Rocky

I never thought I’d be doing this post.  But that’s not really true.  From the moment Rocky came into my life, I’ve been petrified he’d get out and I’d never see him again.

Rocky and Sky grew up together

He’s been here for just over five years and only been outside three times.  The first time, he was just about a year old and he ran from me.  Finally, he went up the magnolia tree, and I managed to get him.  Once he crosses the threshold of the door, it’s like he’s that feral kitten we trapped five years ago.

Rocky

He escaped after the derecho in August, 2020.  He ran from me then, but after Bob came out and I rattled a bowl of food, he calmed down a bit.  When I picked him up, he clawed me and escaped again.  I managed to get him and put him in the pet taxi though.

Monday evening, he escaped again.  I saw him once, but he ran from me.  He took off past the garage and out to pasture.  I set a trap in the barn.  When I went to check it before bed, I spotted him in a hole in the hay, but he was panicking and I didn’t want him to run, so I stepped back and went to get the pet taxi.  I haven’t seen him since.

Rocky in bed with me while I was reading

I don’t think he’ll be back.  I swear it’s like I’ve held him prisoner for all these years and he’s always trying to find a way to sneak out and return to the feral life I rescued him from.

My heart is just breaking.

Good-bye Gidget

Late summer seems to be the worst for the goats and copper.  It is progressive and I have a lot of girls who have to be depleted, but I just don’t know how much.  After I weaned Gidget’s kids this year, she did well, but starting in August, she has just seemed to lose ground.  I shut her in for intensive feeding, and she seemed a bit better, so I let her rejoin the herd.  Within just a few days, I started to see a loss in weight.  By the time I shut her back in the Love Shack, she had bottle jaw again.  It was time to say good-bye because no goat wants to just be shut in alone.

Gidget van de Yell (24 Mar 2014 – 16 Nov 2021)

I will dearly miss this girl.  She was beautiful from the start.

Gidget

She was one of my beautiful spotted girls who came from Kizzy’s line.

Gidget, Blaze and Kizzy

She got her looks and her udder from her maa, Blaze.  They both had crazy udders with way too many teats.

Top Blaze with Duke and Duchess; Bottom Gidget with Andre

I wish I could go back in time, knowing about the lack of copper in my soil and treat them before it got so bad.

Hera and Gidget

She will live on through her girl Hera, and a lot of grandkids from Zeus.

Nature is Cruel

On August 2nd, I found several goose eggs that were left alone in the nest, and I could hear chirping.  I looked for the egg and found one that was almost weightless.  When I turned it over, there was a hole where the gosling had tried to get out.  I quickly finished peeling the shell away, and I found a tiny, wet cold baby.

straight out of the shell

I took it to the garage and put it under the heat lamp.  I wasn’t sure it would warm up and make it.

starting to get some strength

Goslings are tiny and fragile. It’s hard to successfully break out of the egg, and it’s even harder to survive once they make it out.  I got rid of the big, mean geese.  I had mom and baby in the chicken coop to keep it from getting stepped on by goats or llamas.  Being shut in kept it safe from hawks and raccoons and stray cats.

I was careful to make sure there wasn’t any water that it could get stuck in and drown.

I did everything I could to keep this little baby safe, but it wasn’t enough.  When I went out Friday morning, August 27th, I found that the gosling had been killed. Based on the evidence I found, I am guessing it was grabbed by a rat.

sweet little Floof: 2 Aug 2021 – 27 Aug 2021

My heart breaks for my momma goose. There was evidence that she tried to save her baby.

I will try to be extra nice to her. I’m giving her greens, and I put a pool in there for her.

I don’t know whether she would be happier staying in there with the birds or going out in the barnyard.

Hopefully, I’ll find a way to get her another nice companion.