Goats

     So about 3 months ago we decided to get a couple of baby dairy goats, which we intended to raise and milk for goat cheese.  We previously had milked our own cow about 4 years ago and tried our hand at cheese making, butter churning and the like.  Our children love all animals, so we thought this would be yet another good experience for them.   Now I have never had a goat before, so I had no idea how fragile they are.  Within the first 3 months, one died and the other one along with a replacement goat had to be treated on three seperate occasions for pnuemonia.  The weather was up and down and these babies where having a hard time adjusting with the move to our farm and all.  Finally, this past month we got them healthy and stabilized. 

     This past week or I inadvertantly made changes to their diet, without paying enough attention to the fact that I had changed more than one thing at a time without giving them time to adjust to each change first.  Today, one of the goats died!!  My daughter had told me this morning, "mom, the goat is not acting right."  I told her I would go check on her after my shower. Then we where scrambling to get out of the house for a field trip and I completely forgot.  The poor thing must have suffered all day while we where gone!!!   If I had gone out and looked, we could have given her an antibiotic shot and put out mineral this morning.  I felt sooooooo horrible!!!!  I cried, I really liked her and she was a poor innocent creature that suffered for my stupidity. Plus, I let my daughter down!!! It was entirely my fault and my daughter was very sad and mad at me!  I still feel like an idiot and complete jerk about it.   I learned the hard way, to be very careful about changes to a goat's diet, or any animal for that matter. Make changes gradually and give the goat time to adjust before making any other changes.  R.I.P. Shirley, Laverne and all of us will miss you.