Naughty Goats!

Although I love them goats have a tendency towards being mischievous.

Sometimes they are good for weeks and then all of the sudden they seem to pull stunt after stunt.

This morning those two knot heads were VERY naughty!

Our public school experiment is almost done. We put our children in public school this semester. Up to this point we had been homeschooling. Just a few more days and our early mornings can be ours again.

The goats always want to be naughty on time short mornings. Coraline is the usual leader in all areas except naughtiness. ElliMae is clearly in charge of that department.

We rushed out the door to be greeted by two goats gleefully jumping around the front yard. Our chickens were happily wandering around the north side of the property. They love to be out but that was not my plan this morning. The goats had "let" them out. Goats do not have the ability to open chicken coops in the traditional way but they do have the ability to stomp holes in chicken wire runs when they are really set on getting some of the scratch in their bellies. I wonder if the full moon is winding them up?

So after tethering the goats we hurriedly left to get everyone to school on time.

Guess what I came home to only 10 minutes later?

A dog standing in my driveway.

Not my dog but someone else's dog. And he looked like he was up to no good.

Although we are in a very small town we still have leash laws. I obey them but not very many other people do. It's a common practice for people to let their dogs out for a run in the early morning hours. The dogs never stay on their own property. And what do some dogs REALLY enjoy? Killing chickens and attacking goats. We've had both happen and although I love dogs a whole bunch I don't love them enough to let them kill my laying hens or injure my naughty goats.

I got out of the car and chased him off. He knew I was on to him.

I came around to the north side to find the goats completely tangled up and after checking to make sure they wouldn't hurt each other I left them there and made them wait awhile for me to finish fixing the damage. I put their feed in their pen and then made them wait a little while longer. EllieMae was still a bit defiant and came back out immediately but after I shoved her back in she got the message. Coraline was just happy to get to her feed and stayed in willingly.

It took me the better part of an hour to get things back in order. It's time for a better fence.

Today they're on the naughty list.

It happened one day...........

Many of my friends don't understand me.

"Goats?!?!?"

"Why on earth would you want goats?!? They eat EVERYTHING!"

It all started last year when I got my children involved in 4H. My original plan regarding 4H had to do with chickens and sheep. I love chickens. My kids love chickens. I love sheep. My kids aren't all that smitten with sheep. While we were at the first 4H meeting the leader just happened to mention that our club would be having a goat group. I asked if they might have a sheep group. I was hoping my kids would be interested in wool sheep. But oh no, that wasn't THEIR plan after they heard the word "GOAT"! It took Daddy 6 months to say yes to their pleadings for goats. He joked with them about getting plastic goats (think: plastic flamingos)to put in the front yard. This went on for months. He REALLY didn't want goats. I REALLY didn't want goats (at first). He finally consented and we acquired 2 twelve week old Nubian doelings.

I WAS HOOKED!!!

I never thought it would be possible but now I'm a goat-a-holic. I've even gone so far as to volunteer to be the 4H Goat Project leader for our club. And now here I sit. Boy, did I get myself in to a mess!

I absolutely love goats! I'm even getting my very own goat. I love the Oberhasli breed and for Mother's Day I told my husband that I wanted an Oberhasli. He shot me a look and asked if there was anything else I might like instead. "No, I really want my own Oberhasli and I've found just the one." He looked doomed. He said he'd think about it. I bribed the kids to make sure Daddy knew that I wanted this Oberhasli and that it would make me REALLY happy if I got a "yes" out of him as my Mother's Day present.

Mother's Day dawned beautiful and sunny and they all marched in with their offerings. There were a few cards and a pot of beautiful yellow tulips. I wasn't expecting them to march in to the bedroom with an Oberhasli but part of me was secretly hoping. The pot of tulips had a little card and on that card was written:

"Yes. You can have your goat."

I am thrilled! She is a two year old milker out of one of the best herds in the country. She was linear appraised for the 2nd time just a few weeks ago and she scored V E V + 84. She came up 5 points from last year. She is beautiful and will do great in the show ring. I'm hoping to have her home around the first of June.

Her name is Arra and, yes, I'm completely smitten already!