I should have known when I finally got goats, they wouldn’t be exactly like other goats. I’ve wanted goats for years and I heard all the reasons why I shouldn’t get goats. I knew they would get out of almost any pen. I knew they would eat almost anything (one of the reasons I actually wanted goats)and I knew they would eat things I didn’t want eaten (a small price to pay for their eating all the stuff I did want them to eat). What I didn’t know was that they would stand on the front porch and knock on the door with their knees and then, when I go to the door to see if it is a goat or a human, they would rear up on the door and stand asking to be let inside. I didn’t know they wouldn’t like thunder and they hate walking in wet grass. I also didn’t know that they would terrorize the horses or that the cats would fall in love with them or that they would follow me everywhere I go when they are not in their pen. And to think I was worried about being able to catch them when I needed to put them up!
Like I said, I have wanted goats for a long time. When I expressed that, my friends and family would roll their eyes and tell me I didn’t need any more animals. When I mentioned that they would eat brush and weeds, they rolled their eyes again and mentioned how well Roundup works. But my friend Vanessa understood my desire and didn’t roll her eyes and so Leroy and Jethro came to live with me. The first few days were filled with the barking of the dogs, who didn’t know what these strange things were but pretty sure they weren’t supposed to be here. The horses lined the fence like spectators at a circus and there was much blowing and snorting if they got within close range. One by one, I introduced the dogs to the two boys and one by one they came to understand that these strange creatures did indeed belong here. Phoebe still thinks it is her job to constantly put them back in their pen whenever they are out, and a few of the horses, notably Watch, are still convinced that they are a special species of horse-eating goats and will not pass by them willingly.
Leroy is the leader of the herd and was the first to make friends. The two brothers are never far apart; in fact, I keep looking to see if there is some kind of invisible rope that ties them together. They aren’t hard to catch at all. Just walk outside and call their names. Walk toward the barn and they will run ahead and wait by their feed bucket for their treat of a handful of sweet feed. They are learning to stand their ground with the dogs if they get too inquisitive about them, lowering their heads and stomping their foot. In fact, they are keeping the dogs off the front porch when they are there. And they are exploring more and further afield when I turn them out. Best of all, they are a lot more fun than spraying Roundup!
