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| Whisper (right) with her sister Faith |
I had been watching her since August to see
when her cycles would start. Since I do
not keep a buck of my own, my does will only accept bucks every three weeks
during the fall months. It’s important
to keep track of their cycles so that you do not miss them. Goat heat cycles usually only last 24 hours. If you are planning on breeding you doe, but
miss her cycle, you will have to wait to breed her until she comes into heat
again. While this is not catastrophic,
it will impact your year, since as it determines when your doe will kid.
I
put the jar with the buck rag back on the shelf and went inside to call Deb. She owns the stud buck that I am using this
year. I prefer not to keep my own buck
for many reasons, not the least of which is that they smell rancid and the
small trouble of transporting my doe to the stud far outweighs having to keep
and care for another animal that is really only useful a few days of the year.
I
was lucky to get ahold of Deb. I had
already discussed with her my breeding plans for the year so she was expecting
my call, however she spends most of her time in her barns with her goats, and
it can be difficult to get her to answer her phone. She told me to bring Whisper over right away.
I
tried to make the trip to and from the farm as stress free as possible. I know from experience that great amounts of
stress can cause your doe to reject the buck.
Fortunately, that did not happen this time. The cover was successful and Whisper returned
home without any problems. The hard part
starts now, as all hobby farmers will know.
Waiting the five months until kidding feels like waiting an eternity.
This is really interesting. I learned more about goats and their cycles than I ever thought I would. I really like the way you write too, a true born story teller! Your hook was very intriguing also. I'd like to add that I also love the picture of them! It adds a certain essence to your blog.
ReplyDeleteThe picture of your goats are really cute.
ReplyDeleteSuper great lead! Is this actually real, because its really cool!
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written! I just finished reading Part 1 of Goat Song, and Brad Kessler tells a very similar story. You could probably publish a book that would rival his. However, I am thankful that you left out the details of the mating process (unlike Kessler). Love your goats!
ReplyDeleteI have read more about goat mating this weekend than I can even believe! For a moment I thought I was still reading Goat Song. You have a nice writing style and very descriptive use of working, yet you still leave something to the imagination (thank you for that)!
ReplyDeleteMichala, this is a great short essay. I really like how it feels like a short glimpse into your life and the life of the goats, almost like a snapshot in time. You're a wonderful writer!
ReplyDeleteThis was a really cool read! I know nothing of the farm life or what goes into taking care of a goat, so it was interesting to read a narrative like this, it gives me perspective on a field I'm totally unfamiliar with.
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ReplyDeleteI can't say the thought of goat breeding has ever crossed my mind until after reading this essay. It sounds like a really interesting (and brutal) process, and I'm glad to have been able to catch a glimpse of it through your writing.
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