Bonita
Bonita
“Beware of Jumping Goat” – Sign on my sister’s yard
Last year my sister’s goat had twins, which is usual. One of them didn’t make it, as the father rolled on it by accident. It was “Babs” first birth. She didn’t seem to know what to do and it was February in Northeastern Pennsylvania, so Lynn took the baby goat up to the house and began to care for and bottle feed it. She named her “Bonita” because she was just so pretty and cute. She wasn’t much larger than her small dog. Before Lynn knew it Bonita was jumping on the couch, the washing machine, the coffee table, everywhere. She would call me regularly with “goat updates”.
Lynn couldn’t wait to get her out of the house! When she finally did, it didn’t sit well with the goat. Lynn would often leave a window slightly open for her cats to go in and out on nice days, only to discover that Bonita had gotten in through the window. She would get her out of the house and then see her running across the yard back to the open window. Lynn said that she was racing to the window to beat Bonita to close it! The next thing she knew, Bonita would jump on visitors cars when they would pull up! She was livid, to look outside with a horrified driver and a goat on the hood of their car looking in at them. Thus the sign. Its a small rural area, so it didn’t take long for people to get the word. “Watch out when you got to Hudson’s place, their goat jumps on top of your car!” She started tying her up, but then had to keep a watchful eye because she would get wound round the tree and look like she was choking to death.
Much has changed since her experience with Bonita. Now Babs has her own pen for birthing her next batch of goats. Complete with heat lamp. Lynn was traversing the treacherous icy ill from the house to the barn, several times a day to check on her, when her son Drew pointed out that according to the “goat book”, they have their babies on exactly the same day and time as the year before. Lynn couldn’t imagine this could possibly be true, and sure enough, the exact day and time of Bonita’s birth, another set of twins arrived. Missy & Jackie, she named them. Two females.
Missy & Jackie, Jackie & Missy ???
Lynn says they are adorable and Babs has done a GREAT job taking care of them and nursing them. She is so happy to not have baby goats to care for in the house! I bet! Bonita was climbing up the pen to look over at what was drawing attention from her. Lynn said within two weeks they were already jumping and twisting about in the pen. She can’t wait for spring when they can be outside in the new goat corral they have been building to keep them safe. Its one that is somewhat moveable she says, so they can graze where ever they need them to keep the grass down.
Farm life is hard. There is never time off. You are always taking care of the ani-mules. But it has its beauty and wonderfulness. Like new baby chickens, eggs to collect, eat, and sell. Newborns. Wild animals traversing your yard in the night. She is enjoying them. I’m excited for her and love to hear the new antics they are up too.
How funny! That would be a bit of shock. Lynn says she knows when her son is coming up the dirt road because the goats start leaping and twisting in the field – Dinner time!
In South America they have goats that jump and then fall down… as if they died from the jumping, but it’s just their type of goat. I imagine that would be as stressful to watch as those jumping on car hoods.