Things that have an ODOR...

My two female goats are in the mood for love. In the fall,lady goats have breeding cycles that occur every 18-22 days. If they are bred, and have kids, that will insure a steady supply of milk next year. I have looked into breeding my goats with a local buck. The timing is tricky. I would have to bring the girls to the buck at JUST the right time, and it would cost $50 to $100 per breeding. My friend also has some goats she wanted to find a "husband" for. We hatched the crazy idea that we would find a buck and buy him, let him breed all our girls, then sell him. Our goal was to spend $100. and split the fee. We've been searching the local swap paper for weeks. There are quite a few bucks out there for sale, but many were an awfully long drive from here. I found a very nice buck only 45 minutes from here, but the owner wanted too much money for him. Then she called me today and said, (in a rather frantic tone) "If you can come get him RIGHT NOW you can have him for $100." She is in the middle of a move, has a bunch of little kids and too many goats. Since we love a bargain, we were on the road mere moments after her call.

We don't own a trailer, and didn't want to put the buck in the truck bed, because it wouldn't be safe. So we did what we could and put him the back "seat." Now, buck goats are known to have a rather strong odor, (ever heard the term, "Smells like a goat?") especially during the breeding season. When bucks are in "rut" they advertise their sexual availability by spraying their urine on their faces and front legs. It has a very strong musky odor. I had heard how dreadful the scent is, but I had no real frame of reference. So, today, we met the seller at her lovely barn, buckled a collar around the bucks neck, and with the help of some grain convinced the new boy goat to hop into the back seat of the truck. When I climbed into my seat I said to my husband, "That does not smell too bad...." He looked at me, eyes watering and said, "Are you KIDDING? I feel like I've been maced." About that time the scent hit me. It was so strong it made my head ache. We rode home with the windows down and the heat on. To his credit, the buck was a perfect gentleman. There were no potty problems in my truck, no leaping about, no sound effects.

The girls thought the new guy smelled rather intoxicating! They all are getting along famously. There is a problem, however. The horse, which gets along beautifully with the female goats, thinks the new guy needs to be killed. Right now. There is a lot of running and yelling and upset going on. So, for now, I have the horse and goats separated. I am hoping things will settle down. If not, I am going to have to come up with a "Plan B."

So, today I had a crash course in goat keeping, and a reminder that when dealing with livestock, things never go just exactly as planned. And I became acquainted with a scent that I really could live without. "Smells like a goat." That term is one I will no longer use loosely. It is the sort of scent that crawls into your brain and makes things there hurt.