Chat
05-08-2019, 01:47 PM
I saw the sweetest example of livestock guardianship today. I let all the goats out to graze for a couple of hours even though the weather was threatening. Then at noon the rain moved in quite suddenly and it started pouring down. I could see from the window that none of the goats were in their houses. I ran downstairs to find all the little kidlets huddled under the eaves next to our house. It was dry for the moment but I knew it would not be for long! I scooped up Petunia's kids and ran them to the pen just in time for Petunia to come bolting from the woods to meet them. I set them down and their mom called them and they all ran to shelter.
Next I grabbed little Snowball. Tigerlily is kind an on-again, off-again mama who isn't quite sure how to care for a baby so I had to bring that one all the way out to the pen and plunk her in a shelter. The pelting rain suddenly turned to hail as I turned back toward the house to fetch TinCup's babies. TinCup had run in from the storm and was calling them, but they were scared to leave their spot. Mocha and Yeti were in a more sheltered area behind the gates to our patio, but poor little Thor was on the other side of the gate where it was more exposed. That's when Pluto appeared out of nowhere and curled up around the shivering wet baby, using his body to shield Thor from the wind and hail. As soon as I scooped up Thor and ran him to the pen, Pluto high-tailed it to the doghouse. It was so sweet to see him protecting that little cold baby until I could get him under shelter.
Next I grabbed little Snowball. Tigerlily is kind an on-again, off-again mama who isn't quite sure how to care for a baby so I had to bring that one all the way out to the pen and plunk her in a shelter. The pelting rain suddenly turned to hail as I turned back toward the house to fetch TinCup's babies. TinCup had run in from the storm and was calling them, but they were scared to leave their spot. Mocha and Yeti were in a more sheltered area behind the gates to our patio, but poor little Thor was on the other side of the gate where it was more exposed. That's when Pluto appeared out of nowhere and curled up around the shivering wet baby, using his body to shield Thor from the wind and hail. As soon as I scooped up Thor and ran him to the pen, Pluto high-tailed it to the doghouse. It was so sweet to see him protecting that little cold baby until I could get him under shelter.