The Escape!

LUNCH:

"Hey I am bored, lets go eat some trees Chards!"

CHARDONNAY:

"Okay!"

ROMEO:
"Hey Daisy, where are those two heading?"

DAISY:
"Don't know.... food probably!"

ROMEO:
"Well lets go!"

They head off & Merlot joins them not wanting to be left alone. Gorging on the small hemlock on the other side of the fence an idea pops into Chardonnay's brain!

CHARDONNAY:

"Hey I have an idea. Lets escape?! We have big old Romeo here & he can help us squash the fence down, so we can climb through & see if there are other things to eat on the other side."

ROMEO:
"Oh I don't know, he might come back with some sweet feed & we'll miss out!"

DAISY:
"I am with Romeo... whatever he decides."

LUNCH:
"Come on... are you scared or what? No wonder you are so easy to bully!!!!"

MERLOT:

"I'll do it! C'mon Romeo, being that big has to be useful in some way?"

Yep... all 5 escaped. I was about to attach the trailer to the Subaru & noticed that none of the goats had come to say hello. So I decided too see what they were doing. they were nowhere to be seen. I ran/hobbled down to the bottom of the field & there they were on the paved road outside of our neighborhood. I yelled but they were more interested in the hay & other exciting things outside of the fence. So I ran/hobbled up to the chicken coop & grabbed some sweet feed (grain with molasses). Then jumped into the Subaru (in case I had to secure some of them somewhere) & raced down. Once out they weren't that keen to come until they realized I had sweet feed. I let them have a little & then started walking back to our lane. Once on our lane I jogged up the road with the 5 goats in tow. Dan our neighbor, watch bewildered with the happenings! He didn't come out to help?? Anyway led them back inside & fed them the feed. Romeo had a good old cough from the run.

Anyway, looked for where they had escaped, but there was no obvious route. So I have no added another internal fence (I was planning to do this anyway) to keep them away from 2 places I think they may have escaped & the beautiful trees we have there. I then cut down all of the trees they ring barked as well.

I doubt they will escape again, but you never know?!

Escape!

NIGEL:

We aren't sure how it happened but.....

I was working on the computer upstairs & Susan, exhausted from a loooong week, was in a puppy sandwich on our couch downstairs. Suddenly Susan runs upstairs shrieking. "The goats are out!"

So we rush down & change into wet work gear & head outside. Sure enough, Romeo, Chards & Lunch were out! We aren't sure where they escaped but feel certain that they used weight to squash down the fence & climb over...especially as Romeo, who isn't athletic was one of them!

The good thing was they wanted back in, so Susan scooped some sweet feed & I loosened the fence enough so hopefully they would crawl back in. Lunch led the way along with Chards. Romeo squatted down on his knees & crawled but being much bigger was stuck. I grabbed his horns & pulled while really straining on the fence. After several small gains Romeo was back!

We wandered around the field to inspect the fence & the only place we suspect was down near the main public road! So we are grateful they wandered in Pete's (neighbor) field & back up towards the house!

Romeo

SUSAN:

Nigel the (AKA "Pimp") finally found a Boer billy goat through Buddy, a nearby neighbor who is an Ashe County native (NOTE: Should be a separate post to depict the conversation between Buddy & Nigel - very funny!). Apparently Buddy & his mate do not name the goats, so we named the billy Romeo in anticipation of his romantic moves with our girls! When Romeo arrived at our farm, he looked like a giant compared to our little girls.... I was very nervous for them! But, he has been so kind and calming to our little goat herd.

After they met, the Pimp started playing some Barry White & Marvin Gaye down at the compound to get Romeo and the girls in the "mood". Luckily the Pimp was given a goat book for Christmas so we learned that the girls go into heat every 18-23 days ... and a few days after Romeo's arrival, Merlot & Daisy started wagging their tails! I was standing right beside the gate and the Pimp was inside the coop when it first started. I said, "Nige, Romeo is about to get it on" and the Pimp nearly hurt himself rushing out for a look-see!!!!

The courtship/fore-play is very romantic and sweet, well except for one part with lots. Romeo shows his admiration for the girls by pulling his top lip back and throwing his head into the air, showing off his big teeth. This is not really very attractive (Nigel has been advised not to imitate). But, there's of sniffing, peeing & tail wagging a lot of licking of ears, smelling of bottoms, flirting and jumping (see photo of Daisy), and you can really tell that they LIKE each other!

NIGEL:

We are hoping & assuming that both Merlot & Daisy are now pregnant as Romeo (who was a little heavy for them went mounting) paid very close attention to both for the time they were in heat. He is very protective of Daisy which has been fantastic as the others do not constantly bully her.

He is calm, but makes it known who is boss, but definitely doesn't bully the others. He also likes scratches behind the horns which is how I have won his trust after both worming him & trimming his hooves!

Chards has not come into heat which is okay. We may have to return Romeo before she does which will be sad, as the chooks like Romeo as well.