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One by one…Goat by goat

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i was very dissatisfied about yesterday's Goat post.  it really didn't say much.  so, i'm thinking, Goat by goat.

This is Sunny Ray.  pic taken last month.   Son of Ginger, brother to Cinderella.  first batch born here,  April 17th.  Although we haven't sent dna info to UC Davis yet,  it's almost a sure thing he is Gideon's.   His color and also his temperament.  Loving, peaceful, engaging.  Because of these things he would make an excellent herd sire for someone.  You can see his "horns".  these are scurs, deformed continuation of growth after he was dis~budded. 

Sunny Ray got sent to live with the Big Boys the day that Snowbunny was having a very difficult labor in August.  What i have learned since then is that he dealt with his Fear by racing around the doe/kid pen displaying all instinctive buck behaviors he could imagine at 4 months.  I hadn't gotten used to those Buck things yet and found him totally intolerable and half way through the delivery,  grabbed him out and put him in with the 3 mature bucks.  Since then, he has spent his days as a Wether would there, a castrated male.  Which is as a companion to the bucks who pretty much receives all the attention that a doe would get if one was available.  All the vocalizing commands…move here, NO!, over there, no! here,  snorting and the sneeze/spitting, the constant attention.  It's taken these months, but i no longer have the same response.  They are simply being the best that they know to be.   And if he were not at the bottom of the "pecking order",  his behavior would be exactly the same to a younger buck or a wether.   He escaped castration because his testicles were too large for the ring size bands we had.  It was supposed to happen later but later didn't come.   Maybe it's karma.   But he's worth keeping whole, again…his Willingness.  That goes a long way,  goat or human.

i need to regularly take him out from the buck pen and let him experience that sweet side.  he needs to be handled,  he needs a bath.  he needs his hooves trimmed.  he needs regular and individual love to be the herd sire i hope for him.   So, this is Sunny Ray.

 

 

 

 

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34 responses to “One by one…Goat by goat”

  1. handstories Avatar
    handstories

    this understanding of each goat is a wonder. i’m imagining a picture book, a page full of each of them.

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  2. grace Avatar
    grace

    i’m glad i decided to do this. i debated. but it all has such less
    meaning any other way. each is an individual and All create their
    Herd. then factor in me, and it’s the Real story of it.

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  3. elizabeth fortes Avatar
    elizabeth fortes

    Grace: Your connection to the goats has been circumstantial and serendipitous at the same time: it is so mysterious! The goats continue to inspire you to face them and yourself. On a daily basis they bind you to the Earth. They challenge and they give, they produce worries and they give pleasure. They’re amazing. If this is not the Unknown, I don’t know what it is. You’ve been called to respond and you have. You’ve been called to think and you have. You’ve been called to tell us about them and yourself – your new relationship and here we are, listening, watching, observing,accompanying you. Here we are: learning so much from your journey! Not an easy and objective one but this is where the larger Mystery Lives! This is your life and this is the one journey that keeps on inspiring us all ! This is your ART , Grace! You bring your life(s) alive to us, in your words and pictures. Never simple but oh, so real and always so inspiring! Thanks again, and much,much Love to you and the goats! e.

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  4. jude Avatar
    jude

    oh. better.

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  5. Susan C Avatar
    Susan C

    There’s something fairy tale about him. Elfish or wizardly, he’s lovely.

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  6. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    i may need your permission to quote that comment.
    right now, i just need to Live it.
    and yes..it is a mystery.
    there is a young man, a neighbor boy, who feeds the
    horses in the next door pasture in the owners absentia.
    all day, i thought, maybe him. maybe i can hire him
    a little at a time to help. and on the way home from
    walking the Away People’s dogs, there was his truck.
    parked to feed the horses. i skid to a stop, dust
    floating. would he be interested? yes. ok. an hour
    at a time. just stuff i can’t do, like dragging the 8ft
    pieces of plywood, dealing with the 14ft panels of tin,
    and now, i can haul more pallets home. all this for the
    buck pen. in two weeks, snow is predicted. the does
    are good. the bucks…not…and because they are opinionated, who knows what they will accept as shelter?
    it will take 2 weeks to try things out, rearrange, mend.
    but i need to know i have tried my best. then i can let
    it go. until then, Not.
    your comments mean a lot…love to you, Elizabeth,

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  7. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    yup. and when you haven’t done your Best, there is that
    creepy feeling.
    Better, now.

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  8. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    Elfish, yes. Elfish so far. but he is his father’s son.
    Next i will do Gideon.

