http://www.democraticunderground.com/1182625Oh my.
MuseRider (22,655 posts) Thu Nov 29, 2012, 10:05 PM
Anyone want to talk about goats?
I LOVE my goats. They are so fun and sweet. I only have two, two wethers around 6 years old. One is a Pygmy the other a Nigerian Dwarf. It seems to me that most people I know who have goats are really happy to talk about them and love them as they love their dogs and cats.
So, anyone interested in just talking about them?
LWolf (34,818 posts) Fri Nov 30, 2012, 08:26 AM
1. I don't have goats.
Just one sheep that thinks she is a horse.
I agree that goat people like to talk about their goats. I have students that raise goats, and they love to talk about them. One of them brought a young kid to parent conferences last year; we conferenced while passing the baby from lap to lap.
MuseRider (22,655 posts) Fri Nov 30, 2012, 01:55 PM
2. A former DUer TominTib sent me something long ago that said that goat people are happy people. He had background in Texas and heard this from his mother I think. Anyway, it seems to be so for the most part.
A sheep that thinks she is a horse, now that is interesting. How does that work?
Do you know anything about Dinky Donks or Mini Burros by any chance? I am just starting to think about possibly getting one to graze and heard with the goats and adding some chickens finally that could also benefit from the protection these creatures are supposed to provide. Just wondering, I have a lot of research to do.
LWolf (34,818 posts) Fri Nov 30, 2012, 08:54 PM
5. Like this:
I had a few rare sheep...St. Croix, to help with the weeds. A ram, 3 ewes, and their first round of lambs. They didn't help with the weeds. Instead they browsed trees and shrubs. When my mare was due to foal, I decided that another equine mouth to feed would be helped by getting rid of the sheep. I sold all of them except for one just-weaned little ewe lamb. Nobody wanted her. Her first day alone, she tried to bond with the dog, who wanted nothing to do with her. So she joined the horses, claimed them for her flock, and has been with them ever since. She's long since forgotten that she's a sheep. She does every thing with them, just like they do. She eats with them, naps with them, and, when they go on alert, turning to face some activity over the fence, she turns with them, staring off into the distance with their exact posture. Visitors find this highly amusing.
So I have 3 mares and one ewe living together.
The only experience I have with a mini donkey was with a stud donkey on a ranch I kept my horses at before I moved north. He was smart, obnoxious, and sometimes dangerous. He could be caught, haltered, led, groomed, tied, etc.. He was also an escape artist; he loved nothing more than escaping and leading people, the more the better, on a merry chase around the ranch. He was dangerous with other animals; he killed a few dogs on sight, and thought nothing of trying to mount a mare 3X his size, which happened occasionally when he escaped. He'd stand on two legs, grab the mare's throat with his teeth, and try to bring her down so he could mount.
His worst traits may have been because he was a stud, or because he didn't get all the training he needed. I don't really know.
MuseRider (22,655 posts) Sat Dec 1, 2012, 11:48 AM
6. I LOVE the sheep story!
Awesome story
If you ever take photos of this please think about posting them. How adorable this is.
The longer I work with and observe animals the more amazed I am by them and their abilities.* I was terrified when I first combined dogs and cats, worked fine. Dogs, cats and baby goats. Worked fine. I am a little leery of chickens and the dogs and cats. Will have to be very careful if I ever make it to chickens.
All of that donkey behavior sounds studdy but like you said, training would be helpful. I keep everything away from my horses. Not the usual around here but since all my horses were cutting trained and are out in pasture together I have had too many close calls with goats, cats and dogs. They want to cut them but they also end up getting way too close. Since I do not use them for cutting they have to cut something I suppose. I would hope to keep the donkey or burro or whatever close to the house grazing with the goats and maybe have the chickens around with them. The pastures are up a ways from the house. I am nervous about the goats alone around the house, coyotes will come right up on my porch from time to time so I have to watch them with a very close eye.
*the primitive must've been born yesterday or something.
Almost from infancy franksolich has been aware of the amazing capabilities of animals.
So this primitive's only now just learning?
rad51 (82 posts) Fri Nov 30, 2012, 04:28 PM
3. I have a good sized herd of boer and boer/spanish goats.
I've probably got a story or two that would cause some laughs.
MuseRider (22,655 posts) Fri Nov 30, 2012, 07:27 PM
4. Share if you like.
I find them interesting and fun and puzzling at the same time. I only have two so that may be why More and it might make a little more sense. Kinda like horse politics, I am certain there are goat politics as well.
I am not certain what this hold is that they have on people but I have never met anyone who was not just in love with them. One person here did not have a good experience but in real life they seem to be as popular with others as they are with me.
