Chat
09-21-2017, 06:35 AM
Lightning is the last baby boy still living at home. He stayed with mom a little longer so he could get some extra growth since he was the smallest of three and is destined to live with the older and bigger kids, Westin and Sox. When we left for our trip, he still looked and acted like a bouncy, carefree little kid, but when we came home less than two weeks later he looked more like a big, strapping buck. During our trip we took Finn and Sputnik with us and I put Rocky and Rambo in their own buck pen up the hill, so as the only guy in the ladies' pen, Lightning was "the man of the house" and he truly lived up to it. I swear he grew two inches and he put on swaths of muscle like a steroid junkie. I had loosened his collar a little before we left, but it was tight when we got home. His glossy black coat was twice as thick and shining with good health. He looked all buck, but his cleanliness showed he was still mostly minding his manners.
Enter his dad and Uncle Rocky. Since none of the girls are currently in heat, I've been letting our bucks out with the herd during the day (with aprons) so they can browse and not go insane in their little enclosure. Well, they started teaching little Lightning the ways of a buck, and within a day he was covered in stinky, sticky buck grease (his own and his mentors'), and began constantly harassing the girls lowest on the pecking order. Last night he was really bad, so I decided it was time for him to get weaned to the buck pen for the night. I locked the girls up and Phil had a bucket of grain to entice Rocky and Rambo up to their pen. The bucks happily followed Phil, but I had to drag Lighting along on a leash. About halfway up the hill he started screaming and that's when something really sweet happened. Both bucks lost interest in the grain and turned back to check on Lightning. Rocky actually came back and nuzzled Lightning and reassured him, then we all walked up to the pen together. Rocky turned and nuzzled Lighting once or twice more when he stopped and yelled for his mom.
The boys were super sweet to Lightning last night. My bucks love each other and share grain from one feed pan. I wasn't sure if they'd let the pipsqueak share too, but they let him stick his head right in there with them (a very tight fit for three goats) and never once pushed him out. Lightning cried for a while last night, but one of the bucks always laid down next to him to keep him company, so he settled quickly and is quietly chewing cud this morning, curled against Rocky's chest.
Bucks often get a bad rap, but I'm impressed with out sweet ours are. They really look out for the babies. Lightning goes to join Sox and Westin in his new home tomorrow. I wish I'd gotten some photos of him the day we got back from vacation because he was absolutely stunning. Now he desperately needs a bath! I left Lightning unaltered because I had a hunch he'd turn out really nice. I plan to borrow him back in December and breed him to Tigerlily. They should make some very pretty, long-legged, and athletic babies with fun personalities.
Enter his dad and Uncle Rocky. Since none of the girls are currently in heat, I've been letting our bucks out with the herd during the day (with aprons) so they can browse and not go insane in their little enclosure. Well, they started teaching little Lightning the ways of a buck, and within a day he was covered in stinky, sticky buck grease (his own and his mentors'), and began constantly harassing the girls lowest on the pecking order. Last night he was really bad, so I decided it was time for him to get weaned to the buck pen for the night. I locked the girls up and Phil had a bucket of grain to entice Rocky and Rambo up to their pen. The bucks happily followed Phil, but I had to drag Lighting along on a leash. About halfway up the hill he started screaming and that's when something really sweet happened. Both bucks lost interest in the grain and turned back to check on Lightning. Rocky actually came back and nuzzled Lightning and reassured him, then we all walked up to the pen together. Rocky turned and nuzzled Lighting once or twice more when he stopped and yelled for his mom.
The boys were super sweet to Lightning last night. My bucks love each other and share grain from one feed pan. I wasn't sure if they'd let the pipsqueak share too, but they let him stick his head right in there with them (a very tight fit for three goats) and never once pushed him out. Lightning cried for a while last night, but one of the bucks always laid down next to him to keep him company, so he settled quickly and is quietly chewing cud this morning, curled against Rocky's chest.
Bucks often get a bad rap, but I'm impressed with out sweet ours are. They really look out for the babies. Lightning goes to join Sox and Westin in his new home tomorrow. I wish I'd gotten some photos of him the day we got back from vacation because he was absolutely stunning. Now he desperately needs a bath! I left Lightning unaltered because I had a hunch he'd turn out really nice. I plan to borrow him back in December and breed him to Tigerlily. They should make some very pretty, long-legged, and athletic babies with fun personalities.