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  9. Jacky Avatar
    Jacky

    I enjoyed getting to know Sunny Ray …hearing his story. He has such a lovely face and eye Grace. Herd sire, now that is something for him to aspire too.
    Are you still milking some of the does. Goats cheese is beautiful too.
    Glad you are getting some help with the heavy lifting and lugging. Must ease your mind knowing you are getting things right for the bucks for winter.
    Thanks for sharing the goats with us.
    Jacky xox

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  10. grace Avatar
    grace

    Jacky…i can do that lugging, but it takes days, inching
    along. and i am working to find the middle ground with
    Cloth and Goat. i am unwilling to give Cloth time up.
    Share, yes. but give up, no. so, it’s a dance.
    Milking, no. Goat cheese, oh yes, yes and yes. but till
    spring, what i needed to do more was to establish this
    comfort between us. Maybe it’s more for me?, than them?
    but whatever, it was/is important. Now, Arctica will come
    to the fence when i put my fingers there. She touches me.
    this is a BIG deal. it’s her i’d like to breed. and so,
    Her milk in the spring. But it will take
    Time.
    we’ll see.
    thanks for sharing you words of comment. it’s GOOD.
    love

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  11. Deb G Avatar
    Deb G

    This is very, very good. And it seems to me, just like working with children, needing to know them both as an individual and how they function as part of the group, to help them be successful…

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  12. Marti Avatar
    Marti

    Happy that you are doing this, introducing the goats to us on an individual basis because I have only had a collective sense of them since I know nothing of goats, herds, etc. In introducing them to us, you yourself come to know them in a deeper way as you choose the words that make them become more than images on a screen to us, especially as I mentioned those of us with no experience of having goats in our lives. At one time, neither did you and now look at what you know, what has come intuitively, what has come from a lot of hard work, a lot of caring. I could feel Sunny Ray’s breath, part of that is the closeup photo, most of that is how you tell us who he is. I think one time you said that Jenny said it is important to maintain a distance, maybe not get personal but how can you not…

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  13. patricia Avatar
    patricia

    this is all so good. goats/cloth as metaphor for life! and speaking of life, have you bred yet for spring births?

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  14. jude Avatar
    jude

    my life was full of those. i am practicing.

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  15. saskia Avatar
    saskia

    seeing them as individuals is a good thing; I just love how you talk about them and how you share your life with them; I wonder what they make of us humans, if anything?
    do you feel they connect with you, or could you be just anybody?
    You mention Arctica does come to you, so maybe….yes for her at least, you too have become an individual.
    A lot of what you say about how they interfere with cloth, reminds me of life with my boys! And for them I know I’m important as their mother, giving them a reference map for the rest of their lives, for better or worse, and they Teach me so much, I do believe I learn more from them than the other way around, anyway I’m rambling (am tired) love to you, you make me happy through witnessing this life of yours

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  16. Valerianna Avatar
    Valerianna

    Quite something, to intuit so much about him. One needs to know oneself deeply to figure out another, I think…

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  17. mimmin dove Avatar
    mimmin dove

    So good to meet Sonny Rae properly. He looks very gentle and thoughtful. I think we all need to experience that sweet side, and need to be handled/hugged. The goats will grow to love and trust you because of how you are. Animals just know. x

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  18. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    i think that practic goes on forever. and it’s O K.

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  19. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    it is. but also it is something else that is hard for
    me to word.
    these, for the most part, are mature animals. in a lot
    of ways, i really sense them to be peers. just very
    different. i don’t know how to say much about that at
    this point. but it’s a very real thing to me.

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  20. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    i love that you say you could feel Sunny Ray’s breath.
    he loves to get right up, into your face. as does his
    father, Gideon. More the reason why i need to work out
    a way to get back to keeping them nice to be near, the
    bucks. right now, they are Not.
    it amazes me what you remember. yes. she did say that.
    and it was in regard to the fact that a person cannot keep
    all the goats as times goes on. Some need to be sold to
    other herds. and hopefully, they would be good additions
    to another herd. either for breeding or milking. She
    said that when she was in the beginning of establishing
    a herd. you breed for specific qualities, a doe to a
    certain buck. you keep the ones that have the qualities
    you are looking to achieve. others can be sold to herds
    that need the particular quality that you Don’t need.
    it’s really a science. but at a certain point, you have
    the herd you want. i don’t really know how that stands
    right now. She would. But also, the truth is, i or we
    do not need 13 doe goats. it’s a lot. a lot for this
    space and a lot to feed. it’s a minimum of $2oo a month
    for just alfalfa. and again…that’s because they are
    DAIRY goats. if i am not milking, or breeding, i can
    adjust what i feed them. let them rely more on “weeds”,
    Maybe…tho this is the first year here in 17 years that
    i find myself worrying i might not have “enough” weeds.
    anyway…more on all this as it goes along.
    so much to factor in. so much to Decide.
    and back to “personal”…you CAN be very personal with
    the goats you keep. not in a certain way with the ones
    you know you will sell. but you still need to establish
    relationships with them that they can transfer to the
    next person in their lives. This i am learning about.
    and Sunny Ray is very probably the one who will go off
    into the world.
    a lot here. and i appreciate your question because it
    draws forth certain thoughts that are important and that i
    need to become Clear on.
    xoxo

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  21. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    no. and that optimally would have occured in November.
    this month, December, for Sure. or
    we will just need to skip the whole year.

