January 23, 2009

The Goats Want Paroled

You are probably wondering what these young goats did to get put in goat jail in the first place. Actually they didn't do anything, but since the bucks have been out in the different big pastures with our adult does for breeding, these young ladies had to be removed from the big goat pastures and penned up for their own good. That is because these are 9 month old doelings, the equivalent of teenage girls and in the same regard just because they are capable of getting pregnant and having kids, does not mean that they should until they are older. So goatie jail is birth control on our goat farm but before you start feeling too bad for them, "jail" is a large and comfortable 32'x36' pen with two shelters, comfy beds and all the hay they can eat.

Still, teenagers being what teenagers are they would much rather be out in the big pasture where the party was going on. I tried to explain to them that they could end up pregnant but they didn't care. They have all been hanging at the fence, wagging their little tails and dreamily looking out to the big pasture and to Joker the buck like he is the Brad Pitt of the goat world. Teenage hormones...better put two locks on that gate!
Be patient girls, the bucks will go back to their bachelor pad this weekend and you can go back out to the big pasture with your mothers. You girls will have to wait to start dating until this summer, when you are a little bit older, larger and more mature, then come fall you will have your own kids. Let's hope they don't run you as ragged as you did your own mothers!

11 comments:

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

They are all Nubian girls? Why do Nigerian folks "poll" theirs and feel it is so important and but in the other goats not so important?

Jennifer said...

Dairy goats most of the time they are disbudded so they won't grow horns (some are naturally polled too) and most dairy goat folks prefer them that way. It does make them easier to get in and out of milk stands etc. Maybe it is because I started in meat goats where horns or not don't matter and if anything they are preferred but for our backyard milkers I don't care if they have horns or not. We have 1 Nubian without horns and two Nubian crosses with horns and I have milked all of them and see no difference other than it might affect what type of head catch you have on your milk stand.

The doelings in the picture are Boers, a meat breed of goat. The only one with any real amount of Nubian in her is the black one. She is 3/4 Boer and 1/4 Nubian. :)

Anonymous said...

LOL Jennifer but I know how that is and I know meat goats are supposed to have horns but we can't since we have dairy goats of course and often little kids are around ours an awful lot too! I just put a buck in with one of our does that is going to her new home down the road from us and now all of our girls are being quite the hussies, LOL but I really don't want to breed them right now since we couldn't handle having kids right now since we're planning another trip to Georgia real soon!

Anonymous said...

I wanted to say the chocolate colored doe and the black one are so pretty,never see Boers that color.I surely would send them a file in a cake to make a break for my house;)

Boozy Tooth said...

Shiloh (Jennifer?) - that is the funniest damn post I've ever read! And spot-ON about teenage girls. I totally got the image of the gals pressing their little noses up against the fence and wagging their cute little tails! I am so living this goat farm life vicariously through you, Joanna, and Amy and I THANK YOU for the adventure. This is so fun.

Leasmom said...

Wow, you have so many and they are beautiful.

Peggy said...

teen goats are a handful LOL

Tonia said...

Yep those teen goats can be quite the little hussies!! Lol Last year I was unlucky and couldnt keep them apart!! They jumped fences and climbed whatever to get to the boys..

Jennifer said...

Amy - Yep, having goats kidding does tie a person to home for sure!

Mama- Thank you! Your comment made me smile. I am sure they would like to make a break for your house, if they don't get distracted by the boys here first.

Alix & Patrice - Thank you!

Peggy- They can be little brats sometimes, but I still luv em.

Tonia- I know how it is, they can get downright determined sometimes!

Ummie said...

Wow...
A new knowledge for me about meat found in a plate.
Cheers from Johore, Malaysia.

Bethany said...

They are so cute!