Thursday, April 12, 2012

So long, Pan

I just got back inside from letting the goats out to graze.  I put each of them on a 20'ish foot long lead and hook them to either a tree or a t-post around the property where I can see them from either the front of back porch.

Since their pen has basically been grazed to little nubs, the only grass they get is hay while they are penned up in there, so I like to put them out on fresh grass for several hours every day.  Saves on hay that I would otherwise have to buy and it keeps some of the weeds at bay.  


Anyways, I had clipped Nettie, Annette and Chop Suey to their respective grazing areas and then went to get Pan.  He gets really anxious when he sees me coming with the lead rope and today was no different; except that the bastard rammed the gate when I stooped down to unclip the bottom hook and knocked me down.  So does the jerk go running to the does or greener pastures?  No.  He just stays far enough out of my reach so I can't get the lead on him and starts rearing up as if to butt me.  We play this game for a few minutes and then I finally just kneel down and wait for him.  And the &%@!* comes charging at me.  I figured he would try this so I was ready.  Jumped on the bugger and wrestled him to the ground, which although he is a Nigerian Dwarf goat, was no easy task.  After many scrapes, loud cussing, having the wind knocked out of me (I'm still panting as I type this) and finally getting him in a headlock and on the ground, I got the leash clipped to his collar and gave him a good crack or two with the end of it.  (Go ahead, call PETA on me, maybe they'll take him away from me.  I wish.)


I still put him out to pasture even though I told him that he didn't deserve it.  Sweet, green, lucious grass is only for good goats, and he is definitely not a good goat.  I'm finished wrestling with him.


We inherited Pan and Ishtar from a friend of ours that was moving and no longer wanted to keep goats.  Ishtar was Nettie's first kid, and Pan was a buck that my friends got suckered into taking for free.  After two years of putting up with Ishtar's Iron Fist Herd Queen antics, I finally had enough and sold her to another goat farm.  After Ishtar was gone, the goat yard was much more peaceful.


Now Pan's time has come.  I only have Nettie and Annette for my milking does and I think that they will be our only milkers for a while.  We just don't need all the milk, nor the expense of keeping additional goats.  Since we will only be breeding two does for the near future, it no longer makes sense to keep a buck goat, let alone a buck goat that I was
this close to putting a bullet between it's eyes just a half-hour ago.  I don't care that he's a purebred Nigerian Dwarf.  I don't care that he throws beautiful kids.  I just want him gone.  And I'll just deal with having to find a buck for Nettie and Annette come breeding time in the fall.

A friend of Paul just got a LaMancha goat and her two kids and said he may be interested in Pan for Mini-Mancha kids.  I'm going to tell him what a stinker he is and let him decide if he still wants him.  If he doesn't want him, I'm going to put an ad in the freebie paper for a Buck Goat.  Cheap.

16 comments:

  1. Oh my, yes I guess his time has come!!!

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  2. I feel your pain (it will hurt worse tomorrow, trust me!) I wish I could rent-a-buck at breeding time, unfortunately I'm not in "goat country" so that option is out. I do love my cattle prod, though! Bye-bye Pan...

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  3. Ya know, animals that just aren't cooperative and/or controllable shouldn't be messed with. Okay, so he's only a little goat but you could be seriously injured by him. What if during your wrestling match, you had broken a wrist or rib or worse? And think about your daughter if Pan got out unexpectedly and he gave her a good butt with his head. Nope, you made a good decision. Good-bye, Pan. (And I love goats!)

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  4. Those small goats are incredibly strong and wriggly! It's like wrestling a greased pig. Ask me how I know. It is definitely time for him to move on down the road.

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  5. One advantage to having a large number of animals like I do you tend to not get real attached to them personally and it is easier to make the decision when it's time to replace them. Good luck, and yes a broken arm is or other injury is no fun.

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  6. Bye Pan! I got rid of our buck, Wang, as he had a bad habit of knocking down fences and bullying all the does over feed. Got rid of Red, the psychotic rooster, because, dammit, he was TOTALLY psycho! (I have the scars to prove it!)
    Life is too short to deal with uncooperative domestic animals!

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  7. I can say from personal experience that ground goat meat is fantastic!!! Especially when said 9ish year old goat recently gave you a concussion and a broken nose... :) Worked out well for us.

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    1. I meant to say gave me a concussion and broken nose... Oops. :)

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  8. We got two bucklings out of Tease. Wish you were closer, I'd give you one of the little guys. They have good lines, and my Saanen bucks are really laid back.

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  9. HAHA!!! Sorry he knocked you on your rear, but that really made me laugh out loud. Hahahaha. Sorry! I hope your keester isn't too bruised.

    As for the goat mating... I know with horses, the uh, goods can be ordered from the owner of the stallion, and well, you know how the rest of that turkey baster baby making goes. Can you do the same with goats? Or can you rent one like a bull and they just, do their business?

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  10. Ouch. I just got back from an all day conference on pain management so I'll give you two words of advice- ibuprofen and ice.
    Sorry to hear Pan is giving you trouble but you're right, he's gotta go. I'm having serious thoughts about our rooster. He's just being a jerk lately.
    Hope you feel better.
    Judy

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  11. Carolyn Renee,
    OMG, I know I'm not suppose to laugh, but they way you presented the story made me laugh so hard. Now on a serious note, I'm glad your okay and didn't get hurt. Agreed, it's time for Pan to go.

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  12. If you are only breeding two does, Rent-A-Buck is definitely the way to go. That is what I have done for the past four years AND you only have to feed the stinkers for a month or so! :) Glad you weren't seriously hurt.

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  13. We had a Nigerian buck like that once. Im sure he made someone a nice dinner when we got rid of him. Lol. ( I dont even feel bad about that.)

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