In an effort to control the goat population here at Thornhill Acre, Billy Shakespeare lives in separate and by no means equal quarters. For June and the first week of July, the temperatures were 100 degrees and no clouds or rain. B.S. gets shade from different shadows made by the fence and house, but not really very much and for a couple of hours a day no shade at all. He often just goes into his igloo to get out of the heat. One day I was at Kings Hardware getting some keys made for the rental properties and wandering around the store. I found a 5x7 tarp and thought of Billy Shakespeare's need for shade. Well, of course, a tarp will not just float above the pen, so when I got home with just a tarp and told Don of my plans, he made a list of things we will need to actually put the tarp up. Then, bless his heart, he went back to the hardware store with me to get them.
Now that we have had rain for the past week, the tarp is great for keeping his hay dry. Goats will not eat wet hay. In fact, they come up with all kinds of ways to waste hay. To make things worse, they won't eat just hay; it has to be expensive alfalfa that they waste.
I'm going to say something I've never said in my life: that's one damn cute goat! I hope he appreciates your efforts to keep him cool and shaded.
ReplyDeleteAlmost looks like the goat is helping set up the tarp!
ReplyDeleteThese little goats have to always be a part of what is going on. I never thought goats acted like this. But these were bottle feed babies and they truly bonded with us.
Deleteoh, that is great for him!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about saying the unexpected about my goats. My husband can't believe some of the sentences he has said ie, "Get that goat out of the house." He never dreamed he'd have goat at his garden district home.
ReplyDeleteBilly Shakespeare is the handsomest goat dude I have ever seen! REally makes me want goats again :) You should see my "riggings" lately for shades and cooling quarters.. real fancy they are (NOT!). I think yours looks right uptown. Lucky you have good help! -Tammy
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise that goats could be so discerning about hay!
ReplyDeleteIt is such a myth that goats will eat anything. But what they do eat is unbelievable--thorny plants like rose bushes.
DeleteOMG he's on the igloo. goats are hilarious!!
ReplyDeleteI knew Billy S had to be your blog. Sandy, Walk With Me is mine this week. That is nice of Don. I always knew he was a nice guy. My husband has the reading habit or hobby.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this post.:) The lady who we bought our two little boys from told us not to feed alfalfa hay--so now I am a bit confused. For the moment though they seem to like brush better than anything else, and as we have lots of it, they haven't even touched the hay since the day we brought them home, which is good by me. Your Billy is a very handsome billy goat (and great name!) Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving some comments. :)
ReplyDeleteGoats have always been fascinating to me--it an eerie sort of way. Yours is a cutie.
ReplyDeleteNice lil area for him :)
ReplyDeleteThat Billy Shakespeare is an adorable little buck. I hope he's enjoying his new shelter! I also hope you don't have bad windstorms where you live like I used to have in Iowa. I had so many tarps shredded by wind, it was always a challenge to keep things covered!
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