Animals

All Dressed Up and Nowhere To Go

October is here, and love is in the air.

Yes, it's once again mating season here at Bee Haven Acres.

Our male fainting goats, Chip and Fred, have turned into blubbering fools...

pacing the fence with their tongues hanging out.

Testosterone has gotten the better of them,

resulting in daily head-butting skirmishes

that leave Fred frozen in the most uncomfortable positions.

It's obvious that Chip is the dominant buck.

Don't worry, Fred....

we have a lovely young lady picked out especially for you!

Fred is matched with Nettie B (brown and white in foreground).

Chip will be covering both Myrtle and Missy.

O'Malley, Sally, and Sissy will have the year off.

They delivered their kids this past spring.

So, with 6 does, we alternate 3 does each year.

For those of you joining us for the first mating season,

let me fill you in on buck mating behavior.

First of all, the bucks spray their beards, chests, and front legs...

( beards recently trimmed off...for cleanliness reasons)

with a liberal amount of cologne (i.e. musky goat urine).

Then they parade back and forth along the fence sticking their tongue out and making

a repetitive noise known as blubbering.

Supposedly, females find this attractive.

But, for the life of me, I just don't get it!

It is entertaining to watch, though.

Even Sophia thinks so.

She is camped out here in the breeding pen.

Sophia was a stray that we took in last summer.

Dr. Becky spayed her (we think she might be Leo's mommy)

and we decided to keep her at our barn.

Sadly, she did not get along with our Bobby (barn cat) and so was moved to Dr. Becky's garage.

Eventually she moved into Dr. Becky's house and now she comes and goes at will....

spending her days outside and sleeping in the house at night.

Yesterday was hoof trimming day for the mini horses.

Every few weeks I rasp their hooves and shape them.

Here's Red....coiffed and trimmed.

Isn't he lovely?

And how about those eyes?

We call Red our carousel horse.

To give you a better idea of our mini horses' size,

here is Ollie next to Moonbeam.

Although Moonbeam is large, he is not that tall at about 15 hands.

Ollie is tiny next to him!

I never worry about my small horses being in with Moonbeam.

He is a very gentle, very sweet natured fellow.

I often find all five of them crowded into one stall together....

best buddies!

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Animals