Combing the goat

We had visitors today. A former owner of the school came by (he owned the school before the guy who sold it to us). He did a bunch of the renovations that the guy we bought from took credit for. Funny. And a neighbor brought his fir Christmas tree over for the goats to munch. I chatted with them both, learned some stuff about the place. C. decided to be a recluse.

We did not get the rabbits moved, dammit. Yes, they are amazingly cute, but they get into stuff and knock things over and leave marbles everywhere. It's getting old.

And while I was in there communing with them, I noticed that all the babies except Rue have fluffy sideburns. Just like their father. Uncomfortable epiphany! So I grabbed them up and got personal, and now that they are nearly grown, I can, with certainty, tell the boys from the girls. (Pathetic. Maybe it's the bifocals....) So, anyway, three boys and one girl, Rue. We don't have to change Martin's name after all. But we do have to have all the boys neutered if we want to keep them in a colony.

The cashmere goats are starting to shed, so we spend an hour or two combing Mo. He put up with it pretty well – it must feel good. We gave him a little grain and dried apples, and more when we finished.  We probably are a third done with his coat. Pants, his brother, is next. Below, you can see the coarser guard hairs and the cloud-like cashmere. Some of the guard hairs come off in the combing, and you have to remove them, either by hand or machine, from the fine stuff.

Azul gets in on the goodies.