With very high expectations we arrived home after dark with "Rancid" (our name for the breeding buck from Curtis and Linda Prime.) Rancid is named after a fictional Patrick McManus's character, Rancid Crabtree who got his nickname from his philosophy on personal hygiene. (If you haven't read Patrick McManus stop reading this and go to Amazon.com and order a book. McManus creates the best characters since Mark Twain dreamt up Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.)
Billy goats have a well deserved reputation for cantankerous behavior. Goats can be lightening quick with an explosive short charge and Boer Goats have their horns intact. So I wasn't sure what to expect from Rancid when I stepped into the horse trailer to slip a rope on him. Kris shut the door behind me to "keep the goat from escaping."(She is very helpful at times.)
"Good luck" she called perkily from outside the trailer.
Rancid was not too thrilled with having a lead rope looped around his neck by a stranger and avoided my attempts. I was wondering if I was going to tick him off or make him feel cornered and desperate. I was pretty sure those were two things that might not work out well.
Still perky and now curious about the ruckus Rancid and I were making, Kris inquired "How's it going?"
"I think he needs to rest a minute," I wheezed. I gave him a minute or two to calm down and then, surprisingly, he stood quietly and I looped the rope around him and led him easily out of the trailer and into the pen. Kris's excitement seemed to wane a little and she looked mildly disappointed. I was now feeling perkier however.
The girls were shut in the barn and were blatting and making goat noises so Rancid calmly strode up to the outside feeder and started eating, obviously less excited than we were. We were sort of expecting him to start butting the barn door to get at the does inside. It appeared more likely that he was going to have a nice dinner and get some shut eye before anything more strenuous. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as we had imagined.
We had other chores to do and it was getting late so we decided to put Rancid in one of the stalls and introduce him to his harem in the morning when they would have the run of the goat pen to avoid injury. If goat courtship is anything like chicken courtship, he might just pound them senseless and have his way with them.
I am sure Kris didn't sleep much that night and got up early. "Lets go down and let Dick out."
"Who is Dick?"
"I think Dick is a much better name for the Billy Goat," she laughed.
"Absolutely not, and you are going to lose your grandmother status if you keep this up."
"Yup, that's it, Dick."
"No, we are going to call him Rancid."
"Okay, we'll call him Rancid D-"
"NOoo! Just Rancid! You keep this up and I will call the grandmother review board myself."
Kris was up and down to the goat pen in record time. I ran water and brought it down a little later. Anything going on?
"Not yet. Dick is sniffing and chasing, and the girls are playing hard to get."
Rancid is much bigger than our does. They weigh 125 to 150lbs and Rancid goes at least 250lbs. Before breeding season starts, he probably weighs 300lbs. The girls were apparently aghast at the size of him and his well... "package". He a is very, very impressive buck. I didn't blame them for running scared. Rancid seemed undeterred and yet gentle and let the girls escape his advances without much fuss. As the day wore on not much progress seemed to be made except the girls allowed Rancid to eat at the same feeders where they were eating. Rancid kept sniffing and testing but never chased. He evidently had his pride or having bred thousands of does in his life time, was patiently philosophical about rejection. He could wait.
As it turns out, Rancid is a pretty nice buck and is accepting of an occasional pat or head scratch. He moves out of your way when you need to get through and has good barn manners. Thats a relief since his horns make a full curl and stick out a foot on either side of his head. If he were mean, he would be dangerous.
Kris spent the day finding excuses to be down at the barn. I checked on her occasionally to make sure that she was Okay. Mostly she was offering Rancid pointers. "Stay with her Dick. She's just playing hard to get. Look at this one big fella." "I should bring the camera down and..."
"No cameras Grandma." It is best to quash some of her ideas early on. After making sure it wasn't likely Rancid would hurt the does, I spent the day doing other things. Goat breeding was a lot less exciting than I thought it would be.
Monday morning, when we let the goats out it was apparent that Rancid and Static were and item. She would flag her tail and he would follow protectively. Love comes to Missed Skeet Farm. It was plain they were both smitten. We take Ethan on Mondays and I was wondering how to keep him occupied somewhere else on the farm. I went to pick him up in town and Kris stayed to see if anything developed. If we know when a doe is bred, you can determine when she will kid within a day or two.
As it turns out, Rancid is gentle, patient and determined. Three qualities that will play well with our young does that are as full of nonsense as any teenage girls. Some play hard to get and some tease. We will keep Rancid for 45 days to make sure that the does go through two complete heat cycles. That should insure all the does are bred. I hope to get Kris out of the barn today. We need to do dishes and laundry and Rancid can take care of things down at the barn without so much advice.
