Until today, I had forgotten how grown bottle kids still root for a bottle.
Today I made some changes. I moved the last kids, a set of triplets, to the barn. Then I arranged pens so all of the bottle kids would be in one place at night.
After feeding and milking, my well-oiled plan began to fall through the cracks.
I sat down on a bucket to feed the bottle kids and along came Sarah.
Sarah is a grown boer goat (black headed) who was raised on a bottle 3 years ago. She is now a good mother. Sarah tried everything to get the bottle away from a kid I was feeding, including biting his ear.
Along came Amelie, a special case kid, who was on a bottle 2 years ago. As I bottle fed one kid, Amelie was right against my cheek with her nose, breathing hot air, blocking my view totally. I do love to feel a goat’s breath. It is pure life. Occasionally I wish I could pick and choose when I received the delights. Funny, huh?
Then along came Chameaqua. She recently gave birth for the 2nd time. She apparently hasn’t forgotten the bottle either. She ripped and tore through my nicely laid out supplies just to find a bottle for herself.
Are you laughing with me? I am.
I love animals too much. I will admit to it. It is terribly hard work. But, I still love it.
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Sounds like my real kids! They have ravaged and pillaged through the frig all week during spring break. They all leave tomorrow for the last half of spring semester. I’ll miss those kids.
I can tell you love your kids, too. Amazing how they remember their bottles!
I bet you will miss your human kids, Deb.
Goats, I guess their instinct will always be there. Of course, food drives them. Ha.
LOL, sounds like an adult doe we had who stole an empty bottle and carried it around since we set it down to do the rest of the bottles when we had bottle babies.
Amy
Funny story, Amy.
Bottle babies are forever ! It sounds like you remember you love them even when they are making simple things difficult. That is what I like about goats, they are so inquisitive and mischievous , but yes, sometimes those qualities make them frustrating too. Fun times, Mary.
Hello Kathy. Oh yes, it does make things more difficult. Funny how quickly we forget, but of course, you and I know how quickly they grow up as well.
Mary, that is so funny! I could just see you sitting on a stool trying to feed a baby with one hand and fending off the bottle hunters with the other hand.
I know, annoying, but you can’t help but laugh.
Yes, Becky, it was something else. It actually staved off for a few days. Today they fired back up. Bottle feeding and then pulling a grown doe out of the bucket of bottles. You know I have more than 2 hands.