'Tis the Season for Mistletoe

Taylor stoops to savor a branch of mistletoe.

The windy autumn days bring more than falling leaves and the occasional loose branch to the ground. On those stormy days where the winds whip busily through every nook and cranny they can find, the mistletoe has begun to shake loose. Goats relish the taste of mistletoe and snap it up quickly when it falls.

The other afternoon little Taylor, one of the twin kids, ventured through the cattle panel by the gate to follow me while I fed the other creatures. (Shea, the other twin, is already having a hard time squeezing through the same openings. They grow so quickly.) I took a minute to watch her antics.

Mmm, tasty!

Even when time is tight, a minute stolen to watch the animals is invariably time well spent. They explore the world with an interest that we humans seem to lose periodically. Each blade of grass or nibbled branch appears new, fresh, and delectable. I do not believe I have ever seen a goat appear to be bored.

Taylor stayed down playing with her mistletoe until practically all the leaves had been devoured off of two separate branches. As soon as I moved to enter the upper portion of our farm, though, she quickly raced after me, eager to nurse should I put a doe on the stand. In another two weeks, she'll have her first taste of being weaned. The does need to gather strength for the kids in their wombs.