GOATS IN THE JUNGLE!!!

Today was the day! This morning at about 10:30, we closed off the driveway and the clan followed me into the new pasture we have been calling "The Jungle".

The place is so over grown and thick that there is probably a tribe of undiscovered Aborigines living in there.

There are LOTS of small Locust trees, hedge trees, Multiflora Rose, Willow shoots, Cottonwood shoots, Mulberry trees, clovers, various grasses and various weeds.

They followed me right into the jungle and looked around as if to ask "What do we start on first"? It didn't take them long to decide. A lot of the small "bite size" locust trees were the first victims. Clover and other "choice" weeds were next on the list. We stood by and watched them for about an hour, and they only ventured out to about 75 feet from the gate (even now - several hours later, they STILL haven't).

Sooner or later they will get brave enough to go further.

There is (was) a little clover and Alfalfa right next to the gate where I led them in, so we had a "three goat pile up" for a bit until traffic was cleared. The area by the gate is mostly grasses. There is lots of other good stuff beyond that and around the small creek in the trees. Here they are just coming through the gate (that's me in the background....):



As you can see by this photo, it is not only a BRIGHT sunny day, but you can tell the grass/weeds/etc are REALLY getting tall. Here is Bossy happily munching (and hiding) in the tall stuff.



There is plenty to choose from. One of them - Showgirl (because she is "topless") really loves to munch Locust trees and leaves. She is always the first to devour leaves from two of the thorniest trees we have - Locust and Hedge. The others will eat them, but she gets to them first.



One of the milk goats - Annie - decided to test the age-old theory of "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". Just about the first thing she did was to stick her head through the fence and start eating stuff on the outside. I never have figured out WHY they do this - I think it is just to irritate us...

They are now in the "nap" mode, but I am sure they will be back to eating later in the day.

Since I haven't been able to get a shelter up yet, I will bring them back to the barn this evening. I HOPE to get a small shed built tomorrow afternoon. For now, there are plenty of trees to lounge under to get out of the sun.

There is a LOT of work to be done to the place so it is no longer a jungle.

Unfortunately, goats work under "union" rules, so it might take awhile.....