Animals On Parade

Call me weird, but my second most favorite farm animal, after horses, is goats. I find them amusing, fun to watch and, for the most part, a very inquisitive and loving animal. There just isn't anything much cuter than a baby goat either. So when I got the chance to go to the barn with Loretta at feeding/milking time, I jumped at it. I never go to the barn otherwise. For one thing, I have to pass by the llamas and they scare me. Loretta laughs at me because I will walk through any pasture, enter any paddock or climb on the back of an unknown horse but I won't get near a llama!



There were four baby goats on the farm when I visited. These are a few months old now but still cute!












There are also a lot of sheep on the farm. But this is not one of them.






This is a neutered billy goat. An Angora goat. The fiber from these animals is known to you as mohair. Bet you didn't know that! Angora, like in the sweaters of the 1950's, comes from a rabbit. Cashmere also comes from a goat. Fiber lessen over!






Theresa and the rest of you, these are Navajo sheep. They had just been climbing around in the hay feeder. For the most part, they are a small, nervously shy animal that remains on the wild side even when born in captivity.






One of the resident rams. I think he is an Angora cross.







We've seen this girl before. She was featured in the goat milking pictures.






See what I mean about how curious they are!






This ram is a beauty. Big, strong, dominant but ewwwww! He was in full rut when I was there. You could smell him from a mile away. I had to watch him carefully. He liked to sneak up behind you and snort, spraying odoriferous goat snot all over. After just being near him, I had the smell of goat rut in my nostrils for three days! Yuk. But he is handsome.






Onto Loretta's love and my fear. Well, not fear exactly. Just cautious nervousness.






They certainly are pretty critters but their inherent caution of strangers make them a bit dangerous in my book. (most of these llama pictures were taken with just a bit of zoom!)











You've seen the rear end of this machine before also. I used it as a shield in order to get a picture of a llama.






The llama pasture. Certainly is pastoral. I never get tired of being on this farm or being with my good friend, Loretta. I can't wait to go back.