Farm Fresh Blog

Harry Houdini was actually a goat. For all you younger people, google him. Houdini was a man noted for his ability to escape the most elaborate restraints. See? He was a goat.

My dairy goats are pretty good about not going walk-about.

 They are angels.

   But Oscar? Not so much.

Oscar has been getting out since he came to live with us as a baby.

(Read: Oscar's Big Adventure)

For the longest time I worried about him, but now I figure if he gets too far away from Briar and gets eaten, then that's Darwinism at work, folks. Life on a farm can be cruel.

Lately I've noticed that Houdini has an apprentice - Chuck.

Remember Chuck?  Stuck like Chuck? Remember: Chuck

Yeah, for some reason I kept her. She has managed to not get sold or butchered yet. Her personality amuses me.  Read: Job Security  Chuck is Roanie's lamb from this year.

Lately each day on my morning dog walk, this is what I see:

 See those white dots?

(I apologize in advance for the grainy photos, but it was the best an iPhone could do at that distance.)

That's Oscar and Houdini's Apprentice: Chuck!

They sneak out of their pen every morning and graze in the rye grass.

"Ut oh!  Busted!"

So off they run to slither through the fence, 

and back into the sheep pen, where they blend in with everyone else and stare at me innocently.  It took me a while to figure out how they were getting out.  See this?

 Yes, it appears to be a normal cattle panel. Closer inspection will reveal that some of the welds have broken thus allowing the determined Houdini (and his apprentice) to wriggle their fat asses through the fence.

Oh! And HOW you might ask, did the welds on the cattle panel get broken?

 "Huh? Who me?"

Yes, Montoya stands on the cattle panels to mooch sheep hay, thus smashing, crunching, warping, and breaking my sheep fencing. Grrrrr. . .

Granted, this would cease to be amusing if the rest of the flock figured out this little escape door. I could replace the panel, but then Oscar would just find another escape hatch. Thus far, since the flock isn't gifted with big thinkers, it hasn't become a problem. And since Other Half just had hernia surgery, I am juggling more important things. I will just have to delegate this problem:

"I'm on it, Mom!"