Buck in a truck and other guests...

 When I got the new little Nigerian Dwarf goats last summer, I planned to breed them in the fall as I had with other goats in the past. Then I found out I was to get a new knee in late April, which would be right about when the kids arrived. Since I will be recovering from surgery, I didn't want to saddle extra work on my patient husband and daughter, so I put my plan on hold. That made me a little sad. Not only would we miss out on the fun goat kids provide, but there would also be no milk. 

 Then a customer came in, walking normally and seeming to feel just fine, and told me she had her knee replaced a mere three weeks before!  This gave me courage, and I arranged to borrow a buck for some romantic interludes with my lady goats. One nice thing about this goat breed is that they come into season all through the year, not just in the fall, like most other types. I figured I'd be in good shape for extra goat chores by summer, so I went to work putting a breeding plan into action. 

 Borrowing a buck goat was a little more complicated than you might imagine. First, I had to find one whose owner was willing to share. Next, he needed to be registered and have a clean bill of health. Then I had our veterinarian out to do various blood tests on my lady goats to ensure they were perfectly healthy and would not spread any illnesses to the dude when he was here.  It took a few weeks for the tests to come back. There were storms to work around, too, but yesterday, Chris and I finally hopped in the truck and drove an hour to the dairy. The lady had offered me a plastic dog crate for transport, which was ready in the parking area. She stuffed it full of hay, and while I was still digging money out of my wallet to pay for the loan, she quickly scooped a hairy, odiferous male goat into the crate. We covered the vents with sheets of cardboard and banked the crate in bales of hay to keep the wind off while we drove.  Wyatt the buck laid down in the deep hay and rode quietly over snowy roads all the way to FairWinds. The day before, I read the book Sheep in a Jeep to the Owlet about 15 times, so all the way home, I invented rhymes about "Buck in a Truck" for my very own story. 

Chris was concerned about getting him from the truck to the pasture without him becoming frightened and confused and trying to escape. I knew that one of my does was in season, and I figured that if Wyatt saw goats when he was unloaded and got a whiff of the pheromones Plenty was emitting, he'd quickly become enamored and have no thoughts of bolting. So I got a little grain and lured the ladies out of their cozy, through the snow, and to the gate. While they were noshing on the unexpected snack, I opened the crate. Wyatt surveyed the group of does before him, inhaled deeply, stuck his tongue out to taste the air, and grunted a happy sound. Then, he hopped off the tailgate and joined his new lady friends. 

He is the brown and white spotted guy on the left above. 

Plenty was in the mood for love. Here she is, smiling a thank you at me. 

There was barely a civilized greeting before Wyatt went to work, ensuring I would have some baby goats to love this summer. Then he yawned deeply. A long ride and then a job to do. 

Plenty couldn't get enough of him, rubbing her face in his smelly beard and flirting shamelessly. 

I left the dogs inside while we introduced the goats and settled them. When I let them out, Bravo raced to the goat cozy. He could smell that buck and wanted to check him out. There was some barking, sniffing, and reassurance from me that all was well before he decided things were okay. 

We have another visitor, too. A cute Australian Shepherd. He lived nearby when he was a pup and regularly comes for grooming. He and Bravo have been friends for years. Now he is with us for a while during his family's vacation. He has made himself right at home, and there is a lot of running, chasing, playing, and fun inside and out. 

There is nothing like visitors to spice up the cold days of winter.