The Learning Curve

Wild Rose and Shrinking Violet checking out the fencing

Rose getting a face rub - another minute and her eyes will roll backwards

My first week of goat ownership is over and there have been many lessons learned.  

• measure your goat before building a milking stand.  Also consider the size of the door it will have to go through to get into place.
• baby goats are contortionists and can squeeze themselves out of tiny gaps in their pen
• don't let the feed dish run empty while milking a nervous Nellie
• you can't pull a goat anywhere - don't even try you'll just end up with a sore shoulder
• you can bribe a goat with raisins - keep a supply in your pocket
• once tamed with raisins be prepared for bruising from baby goat affection.

I think I'm out of the steepest part of the learning curve now. Milking has been going better every time. The kids have warmed up to us. In fact the wild Rose thinks she is a lap goat. 

Now I just have to convince Nellie that leaving her pen is good idea. The kids go bounding out into the field without a problem but Nellie still gets spooked easily.