Anatolian Shepherd

Well, I alluded to how rather unassuming days turn into momentous occasions in a recent blog. So, yesterday I was scooping horse manure without a care other than hitting the tractor bucket from the top of the key and scoring three pointers from the outside. Kris was down at the goat barn or out at the chicken coop doing something urgent which required her immediate attention so she was not scooping manure. We had both been headed out to scoop poop, but things come up and we went our separated ways. Before she disappeared, she mentioned that with the warm temperature, it would be a good day to haul "Dick", the goat buck, back to Curtis's farm down in Augusta. The does had all been bred and appeared to be "settled." Settled is a term we goat breeders use instead of pregnant. Kris learned the term yesterday and we have been using it like the old goat hands we are, every chance we get.
"You know" she was saying, "now that the girls are all "settled", this would be a nice warm day to take Dick back to Augusta."
"I know, but we should wait a couple more days to see if any of them are just late at coming back into heat," and added quickly, "they are just barely "settled"."
I had things I wanted to do while the temperature was warm like get the corral mucked out.
"We can take him back in a week or the next warm spell, if everyone really is "settled"."
"Okay, but this is a great day for doing it. We're not likely to get any more fifty degree days until March, if then."
"Better to have the goats "settled" for sure and wait a week."
We left it at that and I went back to scooping manure. It was wet from the rain and frozen to the ground in the center so scooping was slow going. After a couple of hours, it dawned on me that Kris's work with the chickens or goats was probably going to last about as long as it took for me to do the manure. Just before I was done she arrived with her new pink manure scoop (Merry Christmas) to do her half. It was around eleven and scooping in solitude had given me a chance to consider hauling Dick back to Curtis. Chances are, the goats really had "settled" and Kris was right about the weather.
"I been thinking about hauling Dick. You're probably r.... , well anyway, I think if we hurry, we could get Dick to Augusta by 2:30 and be back by 6:00."

So in a scramble, we set off for Augusta with Dick bouncing around in the horse trailer behind us. I had put hay down for him to lay in and nibble on. He is a good traveler and just lays down till the truck stops or keeps getting thrown down until he learns not to get up, it is hard to know. Anyway, when we check, he is down and looks comfy and our consciences are clear.

I called Curtis to make sure he was home and he sounded a bit disappointed to hear Dick was coming back so soon. Dick eats a lot and is a bit expensive to keep and it was better to have him back to Curtis's from our stand point. From Curtis's view point the opposite was true. We haven't been able to let our small doe out or go for walks with the goats since Dicks arrival. We needed him to be returned.

The horse trailer pulls nicely and we blasted down the interstate at the speed limit. After a while, Kris said we ought to get Curtis and Linda something for all the help they have been. The use of the enobled buck was free, they kept our goats for two weeks after we bought them and they delivered them for free. We needed to do something and soon. Kris suggested a gas card from the Irving at the Augusta exit. That seemed perfect. Curtis and Linda spend a lot of time on the road delivering and picking up livestock. It would be a good useful and thoughtful gift.

We arrived a little earlier than I had told Curtis and they were inside the house. I backed up to the barn and called. It is easier and less invasive to call, a twenty first century update on etiquette. Linda is more agile and arrived at the horse trailer almost immediately. I went in and put a rope around Dick and led him into the barn and his stall.

We looked at some new goat kids and chatted a bit and when the time seemed right, Kris pulled out the Gas Card and gave it to Linda. Curtis's health has been a problem for over a year and you could read the gratitude in her face and she gave us each a hug. It felt good to have done the right thing at the right time for once and have a gift be honestly and gratefully accepted.

Curtis arrived and we talked goats for awhile. In one of the pens, was a young
Anatolian shepherd pup. "You don't want a dog do you," Linda asked. We had looked up prices for these pups and they were the better part of a thousand dollars. They are used to guard your flock. They are an old breed and have been used for thousands of years as livestock guards. They are big dogs (males can reach a 150 pounds) and will defend a flock from wolves, coyotes, and bears. Well, it doesn't hurt to ask the price does it? So, I did.
"How much do you want for her?"
"No, I mean if you can use her, we'll give her to you." The dog had been given to them, by a daughter that didn't have time to train her. Their farm is right on a busy road and the fencing is just a few strands of electric. Using her there, might be the death of her. Linda had been to our place knew we are a half a mile from traffic on a dead end road.

While I was thinking, Kris said, "we'd love to have her." And that, as the say, was that.
"Rosy", was hooked on the lead we brought Dick with and brought outside to meet Kesteral. The two sniffed and didn't growl or put hair up and Rosy jumped in the car as though she had been waiting for us to come get her.

She road quietly home and Kris put her in the goat barn to meet her new charges.
Knowing Kris, I called "Don't take her collar off." If she got loose, she might be hard to catch.
"Too late, the collar is already off," Kris replied triumphantly.
Seeing I was going to be more useful at the other barn, I went and fed the horses who listen actually listen to me.

I got on the Internet to check out Anatolians a bit further. As I had suspicioned, if let them sleep in the house, they will protect you as part of their pack or herd, but your goats will be on their own. It is imperative to keep them in the barn with the goats. This was the ammunition I would need.

I started back down to the goat barn. Kris hollered that Rosy had pushed by her and was now loose. Rosy and Kesteral came down to greet me. Rosy was not sure about me and barked when she noticed I was walking towards her. I called to her several times and she stopped barking and wandered around with Kesteral smelling the farm over. Kris was able to slip a rope around her easily and the question of running off is now probably answered.

So, she is here and Kris is in heaven with another animal to train. Our farm seems to take on a mind of it's own at times and maybe that's for the best.