A caprine chronicle …

 

The late summer weather has been spectacular

As the summer begins its leisurely metamorphosis into autumn,  I find myself musing on the origins and history of the humble goat. Were you aware that in Norse Norse mythology goats symbolised strength and resilience? The God of Thunder, Thor, he of the magic hammer,  drove a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir ("teeth-barer") and Tanngnjóstr ("teeth-grinder"). These goats were able to be slaughtered and eaten at night and then resurrected the next morning using the hammer. On a more prosaic note, the precise origins of domestic goats are not entirely clear, but archaeological evidence suggests that they were first domesticated in the mountainous regions of Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. Despite these murky antecedents, throughout recent history goats have played a crucial role in sustainable agriculture and land management. They are valued for their meat and their milk while their browsing behavior helps control vegetation growth in difficult terrain. 

So why this sudden interest in goats? Well, this week we welcomed three lovely miniature goats to Cracroft Farm. The three ladies, Jess, Clover and Cocoa, are of unknown age and dubious parentage but all seem to have very friendly dispositions and appear to have settled in well to their new pasture.  Over the last few weeks it has become clear that the “ladies who munch”, our Wiltshire Horn ewes, while enjoying our grass and an occasional treat of lamb nuts, tend to eschew weeds and particularly thistles. As a consequence, the ladies are unable to provide any assistance in controlling the thistle problem we have in our lower paddocks. Rather than turn to chemical remedies we are trying our hands at being goatherds!

 

From the top: Jess, Clover and Cocoa

So it was that this week we approached some acquaintances in the Huon, who happen to run an animal sanctuary, about the possibility of borrowing a few goats. Not only did they offer us an “indefinite” loan of 3 miniature goats which they had recently acquired from the middle of the State, but they also were happy to throw in a little shelter for them as well. Once more we hitched the trailer and set off to collect some livestock. The actual loading of the goats was relatively straightforward as they are used to being handled by humans. What was a little less comfortable was reversing the loaded trailer down a narrow track, flanked by a fence on one side and deep ditch on the other, that was the only access to the goat paddock. I guess that fact that I am writing this post is sufficient evidence that I survived.

 

 Not the best place to practice your reversing skills

You will recall from the arrival of our sheep (see “Back luck and trouble ..” posted on 20 September 2023) that trailing livestock down the hill to the lower paddocks can be an activity fraught with peril. On this occasion Cath decreed that the Ranger ute be swapped out for the tractor before beginning the descent. This proved to be a wise decision as the journey this time was far less exciting that the previous one. One might even describe it as completely uneventful.   

 

Arrival at Cracroft Farm

 

 Bringing out the big gun

On arrival in their new paddock, we decided to check the goats’ hooves so while I wrestled with the horns, Cath got to work with her sharpened secateurs. I guess once an emergency medic, always an emergency medic when it comes to fiddly procedures.  On completion of the pedicures, the goats seemed remarkably grudge-free and Clover and Cocoa even consented to eat goat pellets out of our hands. Jess seems a little more recalcitrant at this stage.

 

Post pedicure treat

 

Clover is not shy about coming forward

 

A new home with plenty of thistles readily available

I am happy to report that all three have settled in well. So well in fact that I received a text from our neighbour (whose access road is adjacent to our lower paddocks) informing me that “Your wee goats appear better at snoozing than thistling”. Hopefully they will lift their game or perhaps they might have to meet the same fate as Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr but without the subsequent benefit of the magic hammer! But then again, something entirely different may be in store. As we left the animal sanctuary the owner quite calmly dropped the bombshell that at least one of our new goats may be pregnant …