Finding a new normal

Allie's buck kid out of Rio

On Friday morning I delivered Liberty and her kid and Allie and her twins to their new homes where, by all accounts, they are doing just fine.   Of course change, whether for bad or good, always brings a certain amount of stress as people and goats find a new "normal".   

Mame' has reacted to the departure of Allie & Liberty by racing to the milk stand and positioning herself without my having to do anything other than open the gate.  Normally she is hesitant to jump up, but now its as if she is saying "I'll be good, just don't send me away!"   She also sticks closer to me and more actively seeks attention.   

When I moved Roni back into the main herd, she looked puzzled that her dam Allie wasn't there, but hasn't cried as much as I was expecting her to.   She has been too busy trying to reassert her dominance over the other Junior does.   Mystery of course has taken on the roll of Herd Queen, a roll she had been battling Allie for almost since her arrival here a few months ago.   So far she is ruling with an iron fist, but hopefully she will relax and become the dignified and benevolent leader that Allie was for us.

Last night as I was doing the evening chores I realized how much quieter it was in the barn.  Allie was really my only "talker" and she used to carry on quiet conversations with me while I was doing chores.    Tsunami does that a little bit, but she is over in the yearling pen waiting to be bred.  I'm looking forward to having her bred and back in the main barn.

Peggy Sue and Prudy are still for sale, but I have to admit I am rather ambivalent about selling them.   They have wonderful milky pedigrees, and if I didn't already have their sire's half brother and full sister (Sunny & Mystery) there is no way I would sell them.   So I just keep reminding myself that I need to make room to possibly keep a doe kid from Millie x Rio, and then the fall kidding should yield several keepers as well.  And before you know it I'm out of space again.  *sigh*    Anyone have an extra 100k they would care to donate towards a new barn?  :) 

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