I suppose this is more of an observation instead of a question. Our kidding season is officially done with a total of 5 bucklings and 4 little does. they are in seperate pens, and altho I must confess that the does have better accomodations, the bucklings aren't lacking for comfort. they are in a pen outside from the barn area with a large hard plastic drain pipe stuffed with hay for shelter. And I mean large. this pipe is big enough for a dozen little goats. They can stand up and run thru it(and they do) They play on top of it. They take naps in it. But when it rains, they stand at the fence and scream like someone is pouring acid on them. And this morning it's real chilly and we have frost on the ground and they are all laying in a big pile outside on the ground shivering. I've heard Vicki comment on the forums before that there's nothing dumber than a nubian buckling(i believe that was in reference to getting them started on bottles) and I'm seconding that opinion. It's pretty sad when they don't even have sense to get in out of the rain.

-- Judy Corwin (uscorwins@netscape.net), April 24, 2002

Answers

lol. I had one gorgeous little buckling this season that I wethered just because he was too stupid to take a bottle. I had to force it in his mouth every time, for what seemed like forever. I blamed it on his sire, cause the bucks I had off previous sire weren't like that:)

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), April 24, 2002.

hehehe, you know, someone could be really mean and off the cuff, especially someone who has has 2-3 bucks penned together, and watched them ram heads till they are bloody, and dont even think of having bucks togeteher in fall when the girls are cycling..... and someone could , somewhat fondly reminice about a big saanen buck , who would DAILY get his head stuck in the feeder, in exactly the same spot...and if you freed him, he would shortly get his head back in there and stuck ... till finally in frustration , we relied on a lenght of plastic hose across his horns and duct tape, so he couldnt get his head in that far... but could get even my boer doe in kid in less than a minute flat.....

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 24, 2002.

Don't think it's a nubian buck thing. Think it has to do with not being with mom who shows them what to do. My dh has some young chickens he just moved out into a pen. they have to be shown, three nights in a row where to roost. after the third night they do it on thier own.

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), April 24, 2002.

This is actually the first year in many that I have kept bucklings around! Two are nursing mom and one is on the Lambar, all 3 leave end of May, presold to a boer guy (long story). The bucks I have purchased in the past several years are all out of infantdumb :) thank goodness. I do check on the babies when it rains, in fact we have rain in our forecast for today, and since the 3 infants haven't seen rain yet it will be up to me to teach them to get out of it :)

Mine are in small quaranteen hog panel pens, with small kennels in them, they will be locked in once it rains. So Judy, with no doors on the drainage pipe, you will have to crawl in and stay with them! :) Now wouldn't we all love a photo of that!! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 24, 2002.

Now, I truly love my goats, but to be honest the very first thing that popped into my mind when I read the question was....Big enough to tan his hide---ooooowwww:)-(!). Sorry...

Anyway, they do need to be shown what to do, but they aren't as bad as turkey poults who will drown in the rain. Once they realize they aren't getting drenched anymore they understand.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.

Hooray! It's pouring down rain and the boys in their shelter! And yes, ladies. I had already tried the "show them what to do" thing by crawling in the pipe myself.And considering the fact that I stopped smoking 2 yrs ago and have accumalated about 20 lbs. per yr....it wasn't a pretty thing.

-- Judy Corwin (corwinsusa@netscape.net), April 25, 2002.

No photo nesasary, I have a vivid imagination. Also know what I would look like under same circumstances! LOL

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), April 25, 2002.

Buy an Alpine buckling to show them what to do? ;-) (Sorry...I know I'm bad!!!) But I think it would work!!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 25, 2002.

I have had dead head bucklings here before. Arn't they fun. I thought that this years Ober bucklings were too slow to fugure out how to walk into the barn when it rains, doesn't do that ofter around here, and just figured out that they like the rain. They even love it when I water them... Now they go for the end of the hose to play in the spray and try to bite the water. I have only had one goat before that loved the water. She would just jump into the streams and swim across (or around in circles) on hikes. Needless to say she was the leader. :)

I wonder if your plastic pipe is too loud when it rains?

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), April 25, 2002.

People, I've gotta tell you I'm biased towards Alpines, but they're pretty dumb at times. The kids that are the quickest learning on the bottle and in general? Found them to be LaManchas;-) But all kids in general, every day I go out with the lamb bar and what happens? They're still sucking on my hands and clothes. Takes 'em a minute to remember where the milk comes from! Maybe they just love me better??

Dennis

-- Dennis Enyart (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), April 25, 2002.

Hey Dennis! I wondered where you were. The kids still need some warmth and attention even though their physical needs are satisfied. But even my dam raised kids nibble on me- I think it's a bonding process. I have to admit it- there are dumb Alpines. I have owned a few in my time. But most are maddeningly intelligent, especially when motivated!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 25, 2002.