Funny, cute video-Sally the Mule meets Goat Kids

I've created a very funny story with clips of my beloved Sally the Mule interacting with the 2 darling new goat kids at harmony Farm in Washington state. It is about 5 minutes long and worth every second, if I do say so myself!

CAUTION: May cause smiles, laughter, or burst of joy. With regular viewing, you may experience inner happiness, appreciation, or added wellness. Watch at your own risk.


 

Trauma, dehorning goats, dogs, coyotes

It was time to do the goat dehorning bit.  The dehorning guy was on his way.  I had never witnessed this.  People and internet research both said that it was a painful process for the goats.  I sweated having to help with the dehorning, and the physical and emotional pain the goat kids would go through.  I knew I wouldn't contribute anything positive to the process and in my commitment to do what it takes to just feel good inside, THIS task was opposite of that.  How was I going to stay happy and not be internally traumatized hearing the goat kids scream in pain?

So, I thought of a brilliant solution.  When the goatman arrived, I offered more money to do the dreaded task without me.  He agreed, and the dogs and I left the property.  The dogs were in seventh heaven down the road at a rural area.  Their sniffing took them many places in joy.  I settled in to listen to happy recordings from my android.  After only about 20 minutes, a text chimed in.  The deed was done, I could come home again.

When I arrived back home, the goatman had already left and there was a down-ness feeling on the property.  The baby goats were cuddled up together in their doghouse with Momma Amber just outside.  I didn’t bother them, I figured they had enough trauma for the day.  I did notice that Sally and Ivan (mules) were nearby.  I had put Sally and Ivan in the furthest pasture away for this procedure, as I knew Sally would be affected by the goats desperate plea for help.  This was evidenced even before the procedure as I noticed Sally running the fence line in anxiety as the dogs and I drove off of the property.  During the procedure, Sally quickly figured out how to open that far gate to be able to go and protect “her” screaming goat kids.  I'm glad I was absent and didn't witness all of this.  

This morning when I went to feed, one of the goat kids were out of their pen. I went to get him back in and heard Dicky Doo, my dog, screach out a bark.  I knew what that meant and turned around to find a coyote chasing him.  Luckily Dicky was not the victim.  Instead, he had a moment of being chased and then became the aggressor, chasing the coyote off.  A dangerous place to be. I'm thinking the distress signals from the goats brought the coyote to the barn. I reinforced the goat fence for security. 

I’m not sure what the future holds for me and goats.  I do know that my dehorning days are over—even before it started.  There is the possibility of buying weanlings that already have had all these tough things done (dehorning, banding, shots, etc.), raising them for 6 months and then taking them to the market (can I even do that?)  Maybe I’ll find a goat partnership where they take care of the dehorning.  Or maybe I’ll just keep the four I have for life, like every other animal I get.  The livestock future is uncertain for this single, limited woman.