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  22. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    they very much relate. even now, if today my daughter
    would come, they would remember the sound of her voice
    and rush to see her. they don’t forget people.
    Arctica and Just Going are the only two that don’t let
    me initiate touch. both of them now are coming to the
    fence, touching with their mouths, my fingers. but won’t
    let me have physical contact when i’m among them. Little
    grace allows physical contact on her terms only. Otherwise, i can initiate contact, petting, brushing,
    etc with all the other does. Gideon would sit in my lap.
    as Sunny Ray. Tenzen has to be caught, but then is good.
    Buckwheat…no. no touch. which is not good. but Is.
    and probably will stay that way.
    i learn from so much. right now, i am still learning from
    my girl child who is 40. how to let it be, but be always
    Willing to touch. it’s really quite beautiful.

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  23. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    some is intuiting, but so much, he just SHOWS me. as
    they all do.

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  24. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    They will never have reason to be afraid, but also, for
    those who for whatever reason i don’t know, can they
    cross their own lines? we’ll see.

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  25. saskia Avatar
    saskia

    Okay so I misunderstood, they all but two do come to you, to be touched by you.
    Willing to touch, yes touching some other body goes beyond words, and often times means more; whenever my father holds me I can feel his love.
    our two sons are great huggers, they’re now again of an age that they don’t mind if others see them embracing their parents – they’re both taller than I am, so now I can feel their protection as well.

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  26. mimmin dove Avatar
    mimmin dove

    Yes, for some it may take a very long time but if they do manage it, the outcome could be wonderful.
    I emailed you a few days ago, did it come through? I hope it was ok to do that?! I have finally made the choice and signed up for a Jude class. I think after only looking in for a few minutes that it will be the first of many. I have ideas spinning already. Thank you so much for your encouragement. x

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  27. patricia Avatar
    patricia

    i’m remembering the first breeding we had. the doe was receptive but the buck was clueless as to which end was up. it started snowing and things really settled–sound was muffled–emotions were high. my sister started crying saying it all remind her of something out of Dr. Zhivago. i’m remembering now how freezing cold my hands were, the quiet, the white goats finally figuring it out–their pleasure and ours.
    btw, i have a blog now–http://followingthread.wordpress.com/

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  28. grace Avatar
    grace

    YES!…and yes i did get the great email and answered
    it i think last Sunday? The one filling me in on what
    your Art has been?, your classes? Did you send a new one?
    OH, which class did you choose????????????????
    Exciting!!!!! Tell!

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  29. grace Avatar
    grace

    this stop frame of that moment is stunning.
    one of the reasons i am
    SO HAPPY THAT YOU NOW HAVE A BLOG!!!! hoorAY! AND
    oh EEEE.
    it will, amoung so many possibilities, keep you working
    on your cloth. because we will be there, hoping,
    waiting….
    i am so glad. i’ve already left a comment. and why
    did you choose wordpress?

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  30. mimmin dove Avatar
    mimmin dove

    Ooh grace thank you for emailing me back but could you please resend your email as I did not get it? I chose the sun, moon and stars class to get me started and I am love it already. xxx

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  31. Wendy Avatar
    Wendy

    This is beautiful, Grace; I learn so much visiting here. Right now I’m fascinated by the relationship/difference between ‘knowing about goats’ and ‘knowing about this herd’. You have some generic understanding, derived in part from knowing this group of goats. But you have also learned from this group that every herd is unique. The idea that the general and the particular coexist in your herding practice is just so compelling!
    I also have to tell you that I taught a magnificent new ethnography this past term, about herding on the steppes in Mongolia, called Living with Herds from Cambridge UP (which makes it extraordinarily expensive). The book treats the human/animal relationship as coexistence that tips into collaboration; I couldn’t help but think of this idea reading here about your work with this herd. It’s just a beautiful thing how you communicate about this Grace.

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  32. grace Avatar
    grace

    i thought of your words this evening as i was out there.
    great huggers…
    and i don’t know, can’t know how they experience our
    physical contact. i do hug them, pull them close and
    they like it. some just like generic Close, others, Ona
    and Onday in particular like certain things. little
    Mercy just loves love. Anything. she’s FOR it.
    well…i’m getting ahead of myself.
    tonight the truck was inside the gate and i took it
    through and left to get this weeks bales of alfalfa from
    the neighbor who i buy from. left the truck door open
    and Chinche, the “normal” dog got in. i stood there,
    telling her to get out, she wouldn’t, and all the goats
    lined up along the fence and observed in total silence.
    a row of silent watchers. so.. dog and i left. when
    i returned and backed in to where i unload the bales,
    once again…all in a row watching. truck door open
    dog jumps out and Goats begin yelling. Calling for
    their picnic table time.

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  33. grace Avatar
    grace

    i went back to look again, and what happened is that
    i didn’t click send. it was sitting there in draft form,
    just as i’d left it????? so i sent it. not really
    exciting…

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  34. grace Avatar
    grace

    WENDY!!!!….tHANK YOU for bringing the book to my
    attention. i googled it, read about it, read a review
    and expensive yes, but i WILL get it. Will save up.
    She writes about what i FEEL is true and this is
    just BEYOND wonderful.
    THANK YOU THANK YOU. i wish i lived in proximity to
    your classes. how GREAT would that be….

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