Got My Goat

Until today, my acquaintance with goats was about as superficial as it gets.

I bought this farm set from a little girl at a garage sale a few weeks ago.  There wasn't a price on it, so I asked how much it was.  The grandmother asked the little girl, who thought long and hard before quietly replying "80 cents".  "How about a dollar?" I offered. 

There's a goat, front and center.

Then I bought a couple of books from the library.  For 50 cents, who could resist?

So, as far as goats and I went, this was it.

There's lots of great walking trails at Pheasant Branch Conservancy.  See that little white line at the base of the trees? 

They're goats.  The land they're on is Conservancy land.  The goats arrived in the last week, and that's an electric fence they're standing behind.

According to the Conservancy's latest newsletter, the goats were brought in to clear eleven acres of buckthorn and other invasive species.  Here they are, doing just that.

These two big ones were always at the front of the pack.  I think they do that out of a protective instinct.

The herd has all ages, and at least one of the little ones was nursing.

Most of the time I was watching them, I felt really good.  But then I noticed that the one on the left started getting picked on.  Whenever he got too close to the herd, one of them would butt him in the head.  He spent most of the time about 25 feet away from them, or else in the woods.  They have coyotes out there, and if one jumped the fence to go after the goats I have a feeling this is the one that would go.  This part made me sad.

But sights like this made me happy.

They have a source of auxiliary food, which this goat has claimed.

"You can't have any!"

"But you can."

A goat piggy pile.

This is their water bowl.  The top is curved and the goats kept slipping off if there were too many.  You can see all the mud on it.

If you live in the area, I encourage you to go see them.  How many times in your life will you get such a chance?