The ground remains covered by a deep crust of snow and ice. Flurries are floating in the air. But the goats know that warm weather is on the way. They are shedding.
Goats have an undercoat of wooly, sticky fur, and an overcoat of long, rough hairs.
The boys are itchy. They rub their bellies against the fence line. Birds come and gather the fur that’s stuck to the wire to line their nests.
The goats need help shedding their heavy coats. They ask the Goat Maid to give them scritches. I use a tool called a shedding blade.
Ah, says Pip.
The birds are going to have very soft nests this year.
Fur lined nests. Lucky birds.
I figured goats would ask people to be groomed by their owners. Our tools and fingers can get places their teeth or hooves, or another’s goat’s can’t get at, and also massage them at the same time. I am sure the goats and more than a few horses love to be massaged and groom. And will even recognize and act with excitement or fall asleep while you are doing it, Terry.
What a coincidence! I would use a tool just like that one to brush my cat! I would take him outside and sure enough, the birds would swoop down and pick up the fur! SO MUCH FUR! I bet you could brush the goat boys with that and would never run out of fur!
I didn’t know this about goats. I have a little Pomeranian that was rescued from a puppy mill. He has that same undercoat. Every spring after brushing out the undercoat I let the soft fur be carried away by the wind for the birds to use in their nests. I also add little bits of left over yarn to go with it (I read this idea in a book on knitting). I love the idea of bird nests cradling little baby birds in fur and colorful bits of yarn in the surrounding trees all over my neighborhood. The circle of life!
Fur for the birdies! I don’t have a goat but I do have a husky/collie mix! I am -still- waiting for birdsong around here. They’re late this year. The squirrels are showing up every day now, though. Can’t wait for spring!
(Moving goat butt on the camera – hahaha)
Terry! I saw the neatest thing at the feed store this week..it is made of rubber and has rubber nubs or fingers all over it and you wrap it around a fence post! I would have bought one for the llama but it was $59.00…I bet you could find one cheaper online…not sure what you would look up? Rubber nubs might produce all kinds of weird results…LOL
I bought something similar for the goats. It’s attached to the side of the barn. They ignore it. They say that it’s the Goat Maid’s job. Sigh.
Pip’s and Caper’s Goat Maid runs a great spa. Thanks for reminding us of Mother Nature’s recycling plan.
We got a used street sweeper brush the sheep and the llamas love it!! You can call your town highway department and inquire how they dispose of them and they may let you have one or buy one cheep.
The brush is round and long and hollow in the middle so we put it over a post in the middle of the field.
I’ve seen those in photos. The goats would love it. I’ll ask the DPW guys. I bet that after sweeping up all of the road sand this springtime that the brushes will need replacing!
I believe some people are using brushes from automated car washes the same way.
I wonder if those plastic door mats would work- the ones that are supposed to be green grass with a daisy in the corner! :^)
It’s so interesting that the mammals shed their fur just in time for the nesting birds…