Carmelita

[distaff]

Took delivery of a milk goat yesterday. Nigerian Dwarf, and she is tiny even compared with my others. Pretty goat, beautiful udder. I wish I had pictures (can barely manage to take one with a digital camera, never mind get it onto a forum post!)

Sadly, my oldest doe seems to have given her some grief last night. When I checked just before bed, everyone was in the barn tucked inside their goat boxes, but first thing this morning, I found little Carmelita out and shivering! I felt horrible. I latched the gate that separates the pasture, and let her have some time barn time alone with my most docile goat.

There are several ways to work with this; worst comes to worst, I'll call the butcher for the dominant doe. We won't be breeding her again anyway, she has a hard mass in her udder. (No signs of mastitis, and she is a good momma, but a horrible milker.) She is my favorite, simply as she is the most outgoing with people, but it always seems like the most outgoing ones are the hardest on their herd mates. A few years ago, I had the butcher come for a terrific milker who whom I loved interacting with - but she was brutally mean to the others.

Anyway, I really hope Carmelita settles in comfortably soon. Hate to see her distressed.

[Reinz]

Sad story, especially for Carmelita. Hope you don't have to call the butcher.

[distaff]

I was outside all morning working on the greenhouse, and things were quiet and peaceful in the goat area. I have a spare gate I can put up so her sleeping box is separated from the others. The goats actually hang out a lot outside at night - I don't generally shut them up in the barn, and the weather last night was also mild. I guess the stress of a new place and the bullying got to her.