The question was shaped by a discussion I had via Twitter with Jo Lister, Bento, GrassConsumerAction, Free Ranger and @EGalgut (account closed and apparently subsumed into Bento), and via The Daily Pitchfork with James McWilliams, Janet Schultz and Charlie Talbert.
The message I glean from our goats: is it necessary also to disrespect us?
Early morning I looked at Daisy (matriarch of a herd of four adult and six baby goats) standing at the entrance to the enclosure, and asked her please to let Kashka through, whose turn it was to be milked. Daisy stepped aside, and Kashka slipped in.
Surprised, I gratefully responded, “Thank you mama. Thank you.”
Daisy looked back at me with those clear, yellow glass eyes of hers and flashed, “No problem”, turned aside to meditate in the sun.
It’s been six exasperating months during which I have tried to deal with Daisy’s ongoing bitchiness towards the entire herd – particularly towards Kashka, until about three weeks ago I read somewhere an author lamenting that we no longer groom one another. A week or so later Matt, whose farm, with Sasha I’m looking after in their absence, commented: “Look at Billy’s beard. Do you polish it?” And I laughed, but then the word ‘groom’ popped back into my mind.
Continue reading Our responsibility towards the animals we farm“Dad, there’s never a good time,” Matt explained, “because they trust you right to the end.”
I am looking after my son and daughter-in-law’s small, off-grid farming operation in Suurbraak. Since taking over the operation, their 3 mother goats have each given birth to 2 kids. The other day Sasha (my daughter-in-law) returned for a few days. On one of these she slaughtered one of the male kids.
