned about her bullying behavior towards everyone, but once she asserted that SHE rules the roost here, everyone else just learned to move out of her way. She doesn’t like anybody but Flloki, but she’s at least learned to tolerate everyone else.
We then have Zoey. Zoey doesn’t get ruffled. She doesn’t pick on anyone. She is perfectly happy munching hay and getting hugs, and she is especially fond of having her face rubbed. She’s a very go-with-the-flow kind of gal, and sits happily at the bottom of the totem pole.
Winifred arrived with Zoey, and shares the same calm demeanor. She is madly in love with my husband, and has an affinity for licking you , or simply holding your clothes in her mouth as she follows behind you. Normally, she is very laid back and wants to be near you but she has bursts of energy, when she can be found headbutting others and running full speed around the pen. She especially dislikes the smaller goats.
Moose was the oddball who came with Winifred and Zoey. It took five people to catch her. High strung does not quite describe this goat. She has days that she is friendly, and will allow you to scratch her chin, but for the most part she wants to be left alone. It is best to handle her at breakfast, when she relaxes enough to eat. Moose has distinctly “moosey” behavior and will shove the other goats off a pile of hay, yelling at the top of her lungs-even though she’s considerably smaller than everyone else.
Then there’s The Trio. Bambi is the first born sister-long and lean, and with obvious “big sister” behavior. She acts like her younger sisters irritate her, but is the first one to notice if anyone picks on them. The tallest by several inches, Bambi barely looks related to the younger two. We joke that she is the supermodel goat-gorgeous to look at but just a little ditzy.
After Bambi comes Sindel. She is very demanding, and will rest her forehead against you and slowly increase how hard she presses until you give in and pet her. She will gladly climb into your lap and take a nap with her head rested on your shoulder, and bullies everyone else so she can sit closest to where you’re at.
The littlest sister is Sarabi. Without a doubt, she is the friendliest goat in the pen. She insists on touching you at all times, usually walking between your knees and looking up at you while you work. She is intimidated by the larger goats unless a person is outside-then she gives them a look that says, “Nananananana you can’t touch me!” There is not a food she won’t eat-but strawberries are her favorite.
Then there’s Rotten. He never gets in any trouble, and being the youngest, gets picked on a lot. He hangs out with The Trio, but tries to lay low around everyone else. He’s a sucker for belly scratches and adores people. You can tell he is waiting until he’s much bigger and then NOBODY will pick on him anymore.
Then… there’s Flloki. Flloki is all boy. Headbutting, rubbing against trees, flirting with all the ladies-but deep down, he’s a total momma’s boy. There’s nothing he likes more than having his head scratched, and he’s as well-mannered as they come around people. He never picks on anyone-preferring to take the high road. He plays like a boy-rough and tumble and EVERYBODY ends up covered in dirt by the end of it.
We recently added Gruff. Gruff is a character. He looks like an old biker, walks stiff-legged like an old, grouchy man, but is really a big puppy dog at heart. He is the newest addition and we are still learning what Ol’ Billy Goat Gruff is all about
.