GOATS

 

I've always loved goats, large and small, all colours, I just love their faces and inquisitive expressions, so when I moved to the country it was always on the cards I would have one or two.  The opportunity came sooner than expected, when my daughter in law phoned me and told me she had seen an advert in a local paper, someone wanting homes for two pygmy goats.  I didn't need asking twice, I phoned the number, got an address and went immediately to get them.  They were at an address in Wales, quite a way for us Brits, but probably considered just down the road to you in US !!

 

Not knowing what to expect, my daughter in law and myself arrived on time and saw Oscar and Daisy, it was love at first site for me, Kerry wasn't so sure !!  they were both horned and larger than the average pygmy, but there was no way I was going home without them.  I had an estate car (station wagon) and put them both in the back of that with Kerry nervously sitting on the back seat holding their leads.

 

The journey home was 'different' to say the least, I was constantly being overtaken by incredulous people who couldn't believe what was looking at them out of the rear window !  Two horned heads !!  I thought it was hilarious, but then I've got a silly sense of humour, Kerry couldn't wait to get home back to her family and 'normality'.

 

They were put in a stable I'd prepared for them but it soon became apparant that Oscar was very bossy and didn't mind giving you the odd butt or two !  not very pleasant.  They had been tethered on a 6' chain, and so had been used to walking around and around in circles - 6' in diameter.  When I let them out into the field, they just walked around and around as if they were still tethered, funny but sad at the same time.  It wasn't long before they realised they were 'free' and from that day onwards, used to run up and down, their relief was obvious.

 

I have to admit to being more than a little initimidated by Oscar, he was VERY muscular and strong, but I persevered, determined not to let him sense my fear, and we managed a kind of mutual respect, he wouldn't butt me as long as I kept feeding him !!  I didn't argue.

 

He had many happy times and was ' out' every day except in very bad weather, but one morning when going in to give him his breakfast he was found dead.  I was heartbroken, I wanted him to enjoy 'free' life a lot longer than he did, my farming neighbours thought it was  a heart attack, the loss was unbelievable.  Daisy cried and cried for weeks, it tore me apart, I thought of getting her a companion, but by this time the terrible foot and mouth epidemic had broken out in UK and animals could not be moved, and new ones could not be brought in.

 

I kept her company for as much time as I could, but I had so many other animals to care for, I could  hear her crying late into the night.

 

This story has a happy ending though with the arrival of Lavender and Lucinda, who I shall write about soon.