Sail It Don’t Sink It
Okay, I am almost done with the field trip pictures. Can you stand the suspense?
Guess what I saw today? I saw Vanilje yawning. That is the first time I have ever seen that. I don’t think I have ever seen Magnethe yawn. Mads maybe 7-8 times. And somehow always when I don’t have my camera ready. I think I shall make it my life’s mission and ambition to get a picture or video of a goat yawning. It is one of the funniest things you’ll ever see.
She seemed very tired today, Vanilje. She really wasn’t her usual self. She wasn’t bouncy or energetic at all. She didn’t run around. She just sort of walked around slowly, not seeming very interested in anything. And more alarmingly she didn’t even seem hungry. Shermin came over with a carrot, but she just sniffed at it and looked away. And she didn’t want the raisins or corn flakes I had either. There is something disturbing about a goat who doesn’t want to eat. Later on she did start to eat some grass though and she did take a couple of raisins before I left too. Even did a little running. I hope it was just tiredness and nothing more. In fact all three goats seemed kind of tired and quiet. I was sitting up against the board with holes at the slope. And Mads stood right up against me and sort of rested his head between my back and the board. I turned around a bit and could see that his eyes were closed almost completely. Looked like he was falling asleep.
So it was oddly quiet. Maybe they had played too much before I got there. Spent all their energy. Or maybe it was the sunshine making them doze off. Magnethe had some stomach problems too. Kurt told me that she had had the runs. He even pointed out a sort of puddle of poo on the ground. Normally they poop little pellet kind of things. This was more like a flat pancake. Kurt thought that maybe she had eaten too much chicken food. You have seen how they bury their heads in the food containers. Over each container there is a sign stating what kind of food is in there. Of course the goats happily ignore those signs and just dig in wherever they can get. So maybe Magnethe finally managed to have too much. People keep asking if she’s pregnant. But then they have always asked that about Mads too. Funnily enough no one ever asks about Vanilje, but she’s the one who is expecting.
Anyway. It wasn’t too bad, spending some sweet quiet time with the goats. I was actually able to sit and look Vanilje in the eyes for a long time. Normally she’d be running all over the place. Now she was just standing there. I felt like taking care of them all, my sweet tired, sick goats. I hope they’ll be back to normal tomorrow.
Meanwhile I am still very tired myself. But now it’s easter holiday and I shall rest well.
.
April 3rd, 2007 at 23:13
Kurt’s probably right about the over-eating part. They might have their ruminators’ out of whack. The books say whenever you introduce something new in your goat’s diet to go slow. Sorta like people eating a couple of prunes versus eating the whole package in one sitting!
Hope they are feeling better soon. Need some goat-proof latches on the food bins to keep nosy goatsies out. Maybe a simple hook-and-eye would do it.
Would be very interesting IF Mads were preggers! You would be giving lots of guided tours, Plume.
April 4th, 2007 at 4:02
Hey, Plume and I love prunes. We have the cleanest whistles in Denmark and San Diego!!
April 4th, 2007 at 4:45
Hay, Luis Lemmings! How’s Moominlizard and the Moominturtles doing? It has turned back into winter here for awhile. The turtles in the pond may have to break thru the ice to sun themselves here.
Plume: Be sure and tell Kurt that goats having their “ruminators out of whack” is a very technical and scientific term you have learned from an unnamed but totally reliable source. (Hee, hee)
Dr. Debster, Reliable Goat Expert
April 5th, 2007 at 4:56
The Moominturtles have become quite fiesty. Everytime I change their tank water and bring them inside the house so that they could watch tv, they always squirt water into my face. And when they miss my face they squirt onto my shirt sleeve and I have to change my shirt.
It’s just like the goats when they bump into Plume. I don’t think it’s a mean thing. Maybe they just want to play like the goats.
April 5th, 2007 at 21:39
Debster – Mmm prunes! I do believe they have some sort of goat-prevention-system for the food holders. At least they had one before the goats were put in their pen. It must be around somewhere. Basically it was just a long plank to put on top of the bins so they couldn’t be opened by snooping goats. I should have a look and see if I can find it.
I do believe the term “out of whack” is scientifically proper. Many things can be out of whack. Like the universe, for example. So it shall be noted.
Luis Lemmings – You’re going to have to get yourself some scuba gear I think. That way you can safely let the turtles squirt all they want.