There’s a New Buck in Town
It’s a bit late in the breeding season, but here we are — and here he is:
This is the buck we’re hoping will know exactly what to do with Pasqualina and Pinta so we can have some kids in the spring. He’s a bit on the young side, but his caretaker assures us he’s ready, willing, and able. He’s Calabrian rustic breed, a mountain goat if I ever saw one, and he does look like quite a stud with that little tuft of hair in the front and oh those horns, no?
Fingers crossed all goes well, and we have a busy primavera ahead of us!
13 Responses to “There’s a New Buck in Town”
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Well, he certainly looks the part of a charming Italian stud! If I were Pinta, I would totally go for him– maybe hate myself later, but that’s life.
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michelle Reply:
November 21st, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Ha! Let’s hope Pinta is up for her first mistake hahaha ๐
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What a handsome fella! Good luck.
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michelle Reply:
November 23rd, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Thx Nino!
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He is gorgeous indeed, Michelle. Does he really have two different colored eyes or do I need to clean my eye-glasses?
Questions re bucks in general:
1.Are they on loan to folks like you, and after they do their thing โ have a fling โ are they returned to their owner? Or do they become a part of their adoptive family? If they are returned then do “the girls” become a bit despondent?
2.Do they produce milk? If so, can it be made into goat cheese?
I am not a meat eater, as since childhood, I have been a bit like Fern (the protagonist in E.B. White’s “classic”, Charlotte’s Web), and I get a bit emotional at the thought of animals being slaughtered. As a youngster, much to my family’s dismay, I used to bring cheese and bread with me whenever my family went to places where meat was being served.
However I am not an extremist, I do buy prepared meat dishes if I am entertaining meat eating guests, but I don’t eat it.
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michelle Reply:
November 23rd, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Hi Patricia, some answers!
(1) This buck is on loan; we have no interest in keeping one for ourselves year-round. For one, they should be separated from the does unless you want to breed, and we really don’t have room for that, but another thing is that they can start to smell once they want to breed — peeing on themselves and whatnot. No thanks! The girls don’t much care once he’s removed — back to business as usual for them.
(2) The girls will produce milk after they have their babies, and yes, cheese, yogurt, etc. is all possible. The thing with enjoying milk and cheese products, though, is that there are always unwanted kids in the process — it’s not possible to get milk (and thus cheese) without babies, and something has to happen to the babies. So really, the slaughtering of some of the kids (especially the males) is kind of a necessary evil unless you plan on having an ever expanding herd.
(3) His eyes do look different colors in the photos, but they’re not in real life (or in other photos) — I doublechecked!
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The Last Leaf Gardener Reply:
November 24th, 2011 at 12:40 am
Thanks for the info, Michelle, it is very interesting. Re eye color: My father had one brown and one violet eye. I am told he did not like this but I think it’s neat. Oh, well . . .
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The Last Leaf Gardener Reply:
November 24th, 2011 at 12:41 am
P.S. Not sure what’s up with my gravatar, it seems to have disappeared when I post here.
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Love his coloring! And the curls.
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michelle Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Hee hee, I love those curls too ๐
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ooohhh…
he looks so handsome
his off*spring
are certain to B
cute!
{{ how soon will you know
if kids
are a-coming ? }}
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michelle Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
The only true way to know is via goat pregnancy test, which we don’t do…so we just wait to see if they bigger. They carry for five months, so if all goes well, babies in May ๐
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The old Elvis hair will get to your girls!
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