Farmer Charlie wasn't kidding when she equated these goats to escape artists. The little rascals squeezed through a hole no wider than their bodies where the hog wire fencing meets the much taller wooden fence. Luckily, Dusty, Taylor, and Willy all pulled into the driveway before the goats had a chance to wander out of the side yard and into view of malicious dogs and law-abiding citizens. Crisis averted and lesson learned.
Our white dude with horns was feeling a little under the weather Monday afternoon. I don't want to get too graphic, but in case one of you out there is a prospective goat owner, a little detail might be beneficial. Big Al, we'll call him, was having trouble digesting something he ate. A quick google of "My goat's throwing up. What do I do?" turned up Doctor Dan's solution of baking soda. Sure enough, a pan of Willy's baking soda and hay later, Big Al was back to normal and enjoying the back yard.
In other news, I'm concerned with the number of mosquitoes swarming around goats. Rubbing some hardcore deet product from the bottom of my hiking backpack seems to be a temporary fix, but Big Al is the only goat okay with me getting close enough. Looks like I'll be fighting a silent war of attrition against the avian blood suckers. Here's my first two moves:
- The local fire station gives out free larvae-killing brickettes to put in standing water. There's a half a donut's worth dissolved under the uprooted tree stump and two more on deck should I find any more stagnant sources of evil.
- Remember the nasty tube you squeeze on the back of your pet's neck to protect against fleas, ticks, etc.? I picked up a generic pack of three for large dogs and wolves at Tractor Supply the other day. Again, Big Al's the only one cool with that much contact. The other two just made Mark and I look stupid chasing them all around the yard. Their treatments will have to wait until I can corral them up on the bridge.
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