Billy goats have a well deserved reputation for cantankerous behavior. Goats can be lightening quick with an explosive short charge and Boer Goats have their horns intact. So I wasn't sure what to expect from Rancid when I stepped into the horse trailer to slip a rope on him. Kris shut the door behind me to "keep the goat from escaping."(She is very helpful at times.)
"Good luck" she called perkily from outside the trailer.
Rancid was not too thrilled with having a lead rope looped around his neck by a stranger and avoided my attempts. I was wondering if I was going to tick him off or make him feel cornered and desperate. I was pretty sure those were two things that might not work out well.
Still perky and now curious about the ruckus Rancid and I were making, Kris inquired "How's it going?"
"I think he needs to rest a minute," I wheezed. I gave him a minute or two to calm down and then, surprisingly, he stood quietly and I looped the rope around him and led him easily out of the trailer and into the pen. Kris's excitement seemed to wane a little and she looked mildly disappointed. I was now feeling perkier however.
The girls were shut in the barn and were blatting and making goat noises so Rancid calmly strode up to the outside feeder and started eating, obviously less excited than we were. We were sort of expecting him to start butting the barn door to get at the does inside. It appeared more likely that he was going to have a nice dinner and get some shut eye before anything more strenuous. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as we had imagined.
We had other chores to do and it was getting late so we decided to put Rancid in one of the stalls and introduce him to his harem in the morning when they would have the run of the goat pen to avoid injury. If goat courtship is anything like chicken courtship, he might just pound them senseless and have his way with them.
I am sure Kris didn't sleep much that night and got up early. "Lets go down and let Dick out."
"Who is Dick?"
"I think Dick is a much better name for the Billy Goat," she laughed.
"Absolutely not, and you are going to lose your grandmother status if you keep this up."
"Yup, that's it, Dick."
"No, we are going to call him Rancid."
"Okay, we'll call him Rancid D-"
"NOoo! Just Rancid! You keep this up and I will call the grandmother review board myself."
Kris was up and down to the goat pen in record time. I ran water and brought it down a little later. Anything going on?
"Not yet. Dick is sniffing and chasing, and the girls are playing hard to get."
Rancid is much bigger than our does. They weigh 125 to 150lbs and Rancid goes at least 250lbs. Before breeding season starts, he probably weighs 300lbs. The girls were apparently aghast at the size of him and his well... "package". He a is very, very impressive buck. I didn't blame them for running scared. Rancid seemed undeterred and yet gentle and let the girls escape his advances without much fuss. As the day wore on not much progress seemed to be made except the girls allowed Rancid to eat at the same feeders where they were eating. Rancid kept sniffing and testing but never chased. He evidently had his pride or having bred thousands of does in his life time, was patiently philosophical about rejection. He could wait.
As it turns out, Rancid is a pretty nice buck and is accepting of an occasional pat or head scratch. He moves out of your way when you need to get through and has good barn manners. Thats a relief since his horns make a full curl and stick out a foot on either side of his head. If he were mean, he would be dangerous.
Kris spent the day finding excuses to be down at the barn. I checked on her occasionally to make sure that she was Okay. Mostly she was offering Rancid pointers. "Stay with her Dick. She's just playing hard to get. Look at this one big fella." "I should bring the camera down and..."
"No cameras Grandma." It is best to quash some of her ideas early on. After making sure it wasn't likely Rancid would hurt the does, I spent the day doing other things. Goat breeding was a lot less exciting than I thought it would be.
Monday morning, when we let the goats out it was apparent that Rancid and Static were and item. She would flag her tail and he would follow protectively. Love comes to Missed Skeet Farm. It was plain they were both smitten. We take Ethan on Mondays and I was wondering how to keep him occupied somewhere else on the farm. I went to pick him up in town and Kris stayed to see if anything developed. If we know when a doe is bred, you can determine when she will kid within a day or two.
As it turns out, Rancid is gentle, patient and determined. Three qualities that will play well with our young does that are as full of nonsense as any teenage girls. Some play hard to get and some tease. We will keep Rancid for 45 days to make sure that the does go through two complete heat cycles. That should insure all the does are bred. I hope to get Kris out of the barn today. We need to do dishes and laundry and Rancid can take care of things down at the barn without so much advice.
This is such a fun episode from the chronicles at Missed Skeet Farm! I had been waiting to hear how the new goat was doing. Sounds like Rancid has fast become part of the family! And I didn't realize the goats were such a cute lot!
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