I have been very frustrated with Spikey, my purebred Nubian buckling, and his unwillingness to take on the big, fat Nubian girls I want him to breed. Without babies born, goats don't produce milk. Just like most other mammals. It's not Spikey's fault. If he was a full grown Nubian buck he would "persuade" the girls to give it up. Spikey is young and rather runty. When Fancy, Matilda and Janey kicked sand in his face, Spikey turned his attention to my angora goats who are smaller, sweeter, and more cuddly. Not a match made in heaven. A dairy goat bred to a mohair producing goat is neither here nor there, and I love my mohair. We caught Spikey several times "out of bounds," that is, out of his pen and in with my "choke" angoras. I can barely talk about it. I just hope nature did not take it's course. We had to resort to desperate measures and tie Spikey in the Nubian goat pen on a long lead. It took a bit of getting used to, but he adjusted, grudgingly. I was about to offer Spikey to the local Indian restaurant when I witnessed a beautiful thing night before last. I was feeding my English Angora rabbits when I saw Matilda, big three year old Nubian doe, standing very still next to Spikey. To my delight, little Spikey reached up as far as he could, stretching himself to maximum height and length, to mount Matilda. She didn't move and turned her head to look lovingly behind her, at Spikey. He jumped down, then repeated the process at least SIX times before I went back in the house. I noticed yesterday that Spikey was looking very tired and lying down in the hay. Fancy, my other purebred Nubian doe, was standing next to him, as if to say, "It's my turn." I suspect I will be having Nubian babies around the beginning of May, and lots of goat milk. Lambs will come starting in March. I will be a busy girl. The barn will be full of life, as it should be.
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1 comment:
Good work Spikey
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