The Goat Lady

On one of my previous post a commenter asked for advice on goats. One thing is for sure, I love to give advice. But lately I am feeling like my goat knowledge could fit on the head of a pin. I have had goats almost my whole life and was very involved with 4H as a kid but I am starting to realize I don't know so much.
So as far as goat advice goes, aside from the fact that you need good fences and a shelter, you also need a goat lady as your mentor. I have been fortunate to have had help from some very willing and knowledgeable goat ladies in my life.
Now I'll admit it...I'm a wus when it comes to things like castration and dehorning and have paid people to do it for me so I will never be classified as a true goat lady until I can do those jobs myself. Thus I stay only a goatgirl.
A goat mentor is essential. She is someone that doesn't mind being woken up when your goat is kidding and you are in a panic. She will drop everything to come to your house to look at your goat that is "dying" when it is only constipated. She always has the right medicine and utensils to get the job done...whatever that may be.
You may notice that I say "goat lady" because I have yet to meet a "goat man"...it doesn't even sound right.
Goat man....naaaa....doesn't work. Kind of scary.
My current goat lady is the goatfarmer at Herron Hill. She really hasn't been into goats that long but her knowledge far surpasses my measly on the surface goat husbandry.
And she's funny. I like funny.
Last Friday I went to pick up Semi-Sweet after staying several days in the honeymoon suite. She had a good time but was eager to get back home. On returning home I noticed that she was all hunched up and straining to urinate and poo. She looked like she was birthing kids every time she tried to go potty. The poor girl stood around looking very miserable. So true to my nature I worried. I knew for sure she had a kidney stone that was blocking her urethra.
She was sure to die.
I should tell you this is very rare in does. They do get urinary calculi but their plumbing is different than the boys and are able to pass them where the boys get blockages. But at 3am it is hard to remember that part.
I got very little sleep that night and was relieved to see her still among the living the next morning. She was still eating and drinking so that was a good sign. But the other end was the problem....so I called the goatfarmer.
Well she had goat problems of her own but true to the "spirit of the goat lady" she rushed over to my place to look at Semi-Sweet. And she brought drugs!
After looking Semi-Sweet over and taking her temperature she explained to me, a middle-aged woman that has been married forever and has given birth, that probably 5 days in the honeymoon suite might make a girl a bit sore "down there"

Can I hear a collective DUUUUH?

She gave Semi-Sweet a shot of relief and went on her merry way with a suggestion that I fatten up my does a bit.
And I thought they were too fat.

Semi-Sweet is doing much better today and almost back to her old self. I was never so relieved to see her T-bone Filbert for getting in her way.


As for goat advice...find a goat lady. They are worth their weight in gold.