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- #101
blessedfarmgirl
True BYH Addict
I have a funny goat story to tell!
We tie each goat to a short lead at milking time, letting each one off to eat on the stand when it's their turn. When I sold the herd queen/tamest goat a week ago, it disrupted that delicate balance. The other two more skittish goats were not happy and it took 3 days for them to settle down again. They were extra skittish, wouldn't eat much and acted weird. On top of this, my sister, who usually takes turns with me doing the milking, was sick with a bad cough and had not milked since before I sold the herd queen. Yesterday morning she was better and went out to do the milking again. When she came back inside from the barn, she told me that Annie (the most skittish goat) would not let herself be caught at all and Iris, ( the sort of skittish goat) made her chase her all over the barn before she could catch her. I thought that was pretty odd since she'd only been out of the barn for a week and the goats usually go right to their spot and stand there to be tied.
So last night I went in the barn at the usual time. Iris tried to bolt, but I grabbed her collar just in time and pulled her to her spot. As I clipped her lead, she leaned over and sniffed my hair and my shirt, then turned and looked pleased. I didn't think much of that until I turned around and looked at Annie. She looked at me, then went immediately and squeezed her entire very pregnant self UNDER the milk stand to hide. I stood there for a few seconds, then peered under the stand and asked her what she was doing. She quivered, she listened, she sniffed.... And then she squeezed out and went to stand right in her spot to be tied up. I got up, tied her, and went on with the milking.
Isn't that so odd? I might have passed off Iris sniffing my shirt, but Annie's hiding until I talked to her was so bizarre I don't think it was a coincidence. I guess they were both so disrupted by the other goat leaving that they couldn't handle the change in people like they used to (My sister and I have both taken over milking for each other at various times). They had to make sure I was the correct person after the intruder that came in the morning! I'll just have to let Annie drag a leash again until they get re-used to my sister.
We tie each goat to a short lead at milking time, letting each one off to eat on the stand when it's their turn. When I sold the herd queen/tamest goat a week ago, it disrupted that delicate balance. The other two more skittish goats were not happy and it took 3 days for them to settle down again. They were extra skittish, wouldn't eat much and acted weird. On top of this, my sister, who usually takes turns with me doing the milking, was sick with a bad cough and had not milked since before I sold the herd queen. Yesterday morning she was better and went out to do the milking again. When she came back inside from the barn, she told me that Annie (the most skittish goat) would not let herself be caught at all and Iris, ( the sort of skittish goat) made her chase her all over the barn before she could catch her. I thought that was pretty odd since she'd only been out of the barn for a week and the goats usually go right to their spot and stand there to be tied.
So last night I went in the barn at the usual time. Iris tried to bolt, but I grabbed her collar just in time and pulled her to her spot. As I clipped her lead, she leaned over and sniffed my hair and my shirt, then turned and looked pleased. I didn't think much of that until I turned around and looked at Annie. She looked at me, then went immediately and squeezed her entire very pregnant self UNDER the milk stand to hide. I stood there for a few seconds, then peered under the stand and asked her what she was doing. She quivered, she listened, she sniffed.... And then she squeezed out and went to stand right in her spot to be tied up. I got up, tied her, and went on with the milking.
Isn't that so odd? I might have passed off Iris sniffing my shirt, but Annie's hiding until I talked to her was so bizarre I don't think it was a coincidence. I guess they were both so disrupted by the other goat leaving that they couldn't handle the change in people like they used to (My sister and I have both taken over milking for each other at various times). They had to make sure I was the correct person after the intruder that came in the morning! I'll just have to let Annie drag a leash again until they get re-used to my sister.
. Plus "their leader" is gone. Makes them super cautious. Mine come to their name. They know the order in which they get milked -- don't change it!!! Pandemonium strikes! 
