Mixing Dams and Kids…and the Power of the Honk
A funny thing has happened in the pen now that we’ve been letting all the moms and kids hang out together as a herd. Remember we had previously put Pasqualina in a kidding stall by herself in one pen because the other two bullied her?
Well in the past few days, we’ve been opening the gate between the pens to let them all interact. So, you throw everyone in together and here’s the new dynamic:
Pasqualina is super-protective of Pinta and will chase down the other two kids for no reason other than their existence.
The other two dams still pick on Pasqualina when there’s fresh food around, but during playtime, Pasqualina and Margherita lock horns (figuratively, as they don’t have any horns) just like they used to when it was just the two of them.
Every now and again, Carmelina will look threateningly at Pasqualina and raise her ears; Pasqualina gives the look and ears back, and they just kind of go off into their own little spaces. They don’t spar much at all. Truth be told, for the most part, the groups just switch pens and investigate.
But the biggest surprise? Pinta is a little fireball!
I was initially worried about her feeling left out of the other two kids’ bonding experience and also being vulnerable to dam attacks because her own mom has been bullied in the past.
But Pinta has *no* fear of the other kids or dams. Indeed, at first the other kids shied away from her advances (they’re starting to engage more now), and although the other dams give her a rear-end nudge now and again, it’s nothing nearly as hard as they still give to the other kid who’s not their own.
The most hilarious thing, though, which I must catch on video, is when Pinta runs at full speed from one end of the pen to the other and announces her presence with a hop, stop, and honk, usually within inches of one of the dams who isn’t her mom.
Yes, a honk! It’s a rather unique noise that seems to want to be a snort, but since she’s so little, it comes out kind of honky. Almost like a kazoo. Hilarious!
I’ve seen kids sneeze at each other in play, but that honk is just over the top. And oh so very Pinta.
Our lil’ Pinters.
4 Responses to “Mixing Dams and Kids…and the Power of the Honk”
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Love the wattles. We have wattles too this year. I was thrilled when I was wiping off the kid and saw them.
I put my two mommas together and all the babies and what I got a kick out of watching….and I’ve been watching a lot…is how much the kids enjoy each other. They were thrilled to see the other set of babies.
I just wish my babies had some of those cool rock walls to climb on.
We lucked out with that wall, especially that it has a little shelf in there for them. They *love* running and jumping up there now that they can all do it 🙂 I was in there for hours this afternoon just watching all that energy…so fun! Enjoy 😀
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All of them are just beautiful. They are so sweet. I bet they provide hours of enjoyment. It is nice they all have each other.
Yesterday I was laughing all afternoon…yes, it’s so great that they not only have their moms but other little ones (when the moms let them play)!
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Sounds a little like my preschool class with the dynamics of all of my *kids*. Yours are soooo cute!
Haha, I bet the two situations actually have *a lot* in common!
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I would LOVE to see video of Pinta honking!
I *think* I may have captured it yesterday…fingers crossed! She doesn’t do it as often any more (and now I think Nina is copying her)….
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