Time to Move the Boys

Buckling Loyal meets his daddy--and wants out!

For all of our efforts to keep the male and female goats separated, I was allowing the last of the spring kids to run with the herd for these last few months. Today, though, the newest bucklings demonstrated mounting behavior. Their reward was eviction from the herd, into a pen with all of the 2010 smaller bucks.

Segregated at last, all the bucklings are contained.

Nigerian Dwarf bucklings Graham, Walter, and the late Will matured faster and have been segregated in buck territory since the summer months; however, Jennifer's first 2010 kids--Tony, Todd, and Ted--and the last of the Tennessee Fainter bucklings--Jack and Gene--were allowed to stay with their dams, until today.

Luke looks wistfully back toward the barn and the nurturing life he has left.

This afternoon when I checked into the maternity stall and opened its door to the unseasonably warm air, the newest bucklings--Loyal and Luke--their stubby horns finally showing above their coats were mounting little Kendall. Kendall, the runt, is small enough that they do not mount her as much as simply stand above her; the other kids grew that much while she was recuperating in the house last week. As such, the bucklings were evicted and I spent the afternoon rounding up the rest of the boys (mentioned above) and depositing them beneath the hay storage trailer.