Goats in the Yard - 2024

Some years ago my friend Dala in Scandinavia, WI had a big Billy goat roaming freely around the yard. When I visited he stood up on his hind legs and looked me stright into the eye. They have vertical pupils in golden eyes. Pretty scary. In Jamaica "Miss" Balbina Elliott, my firend and hostess in Billy's Bay District of Treasure Beach, has a herd of 30+ (?) goats. Most of them are a smaller African strain. They move freely over the rural landscape in the day and come "home" to their corral at night. They get their water in a big bin in the near yard. The kids are usually born around Valentine's Day when I usually went to visit. B would bottle feed one if needed. She also did all her own veterinary care. If the nanny had a kid in the bush and she didn't return that night B would go out searching and carry the kid back to the yard - mother in tow, then tie the mother in the yard for a day or two. B's goats are not very domestic and the kids can rarely be caught to be petted. Once I helped chase a kid down that needed some vet care. Good luck with that,a merry chase. The neighbor boy finally caught the kid. A few years ago B had a large female goat that would have triplets. Twins are occasionally born to the smaller does. The kids are so cute jumping around and playing from day two. Each year I name one favorite kid, recently I named aa little black kid with a patch of white on a front leg White Foot. Anther year there was a white nanny (unusualy the goats are mostly tan, sable or white spottedin brown or black). I named the white mother Milk and the kid Milky. Jamaicans often don't name their animals. For a few year B had a chicken as a pet tied up by the leg in the yard. I asked - what is it's name? "Mr Chicken..."