Big Steps

Mornings start with bottle feeding. Ede measures out 60ml of hard earned goat’s milk from the Tryon farm. We may have put in some early mornings with Little Grey … Cari has sacrificed the backs of her legs to milk a goat or two each day for his bottles! Those goat horns can do a number on you! After a good guzzle Little Grey was keen to get outside and play. Little did we know he was going to be taking such big steps today.

The first adventure of the day involved meeting up with the jennies in the front paddock. I needed to get a start on my spring clean up and Little Grey needed some more fresh air. We rigged up a little corral for him in the lee of the wind. At first he thought the better idea was to just hang ‘out’ with all of us in the big wide spaces. But Rosie convinced him that he was good with her in the new space. He skipped around, ate some hay, watched the birds and then started to feel like a snooze. After falling asleep on his feet he eventually snuggled down and slept for over an hour curled up in a warm hay bed. After we all celebrated the return of the hoses to the paddock we came in for an afternoon sleep on the couch with Teddy.

When we woke up we had a message from the farm – Come on over for a visit! Little Grey’s siblings were fascinated that he had returned. Where had he been!? As soon as he heard the chatter of the herd he danced his way right into the thick of things and went directly to his mother’s teat! His ten day vacation had not wiped out his instincts. It sure was heartwarming to see him back in his element. He LOVED being able to play with the other little ones.

It is evident how much momentum he has lost being bottle fed. He seems to be about half the size of his siblings – even his brother who spent two days here last week. His momma was not keen on feeding him when he arrived. That is when Cari grabbed one of the ‘wet nurse’ goats she has been milking. (Did you know that you could top goat horns with tennis balls? Helps to give your bruised legs some relief when you are trying to milk without a stanchion.) Little Grey got right in there and drank and drank and drank and drank.

When it was time to give BB his turn with the wet nurse we gathered Little Grey back up to play. The quadruplets are very socialized. They love people and will climb and jump and cuddle … so very cute. Even Husband Farmer couldn’t help but fall prey to their wiles.  Not a goat person my foot. Ha! 😉

So when we got back home I explained the plan to Rosie. Little Grey will nurse at the goat pen twice a day and we will gradually increase the amount of time he hangs out with his herd. Perhaps by the end of the week he will be able to spend a full day with them. We’ll make sure to bring him inside each night until he gets a little furrier and stronger to manage the playful knocks of the barn life.

For now he has fallen asleep at my feet. I think he is dreaming of goat pals and doe teats!