Yes, more animals.... it's kind of what we do around here.
If you've seen the latest @little-peppers post, then you know that we recently got a couple little Nubian bucklings. While they certainly are a cute pair of goats, that is another story for another day. Today, I want to tell you about "the big one," Wild!
WILD THE GOAT!
This is Wild, our new doe. This goat started out as part of a trade last year. When we picked up Daisy and Crockett, the people still owed us one goat, but did not have one ready. Recently, though, we got the green light and the time came to get that goat that was owed to us.
Wild is a doe, aka female, and she is a mixed breed. She is part Boer and part Savanna. Both of these varieties are traditionally referred to as meat goats, because of their solid build. The Boer goats are one of the most popular meat goat breeds here in the US, and Savannas were originally developed in the 1950s in South Africa. They are a hardier breed than Boers, and we glad to have her as she is.
If you notice her horns, you'll see that one is crooked and looks almost "withered." I think that someone attempted to disbud her, but failed at the attempt. Disbudding is when the young horns on baby goat kids are removed, or at least an attempt is made at removing them. A few variations of the process exist, and some side effects are possible. Her other horn looks messed up at the tip too, so that's my best guess.
Personally I think that if an animal grows horns it should be allowed to, but many people favor hornless goats for a variety of reasons. Horns are indeed a potential hazard and animals with horns have the capability to harm themselves, other animals, or people, whether intentionally or accidentally. Many people enjoying "showing" animals in clubs like 4H, and I think that for dairy goats, horns are an immediate disqualification. Disbudding is one of those things like docking tails, which is common with some sheep and dog varieties.
One interesting thing about this lady is that she is a big jumper. She took off earlier today and landed in the sheep pen. I think that she was lonely. Either way, we will have to keep an eye on her, and after we are done monitoring her to make sure that she is healthy, she will end up being penned with our dairy goat Daisy, and they can be friends. I may end up looking for a Myotonic goat to breed her with. Myotonic goats are also known as "fainting" goats. Besides their "fainting" capabilities, the do not jump like other goats, which may help to keep Wild's offspring grounded.
So far Wild is doing well. She's got a luxurious coat and isn't that shy. We are new to her and she is new to us, but we are working on building a relationship with her. We are happy to have her as part of our flock and I think she'll enjoy eliminating some of the undesirable plants on our homestead. Also, we hope that she will be a good mother and able to help us increase our herd as we move forward. Thanks for checking her out!
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-wild
Until next time…
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