I have a confession to make. When I first met Nutmeg, back when John gave me the most amazing anniversary gift ever, I may have judged her based on her appearance. She was big-boned and had a masculine voice and, for-crying-out-loud, a BEARD! None of our female goats have ever had beards!
Sure, I appreciated her for the milk she provided us, but it took me a little while to warm up to her fully. But, I'm definitely there, now. Her sweet, docile personality makes her an excellent milker and companion. When she first came home to our farm, she was a little stand-offish, but she's since realized that we're huggers, and she's come around. Now, she looks forward to the affection she gets each day.
So, yes, she's become my gal. And, I think she may like me a bit, too. The other day, we had her flipped up on her side, trimming her hooves. I walked away for a minute while John was trimming, and she began to bawl. Once I was back and talking to her and petting her sweet face, she calmed down enough to finish her pedicure.
Nutmeg and Girl 1 have a fun little relationship, too. Each morning, Girl 1 feeds the rest of the gals in the back field while Nutmeg waits patiently by the gate to be let out into the yard for milking. Once released, she and Girl 1 race one another back to the milking shed. It's really entertaining! Girl 1 wins most of the time, but every once in awhile, Nutmeg surprises her!
A side view of the beard. How is it naturally so straight across? I swear, I do not trim it. :)
And, below is a pic that shows how we're missing the job that Maggie used to do for us in the milking shed. When we'd dish up Nutmeg's dinner from the storage containers in the background, we'd naturally spill a little. But, while I would milk Nutmeg, Maggie would peck away under my feet and happily clean up the mess. Since Maggie's death, once Nutmeg is finished eating her dinner on the milkstand, she jumps partway off and eats the stray bits of grain that have fallen to the ground. I try to move her on because I fear this posture could be hard on her joints, but she will not be moved until she's sniffed out every last bit of feed. Funny goat!
Anyway, I should know better than to judge based on appearances. So, I'm a little ashamed to admit that I did in this case. But, Nutmeg has served to remind me that I should never judge a lady by her beard. That's just good life advice, I think. ;)