BabyGirl Blossoms
After her 3rd Birthday, BabyGirl seemed to start to come into her own.. each day she progressed as she became a goat in the herd once again.
I kept her busy in the house at night playing games like the one she would play with the French Fries box from Micky D’s.
Then in the daytime, it took all I had to allow her to stay outside unattended with her mama and sister~ But I knew I had to do it. One hard knock and all she had worked for could come apart in just a split second, she could go down again so easy if her neck were to get tweaked the wrong way. Her mama and sister, both, were very protective, but after seeing how hard she worked to get back on her feet especially the second time around..I could not bear it if something were to happen to her.She fell less but she still fell once in awhile.. not as hard as she did before~ she had learned how to fall so not to land on her neck quite so hard. Good thing her voice is unmistakable.. she would call for me immediately if she needed help getting up..And I would drop everything and run to her side!
Spring came and it was time to start letting the goats out to pasture during the day.. I had a HUGE decision on my shoulders.. let her out with the rest of the girls OR make her stay in the goat yard by herself where it was safe?Our pasture is not flat.. it has hills and things like rocks and logs where it would be easy to trip. Even though I did spend most of the time out with the goats when they were out in the pasture it was not an easy task. Until you have tried to keep 200 goats together in a 20+ acre pasture you have not lived!
Everyone has their own idea of where to go..in small groups.. they would split off in the lower pasture~some going up the hill. some going into the woods and some trying to go into the creek.. (which for some could lead to ACROSS the creek)YIKES! The fencing was pretty good but there were places that needed repair..and the creek was not fenced off.. wooded areas that could get pretty thick..
I will have to say..she did VERY well..she was skeptical at first..but when she saw mama and sis go..she followed.. or tried to. They were not used to her being with them so the first few times they went a little too fast so she stayed with me.. but day by day she got better at navigating the hills and her mama saw she was trying to keep up with her.. so she slowed down and waited for BabyGirl to catch up.. There were times she fell, I was there to help her up. She would get back on her feet and find mama once again.. Every day was an improvement!
Since it was now June. I was running the boys and girls together.. not worrying about anyone getting bred as it was not breeding season.. This way everyone got pasture time during the day (I did not have the pasture cross fenced).
In the lower pasture, I hear the “sound”… I have a billy somewhere who is courting one of my girls.. as I turn around ..My heart stops!
There in the big middle of the pasture is BabyGirl with Oreo hot on her tail..I panicked! The
LAST thing she needs is to be pregnant! She would never be able to carry a baby’s weight,she would not be able to hold herself steady enough to allow a baby to nurse..and she certainly did NOT need to have to strain herself in labor..
Besides..she was
MY baby *S*
I had to stop this.. NOW! I ran and picked BabyGirl up and carried her back to the goatyard.. My kindergoat billy,Oreo, in hot pursuit..I then went out and got everyone back into the yards.. cut their pasture day a little short and spent the remainder of the day figuring out how to let the girls out separately from the boys each day! He didn’t get her but that was too close of a call for my heart! WHEW! Won’t do that again.
Well..I figured it out..I would let the girls out early in the daytime and the boys later..each group would get a few hours and since they got hay in the evenings it would work out fine, just a little more work for me is all..I really didn’t mind a bit.
