Goat Rock Ranch: Melinda, Big Buffer, & our Partner

The goats were delivered on Tuesday of last week and I gave the first dose of an antibiotic that Friday.  I also drenched her.

(Can someone tell me if this is normal?  Should I be alarmed?  Should I seek employment in town?)

We had a date night that Friday evening so the boys had to help me doctor the little goat right after school.

I filled them in on the way home; that I'd gotten medicine for the goat with the "poopy bottom" and that we'd need to separate her from the herd and doctor her.  I'd have to have their help since Daddy wasn't home.

We arrived home, had snacks, and I went to change SK's diaper before heading out.

When SK and I got to the pens the boys had already separated the little goat out of the herd of 25 and had her in the small pen.  What?!

After her treatment I asked the boys if they thought we should name her.  (It did cross my mind it might be tad risky to assign a name/encourage attachment since her health was on the fritz, but we are on the ranch and the lessons will be hard.)

"Melinda!" L suggested.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep.  It's a pwitty name."

Melinda the name and Melinda the goat have grown on us and she's holding steady a week out.

On the subject of goat names, the boys have been calling Caesar "Big Buffer", or "Big Buffuh," in L's case, since they think he resembles a buffalo.  Hots and I have found ourselves calling him Big Buffer on a regular basis now, though we've promised him he'll always be Julius Caesar on paper.  And when we have visitors.

He's significantly bigger than our nannies.  Plus he smells terrible (which is desirable in billy goats; the more foul, the better).  I would not want to grab this guy by the horns or anywhere else for that matter.

To date we've treated 4 for "poopy bottom" and they're pretty easy to handle due to their size.  The boys are very involved-J even helps catch them by the horns-and are interested in everything we're doing.

After treating them a couple of days ago L looked up at me and said, "If Big Buffuh gets a dia-wee-uh bottom, that's gonna be vewy intewesting."  Then he chuckled.

I believe I've failed to mention that we have partnered with Kaydie for this venture.  It helps ease the anxiety over our few who are sick knowing we only have 1/2 interest in each one.

We've all gotten a kick out of watching each other work goats.  We're all very new to all things goat related so we're having all kinds of fun and laughing a lot.  It's quite the adventure!