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Australia
I ran away from teaching to the country to grow veggies. There are also some chooks and a pair of troublesome goats who were so much trouble they had to go! My simple green life isn't always as simple or as green as I'd like...but I keep trying!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Wooly goats

We have pulled on warmer clothes, stocked up on firewood and bought out the heavy doonas.

But what do goats do to keep warm?

Bazza and Bubba have both become quite wooly over the last couple of months.
When I let them out in the morning, Bazza's coat looks rough and is sticking up...
probably trapping warm air close to his body. 
Bubba looks like she has always looked.
But if I run my fingers through her fur it is long and dense. 
Nature looks after her own.





You may be wondering
why there has been a dearth of amusing anecdotes about the goats lately.  
This is a good thing!  
It means I have developed systems to manage them
with only occasional forays into the veggie garden.

Besides, Bazza is a dibber-dobber.  

If one or the other gets tangled, or Heaven forbid, if his sister gets off her chain,
Bazza lets the whole valley know about it.
So long as I respond to his calls, I am pretty safe.  
A couple of times I have ignored the ruckus,
or been too busy...and I have paid the price.
Last time it cost me the last of the season's corn.


As you can see from this photo, they have kept the grass down on the creek bank...
behind our house and our neighbour's (with the paling fence).
It isn't as neat as a lawn mower but much less work for moi.

Check out the bonfire my neighbour is helping me build
to burn one night in Winter when the grandchildren visit.

6 comments:

  1. 'are you allowed to light fires in Victoria Hazel, you are lucky nothing like a good bon fire. In South Auss we can't. Enjoy those goats they are so nice. Maybe you could pinch some of their wool to spin if that is possible with goats.

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  2. I think goats, like our sheep, eat and eat and eat to stay warm in addition to the extra coat. They also put on a little bit more fat. I don't want to go to that trouble to stay warm though.

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  3. Beautiful woolly goats gruff! So funny that baz tattle tales on his sister!

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  4. Hazel, I'm no expert in such things, but your livestock certainly looks in prime condition - must be the excellent diet they get. I've heard that goats are particularly fond of Asparagus. Can you confirm this?

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  5. Dear Mark,
    Fortunately I can NOT confirm that goats are particularly fond of asparagus. However, now that you have said it, I just know they will be over the fence and into it. Thanks a million!

    I don't know if we are allowed to have bonfires, JA...but it seem de riguer along this creek bank. Everybody saves up there garden cuttings and has a party. Not in fire season of course.

    Tracy I think I am part sheep. I certainly have my fair share of padding. LOL...I mean BAH!

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  6. Ooh, enjoy your bonfire..I couldn't resist and lit our first one today. The fire restrictions were lifted early in our area because of the wet summer. Will you save it for a winter soltice party?

    How wonderful both of your goats have warm coats..only one of ours does. The other, Muffin, well her coat is very, very sparse with thin wirey hairs and no fluffy undercoat. Poor thing! From time to time I ponder over making her a jacket to keep her warm in winter... :)

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