Lilly's been home alone for five days now. Goats don't like being alone, but she's coped and she bonded to us pretty well. She wouldn't follow me in the beginning and now she does -- all around the yard. She has not yet rebelled against going back in her exercise yard and later into her barn yet. She gets a treat as she enters her field and then her barn -- I give her either a couple almonds or a couple peanuts or a bit of apple.
She comes now when I ring a bell. That's a good trick that will come in handy. But she's a goat, so I know it won't be foolproof -- the bell means food, but if what she's eating tastes better than the almond or apple or if she's feeling goat-y, she'll do what she wants. They are like cats.
She loves her brush and she loves to get petted. When she lays the top of her head against you, it doesn't mean she's trying to butt you, it means "scratch between my 'horns". (She doesn't actually have horns.)
Today, PanDi (the Icelandic sheep) and Pearl (the Great Pyranees) come home. I'll get pictures. I keep meaning to take pics of Lilly, but I've usually got my hands full of her feed pan, brush, leadrope, water bucket... and forget about the camera.
I also traded a spinning wheel for a Merema named Rhoadie. Obviously, that's way too much dog to guard one sheep and one goat, but you start where you are, and this trade was organized by a friend and is here now. So,yeah, I'll take it. Eventually, we'll have fiber rabbits, chickens, other goats, and possibly, alpacas (one or two, not a herd). Alpacas, like goats, prefer being in pairs, but Lilly and an Alpaca were friends at the farm where Lilly came from, so they can bond with other animals. Sometimes, a goat is chosen to travel with a horse for companionship.
I fed Lilly breakfast this morning and gave her a good brushing. After the morning frost (which is here EVERY morning) is off the grass, I'll turn her into her exercise yard. She has been used to being milked only once a day, in the evening. Come April, when she freshens, I'll get her used to twice a day feedings/milkings.
I've raised goats before, but haven't had any experience with sheep -- I'm reading everything I can get my hands on.
Stay tuned for furthur adventures.
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