April and Dot have fun personalities, but have also spent a lot of time getting into of trouble! They spent about two weeks penned in with the chickens because they were escaping their pen! While they were in with the chickens, they learned how to open a locked container of feed, and get the wire guard over the chicken feeder open as well! Naughty goats!
We got some vinyl coated 2 x 4 wire put up inside the 3 rail fence which bordered two sides of their pen, replacing the chicken wire which they were going over, and then under in order to escape. We should have named at least one of them "Houdini"!
Jenna's 4-H leader was here this week, just checking in to see that things are going ok, and to answer any questions for us. Before he arrived, we trimmed their hooves, gave them baths, and weighed them. Did you ever try to weigh a wiggling goat? Jim had to hold them and stand on the scales, while we tried to get an accurate reading...interesting experience! Dot weighs around 70 lbs, and April weighs around 75 lbs. Their weight should be between 60 - 110 lbs. by fair time, which is the end of September. Everything looks like we're right on track!
The biggest challenge (now that they're secure in their pen) is walking them. This will get them used to being handled in the show ring, and help with their conditioning. We first used the halter, and now are using a collar and lead.
Jim and Jenna walked them over to our neighbor's house to show them to him through his back windows. Sometimes they cooperate...
...and sometimes they don't! Dot is particularly cantankerous...
She has to sample just about everything she sees, including the apple tree...
Bathing them went a bit better than walking them. It was a hot day, and April loved being washed...
And in true "Dot" fashion, she had to wiggle through most of it!
There's never lack of something to do this summer around here! If you're bored, come on over and get to know the goats! You just might fall in love with them and their shenanigans antics!
Alica looks like a lot of fun or should I say shenanigans. B
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun , they get into alot of mischief but its cute lol
ReplyDeleteGoats are quite the animals. God had a sense of humor when he made them. They are cute little buggers.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't get them to lead well, you should try dog choker chains. We use them on our goats and they behave beautifully. Good photos! Our goats are probally more like Dot.
ReplyDeleteA bath! Oh, horror! I can't imagine how awful it is to get that wet! Oh no! I can't believe you'd torture your goats like that. (But that apple tree looks delicious!)
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