The last few years, it seems like the goats have been on their best behavior for me getting them put into breeding groups. Not this year.
On Wednesday, I managed to get all but Antigone where they belonged after a ridiculous amount of work and chasing goats and bribing with food and having some fat wethers and Pretzel constantly in my way. I might have broken numerous fingernails, broke a blood vessel on the palm of my hand and smacked myself in the forehead with a cattle panel. But I got everyone where I wanted them!
Well, I did also adjust where I put Hera because she jumped over the fence somewhere in the process, and I decided she’d be more likely to stay up north.
I will say Benji and his girls were the easiest. Benji just followed Freddie into the buck room and stayed there while I led Freddie out and shut the gate.
Then, I just had to drag the little girls across the barnyard, and they aren’t as hard to drag as a big girl. And Chiffon came in the milk room without me even having to drag her!
Anyhow, Thursday I finished the process by getting Antigone where she belongs, so Xerxes has: Antigone, Zinnia, Joy, Hilda, Daisy, Athena, Penelope, Margarita, Ava, Astra, Cutie, and Joani.
I also put Caroline in with Xerxes, but she was on my “Do I? Don’t I?” list, so I didn’t give her a shot to bring her into heat. I guess I’ll just see if she comes into heat or not.
Freddie has: Flora, Aphrodite, Purl, Cupid, Hera, and Bubbles. I was actually going to put Hilda in with him again, but I was too tired to drag her that much farther across the barnyard.
Benji has: Venus, Chiffon, Trace, and 2TC
And I’m going to go out on a limb and call Bubbles the first one due for spring break kids! Freddie’s going to have a hard time getting to Purl if she stays up there.
Hopefully, most of them will come into heat.