Leo, stuck in the gate. The rams renovated it bashing their horns against it, but it was repaired with twines and held, until Leo.
Leo in the morning, stuck again. Man does not always do the right thing. Angora goats grow a hair coat that is sheared twice yearly and made into mohair. But, these poor creatures have been bred for their fiber to the extent that they almost lack the instincts to survive. When I first brought the Angora goats home at the beginning of March, I was quite excited. I have other goats, Pygmies and Nigerian Dwarfs and one Alpine, so I was familiar with their needs and ways, but I was not prepared for these stupid animals.
My dear cousin said to give them a little time. They were bred and due when they came here, so there was that to consider. The whole living situation was different for them and the feed was different. They were fed pellets and straw for roughage where they came from, but I only fed them hay. They could have starved to death because they did not know how to eat hay and their instincts, even self preservation, were dumbed down. I ended up having to give them grain in order to get them eating again, then sprinkling the grain on the hay and finally they ate the hay. But they would stand and bleat and bleat for grain and only when their stomachs were likely aching from hunger did they eat hay. It took a long time to get them to like hay, though they still fall all over themselves for grain. If I am carrying a bucket, no matter whether it contains water or is empty, the Angoras are climbing the fences to get at the bucket.
They do not think like other goats either. Any little hole and the Pygmy goats go through it in search of goodies on the other side. Yesterday when I collected the sheep and goats for the evening, the Angoras went with the sheep. Even when I opened the gate, they stood there staring at me and would not come out to go "home", so in frustration, I closed the gate again and left them with the sheep for the night. The only problem is the goats need minerals and salt for goats (that contains copper), which sheep cannot have. Goats can eat sheep mineral, but not vice versa, so by staying with the sheep, the Angoras miss out on their nutrition.
I grabbed the male Angora, who was in the the rams but got himself out in the pasture somehow. This is not a good time for him to be there in case any of the goats who are not bred are cycling and he would breed them, then the baby would be born in the frozen winter. I put Leo back in the bachelor pen and immediately he got himself stuck on the gate between the pens. I unstuck him and in the morning, he was stuck and bleating again. I left him there while I let the sheep out, so he would not make his way out there too and then released him. He stayed with the rams for the day.
By breeding for the best fiber, these poor goats have lost their marbles. They need to be babied and coddled and I am not fond of doing either. Now the plan is to breed Leo to the Pygmy and Nigerian girls next year and have hardy goats with some sense, hopefully. Challenging as they can be, the Pygmy goats are my favourites, hands down. Maybe they will impart some of their smarts in the cross. In the meantime, I must babysit dumb goats. Yuk! I plan to sell the Angora girls after the next breeding season and just keep the two bucks for the cross breeding program. Until then, it is what it is.
My dear cousin said to give them a little time. They were bred and due when they came here, so there was that to consider. The whole living situation was different for them and the feed was different. They were fed pellets and straw for roughage where they came from, but I only fed them hay. They could have starved to death because they did not know how to eat hay and their instincts, even self preservation, were dumbed down. I ended up having to give them grain in order to get them eating again, then sprinkling the grain on the hay and finally they ate the hay. But they would stand and bleat and bleat for grain and only when their stomachs were likely aching from hunger did they eat hay. It took a long time to get them to like hay, though they still fall all over themselves for grain. If I am carrying a bucket, no matter whether it contains water or is empty, the Angoras are climbing the fences to get at the bucket.
They do not think like other goats either. Any little hole and the Pygmy goats go through it in search of goodies on the other side. Yesterday when I collected the sheep and goats for the evening, the Angoras went with the sheep. Even when I opened the gate, they stood there staring at me and would not come out to go "home", so in frustration, I closed the gate again and left them with the sheep for the night. The only problem is the goats need minerals and salt for goats (that contains copper), which sheep cannot have. Goats can eat sheep mineral, but not vice versa, so by staying with the sheep, the Angoras miss out on their nutrition.
I grabbed the male Angora, who was in the the rams but got himself out in the pasture somehow. This is not a good time for him to be there in case any of the goats who are not bred are cycling and he would breed them, then the baby would be born in the frozen winter. I put Leo back in the bachelor pen and immediately he got himself stuck on the gate between the pens. I unstuck him and in the morning, he was stuck and bleating again. I left him there while I let the sheep out, so he would not make his way out there too and then released him. He stayed with the rams for the day.
By breeding for the best fiber, these poor goats have lost their marbles. They need to be babied and coddled and I am not fond of doing either. Now the plan is to breed Leo to the Pygmy and Nigerian girls next year and have hardy goats with some sense, hopefully. Challenging as they can be, the Pygmy goats are my favourites, hands down. Maybe they will impart some of their smarts in the cross. In the meantime, I must babysit dumb goats. Yuk! I plan to sell the Angora girls after the next breeding season and just keep the two bucks for the cross breeding program. Until then, it is what it is.
Yes, Leo, I see you. I will rescue you after I get the goats out, just in case you do not stay where you belong.
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