The one exception is breeding privileges.\u00a0 If a goat comes from my stock and is only living with other goat stock from my farm, then I will allow the females to return to be bred.\u00a0 After all, they are dairy goats and, although they make great pets, I enjoy seeing them used to spread healthy rich goat milk throughout the community.\u00a0 Imagine if we each had an adorable dairy goat for our family’s needs and didn’t have to participate in intensive dairy operations?\u00a0 Even more important, the more people that milk their own dairy goats, the more people I could find to milk for me when I want to go out of town.\u00a0 Win, win, people!<\/p>\n
So it was under these conditions that Zorra returned to visit this week.\u00a0 Zorra was born here in 2011 to Magenta and is part of Brianna’s family, my herd queen.<\/p>\n
She was named for her distinctive stripe on her face.<\/p>\n She went to my friend as a bottle baby because she was tiny and I was afraid she was not getting enough milk.\u00a0 Zorra was one of 3 kids born to Magenta and, as a first freshener, Magenta was not doing a great job nursing all her kids.\u00a0 But that was a stroke of luck for Zorra.\u00a0 Because she quickly became a dog goat at my friend’s house.<\/p>\n Goats should not generally be sold as singles.\u00a0 They are herd animals and are lonely when living on their own.\u00a0 This is not the case for dog goats.\u00a0 Dog goats get to do things like stay in the garage on cold nights.\u00a0 Dog goats go for walks on leashes around the neighborhood.\u00a0 And off leash when they are old enough to come when they are called.\u00a0 They are groomed daily by their owners and are hand fed delicious treats all day long and are rushed to the vet when they “aren’t acting like themselves.”\u00a0 They go for rides in the car and hang out on the deck chewing their cud and watching their family inside.\u00a0 They are featured on the family’s Christmas card and even go in Christmas parades.<\/p>\n Which is all fine and good for the dog goat.\u00a0 Until she leaves her neighborhood and returns to the farm to be bred.\u00a0 The farm where goats get food, water, and a pat on the head or scratch behind the ear each day.\u00a0 No car rides.\u00a0 No walks down the street.\u00a0 No hand feeding.\u00a0 No hanging out on the deck.\u00a0 It’s a shocking experience.<\/p>\n And then the buck comes into the pasture.\u00a0 Which makes it a shocking and horrifying experience.<\/p>\n Zorra has been forced to hide out in the goat house in the buck pasture in a confused stupor.\u00a0 She doesn’t bleat but I think I hear her eyes pleading, “Maaaaaaaa!\u00a0 Maaaaaaaa!\u00a0 Where are you, Maaaaaaa?”<\/p>\n She’s been here for a week and doesn’t seem to be in heat yet.\u00a0 Although Carmen, helper that she is, went into heat this morning and is trying to show Zorra how the whole thing works.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/April-2011-3-031.jpg\")
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