OK, so tomorrow (today now) is supposed to be a good day. I have to go to the VA for a doc appt. So I'll get up early and shower, get the animals taken care of then hit the road. Since I'm not going to be here, I fully expect to find kids on the ground when I get back later tomorrow (today) afternoon... What are the odds after all? Had planned/hoped to meet up with @Jenn27 on my next LA trip, but haven't seen her on or heard from her (hope she's OK...) I had something to deliver to her from way up in the north country... <sigh> Oh well, Hopefully she comes back and I can meet her later. Mean time, I'm fasting for labs tomorrow and I'm hungry. No real danger of starvation or anything (plenty of body reserves to draw on ) but hate that gnawing feeling in my gut and all the complain sounds coming from that general direction... (growling and grumbling etc.)
Neighbor's dogs on either side of me have lit off recently while I was jacuzzi soaking and I think it's due to coyotes being close. Heard them singing a ways off earlier and they've had plenty enough time to get close enough to set the dogs off. Thought about taking a few random .22 rifle pot shots off into the woods "just in case" but figured I'd wait and see what develops. Mel is outside, out back... if they were to get within reach of the goat pen I'd HOPE he'd do some barking alerting about it. We'll see. He isn't bonded to the goats at all yet.
I don't think any of my dogs are particularly bonded to my goats, they just bark to protect their area and I think they would do it even if all of the goats were gone. Mia actually stays with the goats when they go out to browse more than the older dogs do which is surprising considering what a hard puppy she was to train. However I have seen the dogs put the goats in the barn when they sensed danger but I still won't say that they are bonded. I came home tonight to find the goats out and chomping on my blackberries and Francis and Sigueme about 200' away on my porch, no where near the goats (never trust electro-net fencing when it only has a reading of 2 on the meter). Of course as soon as I got home the dogs took off and were gone for about an hour. They did get out on the main road too and fortunately a neighbor herded them with his car and chased them home. If they had been bonded they never would have left. Mia and Alondra stayed with the goats...good girls.
Isn't that something... your senior dogs go "walk about" and your newest additions stay put and do what they're meant to do... Good girls is right! trying to imagine you trying to re-corral 40+ mostly wild goats who would prefer to remain eating the tasty moist food rather than nasty old dried out alfalfa hay...
Oh it was hilarious to watch I'm sure and I threatened the shotgun more than once. My blackberries are not wild either. They are cultivated, pruned, watered, thornless, and tasty. I was NOT happy to say the least. All was good in the end but it was maddening. So much for a quiet evening watching the sun set.
@babsbag we have some blackberries like that in the garden and when we walk the goats, Joyce stands vuard over them too in order to keep them from eating them and the strawberries. The goats just Love them and would much rather eat those in the garden, than all-they-can-eat off the ditch bank.
Back from the doc... no kids yet. Brought them out some more puffed wheat cereal... OMG... was even worse than yesterday! It's like goatie crack! They were butting each other in the butt to get to the closest hole through the cattle panel. Well... at least now I know a great capture weapon for them. Tried to get some down for the babies, but they never stood a chance! You know the whack a mole game at carnivals? Picture that on it's side and goat heads popping in and out of cattle panel holes...
Sounds like you've found the key to getting your wary goat "up close and personal" I wonder if alpacas would go for that cereal. What brand? They might be picky
So you think Dot is about to give birth and you run out there with a camera, animal crackers and a bowl of cereal? Dot sees you coming with treats, sucks her kid back up in her uterus, gets up and runs to be first for treats!You make one helluva midwife!! A bowl of cereal!! I am laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes! Who woulda thunk it? A bowl of puffed wheat cereal!! I like it too BTW, but I like mine with milk.