It’s a disease that is carried mainly by cats and rodents, sometimes even birds. So the cat eats the mice/birds, then sleeps in the hay or does a poop near the sheep. The sheep eat the hay, or graze the grass near the cats business. Boom, dead lambs. From what the vet told me, it’s difficult to prevent, and there is no way to treat it. It’s basically chicken pox for sheep. After having been infected, they develop an immunity and go on to have healthy lambs in the following seasons. Knowing this didn’t make it any less sad to lose the four that we did. Other livestock owners have all told me not to be distraught, that having livestock also means sometimes having dead stock. Knowing that also doesn’t make me feel any better. You see losing a critter especially a baby makes you feel like you failed the animals. Or at least that’s how it makes me feel. I love my sheep, and losing them, even the ones I didn’t get a chance to pester with my love, is heartbreaking.
In their typical manner, the animals did not care about my sadness. They all still need to be fed and snuggled and pestered.
Good things happened here too. Dylan filled my heart with joy when he bought me dwarf goats.
This is Cher, trying to spark fear into Bella’s heart.
Gardening with goats is better than gardening without.
This precious boy is Chaz.
We got one female, she’s black with a little bit of white, I named her Cher. Obviously.
Her twin brother is Chaz, he’s a little grey and white precious baby.
The brown goat doesn’t yet have a name. So far I call him, Tiny goat friend, precious goat baby etc.
In June we pick up another unrelated boy, his name will be Sonny. Of course.
The puppies seem to think the goats are their best friends, the goats feel much differently. The puppies try to play and scare the pants off the goats, the goats run, the puppies chase. Then the goats stop running and jump up to do some kind of drop attack like they’re Hulk Hogan. This scares the pants off the pups and they run. Goats chasing. I still haven’t quite figured out if this is a weird goat game or if the pups are actually at risk of giving my goats a heart attack. Bella loves them, she tries to groom them they also do not like that. Bella gets the drop treatment as well.
Rocky and the goats have a good thing going, they completely ignore each other. Harmony.
We also welcomed a new baby yak bull to the farm, he is the first calf for both Elizabeth and Cameron. He is precious and lovely and I love him.
This weekend we will have to pull him to get him vaccinated and tagged, and banded. Cher be with us. Elizabeth is a very attentive and protective Mama. Fingers crossed we make it through.
Send me your name suggestions for my little brown goat!
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