Argh...GOATS!!!

After spending a day "lacing" hot wire tape through the five strands of hot wire already up, creating a hot wire net to keep the goats in, AND running a metal hot wire around each post at the bottom to act as a secondary grounding point, we watched them walk under and out into the field.  I cursed the girls all the way to the pig pen where Lilo and Asha (the escapees) were contained for the night.  The next day, J and I went into the extra pen next to the pigs and ran two strands of hot wire (one on top, one on bottom) around the whole thing, thus setting it up like a pig pen.  We knew from experience that the goats could NOT get out of this.  We put Asha and Lilo into this "Goat Prison" and felt pretty confident that the problem was over.

I drove in the driveway this morning and was greeted by the sheriff holding Zeus on a leash.  ARGH!  After a very brief discussion with the sheriff, I understood that if the goats got out again (and the sheriff was called again), I would be facing a substantial fine.  I told the sheriff that if he was called out here again, we would be having a BBQ and he was invited.

I walked Zeus up the driveway and put him directly into the pig pen.  I could not have him in the "Goat Prison" next to the pigs because Zeus has become somewhat sexually mature (although I have a hard time using the word "mature" to describe an animal that pees into his own mouth and onto his head on purpose).  While the goats don't mind being in with the pigs, it's not their favorite environment, and they are certainly at the bottom of the food chain.  Zeus has always been a bit of a loner and didn't seem to be worried about his new digs, although he did avoid the mud puddle as much as possible.

Later this afternoon, I saw Stitch and Sox wandering around in the yard.  They were both immediately sent to the Goat Prison.  The only two goats left in the large pasture with the horses are Neptune and Tumbleweed.  They don't seem to want out and are happy to be the only two goats in the group.  As long as I don't see them wandering the streets, they will be left in the pen.  Ahhh...the life of a goat farmer.