Brown-Brown, a responsible leader for a group of tween boy goats.
It has been a busy morning here on the farm. Today, we are moving forward with our plan to rent a small group of our goats to a nearby farmer for clearing brush. It is a big day for the wethered little boys, and two of our grown Boer does. This chosen group will take a short vacation and eat brush to their little hearts' content. We just finished loading the brush crew, as we are deeming them. The Bibbed wonder trimmed their feet, gave them probiotics to help their bellies deal with the stress of being moved, and loaded their feed onto the trailer. Our goats are relatively calm, so it was not a difficult job.
We decided to move two of our grown meat goats with the young ones to keep them calm and offer them an established leader. Young kids can be what my dad would have called "knuckleheads." Like human children, it seems as if what one young goat does not think of another will, often leading to mischief and danger. We chose our grown Boer does because they don't require being milked and are scheduled to be bred a bit later in the season. We are hopeful this new endeavor will benefit the farmer and the growth of our young kids. I do believe it is a win, win situation.
Saturday evening, we revisited the farm where the goats will be staying. We were pleased with the setup of the pasture and barn. It looks like a safe environment for the goats, and all fencing is secure. I did have one concern. The farmer raises beef cows, and his cows are being treated for pink eye or conjunctivitis. Just like in the human population, pink eye is highly contagious. The illness is spread mainly by flies, which are always an issue even in an immaculate barn. However, the farmer had his veterinarian out that day to check the cows, and the veterinarian said everyone and everything should be okay. Of course, we will be extra diligent with keeping an eye on everyone and ensuring their good health. However, there is always something with which to be concerned.
Although I am excited about this new prospect, I do have concerns about my goats leaving the safety and security of our farm. Even though we will not be keeping the little boys long-term unless there is an opportunity for more brush clearing, they are still part of our farm family, and it is a bit worrisome when they are out of sight. I am confident our farmer friend and his family will take good care of our goats. Eric knows the family from childhood, and he graduated high school with the farmer's daughter, who is the sweetest person. Two little boys also pinky swear they will take good care of my goats; it doesn't get any more solid than that, insert wink.
I feel as though we are doing a good thing. We have an opportunity to help a fellow farmer clear his pasture fields without the use of chemicals or herbicides. Also, our goats have a chance to eat delicious, nutritious, and natural food, and we can find a service for our little male goats who may otherwise have to go to the market. I am hopeful this is a beneficial situation for all. I am always amazed by creative ideas to solve problems. As always, dear reader, stay safe, be smart, think outside the box, and keep washing your hands.