While many people stranded at home by COVID took up hobbies like bread making, gardening or crafting, I got goats. In my defense, when the country shut down for COVID in March, 2020, we had only been on the farm for 7 months, and goats had been on my ‘to do” list even before we arrived here in August, 2019. So it wasn’t just COVID that lead to the goats. But COVID helped the idea along, and there is no question that having two young goats provided a welcome distraction in the midst of the fear and uncertainty of that time.
When the breeder I had reached out to the previous winter contacted me the first week in March, 2020, to let me know that one of her does had just delivered twins, a doe and a buck, I told her we were not ready. We were waiting on the planned repairs on the old timber frame barn that were to begin later that spring. But it quickly became obvious that the repairs were not going to happen as planned, while the country hunkered down and figured out how to stay safe. Instead, with plenty of time on my hands, I undertook some modifications on an old shed, previously a duck house, and we replaced the chicken wire fence with cattle panels, so the young goats could join us. In early April Isadora (Izzie) and Ichabod (Icky) came home. Upon their arrival, the first thing on the agenda was lunch. Izzie and Icky were bottle babies, so they knew just what to do with the bottles of milk we offered. We then took a little stroll around the yard. Well loved and attended to by the children at their original home, they were very comfortable with people and happily explored, running and jumping but staying close by. They were having fun, and were a blast to watch! That was followed by a little cuddling. (Have you ever seen a baby goat? Cuddling is a must!)
Then, with the humans ready to get on with farm chores, and eager to introduce the goats to their new abode, we put the pair into their goat yard, along with a few items that they could climb around on and jump off of. However, our attempts to leave them there were greeted by piercing cries of abandonment , and Izzie, much smaller than her brother, immediately popped right through the fence to reach us. This was followed by further distress when she realized that although she had been successful in her endeavor to join us, she had separated herself from brother Icky, who was too big to fit through. Realizing that Izzie’s ability to escape meant that it was not safe to leave them in their yard yet, and not wanting to make the goats spend their first day with us locked in a dark shed, we decided to let Icky out to join her. Having identified us as their new herd, the kids stayed close by, happily playing and learning to eat real food by munching on plants in the yard. They kept on eye on us, following us faithfully from place to place while we did chores, crying out and running around looking for us if we got out of sight. They stayed with us outside until they had had dinner and then we tucked them into their shed to rest until morning, when they joined us again. And that is how they spent their first days with us.
Fortunately, baby goats grow quickly, and it was only a couple of days before Izzie could no longer wiggle her way through the fence. After that we could safely leave them in their yard when needed.
Not surprisingly, the goats much preferred the original plan of spending the whole day with us, and when not with us, they would stand in their yard, looking for us (including learning to watch for us through the kitchen window) and calling to us plaintively whenever we were in sight. But we all eventually adjusted to the new routine (although they do still call to me whenever they see me!). Those first few days taught us that the goats were faithful followers. As such, they continued to join us for long walks on the back 40, with no concerns for losing them. And so, goat walks were born.
The two goats are now four, with the birth of Gaia and Luna this spring. But even on busy days, a morning and evening “goat walk” with the dogs, Izzie, Uncle Icky and the new kids, is still a treasured part of our day. And in the rare instance we have reason to miss one, the goats are quick to reprimand us for our “neglect”. Come walk with us sometime! You might decide you want COVID goats too!
