Oh, Jack

We picked up the little Boy last Sunday afternoon. As expected he did a lot of hollering; we were, after all, taking him away from his home, his mama, his sister, and Goat Mama Wendy. We felt sorry for the bawling baby buckling.

I named the tiny goat Jack. Not sure how I selected the name, maybe it was:
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, 
or Jack O' Lantern, 
or Jumping Jack Flash. 
Regardless, the name suits him. Especially so when I noticed the face of the smiling pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, on his left flank. (Duke, by the way, had the image of Bart Simpson's cartoon head on his flank.)

 













When we got home we settled Jack in the pen with his Aunty Bitsy. Zeke and everyone else remained on the outside of the pen. It had been over six weeks since Bitsy and Jack had been together. If she recognized him she didn’t let on as she chased him around the pen, tried to head-butt him, and reared up over him on her little back legs. Un-aunt-like behavior. Or, maybe it's just goaty language for, “Hey, Squirt, I’m the boss here.” It was the same greeting Bitsy received from Zeke upon her arrival.

The little Boy celebrated his 8-week-old birthday on the day we brought him home. He was wethered (castrated via banding) the day before. After banding the scrotum and testes dry up and drop off in about two weeks. Sheesh, some birthday! When we brought the Goaty Boys home they were further along in the wethering process and their nether parts looked like raisins. Jack, on the other hand, was a very healthy buckling. I was surprised and blurted to Goat Mama Wendy, “Wow, he’s got big balls!” So, at least for now, it's the nickname The Man calls him.

For the first few days the three goats were penned together. The Man fed them forage grain and Jack ate supplemental pellet food provided by Goat Mama Wendy. Jack was small enough to walk through the "Chicken Only" coop door so we kept his food in the coop. Being together in the pen allowed the new herd bonding time as well as protection for Jack since he was still bawling a little too loudly. Our neighbor Matt has a hunting game caller - used to attract coyotes - it sounds exactly like Jack's cries.

It's been five days and the goats have been allowed to free-range the property. Which means they loiter and lounge around the vicinity of the house.

 

During this time Jack has learned to keep an eye on Bitsy and not get "lost" or left behind.

Oh, Jack, he's adjusting just fine.