I've Gone Country A blog about a city girl learning a whole new world

We fenced a section for the goats to clear and live in, back in 2012.  I think it was about 7 acres.

We have been amazed at how well they have cleared it….and kept it clear.

This was taken yesterday….

This…. was taken near the same spot last March, when we first put the goats in the fence.

Amazing isn’t it?  At that time there were just four goats eating.

This year we have four adult goats and 5 baby goats in this same space.  We kept watching and waiting for Spring to bring all the new growth.  Apparently they are eating it as fast as it can grow.  Although it looks nice to be able to see through the woods, there isn’t enough food for everyone.

We enjoy seeing the rock formations without all the underbrush.  They have done a great job…and I think they have enjoyed every bite!  That is exactly why we put them there.

Billy has a new spot that he wants cleaned up.  Soooooo….. he has had new fencing put up.  We are trying an electric fence this time.  Hoot n Nanny has been following in her mothers foot steps and started getting her head caught in the fence a late lately.  Pearl, her Mama has always been bad about doing that.  We have learned what a certain cry sounds like when they are caught.  Most of the time they are way up in the woods.  Another reason why we try to do a head count on all the animals regularly.  When we are out of town though, I worry about them mostly for this reason.  They can feed themselves in a nice terrain of food…but when they get their head stuck…they are at a predators mercy.  They can also break their necks trying to get loose.

We are hoping this new fencing will eliminate a lot of problems.

Pearl, well she is the one goat who tends to push the envelope the most.  First it was getting her head caught…now it is jumping over the electric fence.  The first day she got out three times…that I know of.  The good thing was that she didn’t go anywhere.  She just thought the grass was greener on the other side.

I am about as hard headed as she is.  Whenever I caught her on the outside I made her jump right back inside.  Of course you know I really can’t make her do anything she really doesn’t want to do, but at least she made me feel like I was in control.

By the end of day one….she seemed to stay in the fence.  We have decided to add a third string of wire to help remedy that problem.

As you can see there is a whole lot of food all around them.

They didn’t waste any time getting started.

I am excited to see how this looks after they do their work.

We left the babies in the old fence.  They seem to be able to find enough food.  There little tummies are full by the end of the day.

I happened to catch Lucy, Freida and Viola resting from a long days work.  These three seem to hang out together.  I guess they know who there siblings are.

I suppose Lucy has been adopted by these two.  Aren’t they cute?

Buster Brown and Mary Jane were still out doing a little weed eating.

I think they kind of like having the older goats gone.  They can have the goat house back,  the older ones always kicked them out when it rained.

For now….everyone’s happy, even Pearl.

I just hope she doesn’t get out and eat the neighbors garden……….