Where you have livestock...

Ever since I was a little kid I've wanted to be surrounded by animals. When I was 8 years old I begged my father for chickens, but never got them. When I finally did get birds a few years ago, I was heartsick when the first one died. My wise, livestock owning friend Marion said to me, "Where you have livestock, you eventually have dead stock." The regal Nova goat died today, 6 days after kidding. It has been a horrible week. I realized pretty shortly after she had her kids that something was very wrong. I sought advice from goat friends, my veterinarian, the internet and "the" goat bible. I won't go into details here, but I will say that we tried every single suggestion that we could try to help her heal. She got weaker every day, despite all of our efforts. I am left with her three incredibly beautiful babies. They are snuggled in a crate in the front room right how, and have taken to dining from a bottle with ease. I take them to work with me and they are a grand source of entertainment. I will miss her airplane ears, her slightly pushy attitude, and her wonderful milk. Chanel the mare will miss her, too. She has been calling for her all night. They were friends. If you think animals do not have friends, you are wrong. These two actively enjoyed each others company. It was plain to see, even our neighbors noticed and commented on it. I love the animals that surround me. I take the best care of them that I know how, and today I am deeply grieving the loss of a gentle spirit. I never knew I would grow to love a goat, but I did. Having livestock is a joy to me. Suffering the loss is more painful than I imagined. (**A special note of thanks to friends Marion and Scott, who came to our aid with shovels and kindness.)