Small goats and Mad Max

What is it about small goats that they all have to cram into a small space to get at their breakfast?!  Plenty of room at the troughs which are hung on the gates:

But no ... we have to cram ourselves into a tiny space, bottoms in the air ...

They are entirely too big to be using the feeder now but we left it in their house as they enjoy jumping on it and sitting on the ledge.  And some of them still insist on having their breakfast out of it ... so I keep on putting food in it for them.

I suppose that it's the goat equivalent of a crowded restaurant - noone wants to go into the place that has empty tables!

So, the weather is still unsettled and David has turned his attention back to hedgecutting for the past week.  1st August is the end of the closed season and so farmers can get out to their hedges again.  The tractor has had all the guards fitted back on it - always reminds me of something out of 'Mad Max':

The guard over the bonnet saves dented bodywork and the grills over the windows are for David's safety.  Once that blade gets spinning, there can be some nasty bits flying around and it is very easy to get a smashed window (or worse).

I  was looking back at some photos of the boys yesterday and came across the one we have on the blog of Daramac - I really must update it!!  This was taken not long after he arrived with us:

And this is him now .. grown a bit I would say!!

He was quite nervous when he first came to live with us but now he is much more laid back.  Bit of a mummy's boy in fact.  When I go round to feed the boys he always comes out to the gate to meet me - even if it's pouring with rain!  I think he may be going off to Dorset on a 'working holiday' later in the year but we will see.  He was a very busy boy with us last year!

I am trying to make time at the moment to read a new book that has just arrived. Recommended by Jo, our last vet student, it is called 'Zoobiquity'

 Absolutely fascinating!  It looks at the incredible similarities between many human and animal health and behaviour issues and how they overlap.  What doctors could learn from vets and what humans could learn from animals.  Incredible reading ... Thoroughly recommend it!

Right .. must get myself sorted.  Off to make cow's cheese for Jane the Cheese this afternoon ... weird yellow milk.  Not like that lovely white goatie milk at all :-)