Alice has always been odd man out in my little herd of snobby goats. She did have Semi-Sweet but when Semi-Sweet was with the rest of the herd she forgot about her adopted daughter. Alice was bullied with Semi-Sweet as the bystander. She wasn't allowed to eat with the rest of the herd and was T-boned when she dared to get any attention.
Maybe it was the no-ears thing, who knows. It was hard to watch.
So Alice hollered. And hollered. And hollered. When I saw the neighbor out on a walk we got to talking and the subject of my goats came up. She mentioned that the little LaMancha was hollering a lot. After I got over my shock of her knowing what a LaMancha was, I lamely explained that Alice was a bottle baby and was hollering when she saw me. She told me her bottle babies never acted like that and it wasn't just me she hollered at. It was everyone that happened outside. Since I am always on some sort of guilt trip, I felt guilty for disturbing the neighborhood. Never mind that I have to listen to all the noises all my neighbors make, I still felt guilty every time she started in on her song of woe. I left her in with them because they were never going to get used to each other if I kept taking her out. She would never learn to get along. So I hardened my heart and the neighbors would just have to get ear plugs.
A month ago I brought Buttons and Reese home and put them in the nursery pen. They were settling in nicely while Alice continued to voice her distress in the next pen. One night I couldn't stand it any longer and walked into the pasture and grabbed Alice's collar to lead her into the nursery pen.
But she led me.
She marched me right over to Buttons and Reese and got down to the business of eating with them, side by side by side. From that moment on she has not hollered once. Not once. She is content to be part of this new herd where she can be the boss of Reese and Buttons can be the boss of her...in a gentle way. They have been dubbed "The Buttons Trio" by the goatfarmer.
There is just one problem. Reese. She has taken over the position of town crier.
8 comments:
Your goats are beautiful! I'm glad Alice is happy with her new "herd".
Nancy in frozen Iowa
I currently have an odd goat out in my herd as well, I never knew goats could be so cliquish. I am not really sure what to do about it. Buttercup is her name and honestly she seems depressed. Hopefully she just got bred and will have a little one in a few months to occupy her time. I laughed at your shock that your neighbor knew what a La Mancha was.
Wow, your Lamancha sounds just like ours! She`s the odd goat out as well! They really are cliquish things aren`t they?
I love them! I am glad that they got themselves sorted!
Goats are so funny!They are like a bunch of snobby high school cheerleaders with their little groups!OK cheerleaders combined with the wrestling team since if snobbing doesn't work they resort to butting!I am glad Alice has found happiness!
Well, sad as that is, at least Reese doesn't sound like Boo. Boo sounds like a sick elk. In fact, it is so bad that when the goatmother first got her, the neighbor girl came galloping up on her horse because she thought someone was yelling for help. Oy. Be careful what you wish for indeed.
awww, that about broke my heart. Poor baby.
Should be "Cute as a Button Trio" ! I'm so happy Alice has a herd of her own now.
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