It was my own fault... very sorry folks.

To the folks at Homesteading “Goats:”

I came off as a real jackass not long ago and I feel an apology is in order on my behalf. I stated that my buck killed my best doe, but didn’t give all the details.

Yes, my buck did kill the old girl but it was actually due in part to an injury she sustained in a fence a little over a month ago. She started out crippled (after that particular occurrence) and I had been keeping her up until her wounds healed. However, she, like most goats, pulled a Houdini on me and went over the wall. According to the "sign" on the ground, when the buck went after her she fell and he slid her down a hill on her back. She didn’t have the strength to get back up and died with her head twisted backwards (lying against her rib cage for about 18 hours). So to be honest about the whole affair, her weakness killed her, not the buck.

The buck seems a little "confused" when it comes to breeding, which I know will change with time, but he seems to get frustrated when things don’t go the way he knows they should (he stands and bawls for hours). Since the day we found all my does pregnant, the buck (he was 4 months at the time) has been “put away” and was brought out to breed this past season.

He has never shown any “mean” or intolerable tendencies, including with any of my nine grandbabies (ages 5 mos.-18 years) when they go out to brush him… regardless if any of his girls are overly “warm” at the time. As a matter of fact my 3 year old grandboy will “sit” him when he’s eating and he doesn’t get anything more than an occasional grunt when the grub is gone! He will butt his girls at the feed bucket, or "when they do not co-operate after becoming tired of his missguided aproach to breeding... which should have been my original question" to you folks. It does seem as if his frustrations stop at breeding alone, especially when breeding the wrong end, breeding broadside, or even if he is standing in wait for one of his girls to get their head temporarily caught in the fence (as she is cleaning the weeds from the opposite side)!

If he had shown a mean streak we would have called him supper long ago and my rude post would have never been... but "if's" were what sunk the Titanic they say.

My first order of business today is an apology. My beloved wife monitors all my stories, tales, and inquiries, due to my medications, but didn’t see that post until too late to explain it was my own fault.

If you can forgive me it would be much appreciated. If you can’t, I understand completely, and hope you can at least tolerate a “silent” visit to your board on occasion.

Once again, my most sincere apologies to those I offended… it’s really not my or my family’s way, of treating people I hope some day to call friend.

Wingdo