Deciding whether to get a wether
Along with the doelings and bucklings born on Black Eagle Ranch, some of the male babies are neutered and are known as wethers. These fellows provide an important service in the herd as companions ( pen pals) and in some cases help signal when the mature does are in heat. Here are some thoughts from friends who have purchased wethers from us. We sell our wethers for $75.00 with a discount if more than one animal is purchased.
Amy H. from East Central Iowa added Bart ( brown and white) to her herd when she purchased a doeling named Boots. She says,
“I think Bart is an important part of our tiny herd. He has taken to our heifer, Luna, that we adopted last fall. They are great friends. They love to run and play together. Usually, Boots and Bart are always together. When we take family walks, they end up following behind and munching on whatever they find. He’s more adventurous than Boots. She can be kind if crabby but he’s always up for fun! “
Laura F. from North Iowa has this to say about her wether Murray,
“We keep him in with the girls most of the time. He watches over them. When we pull one out to milk, he paces the gate until she’s back in his sight. I’ve watched him watch over everyone as they are grazing. When it’s time to separate and wean the babies, we put “Uncle Murray” in with them. I think he does feel a bit dejected for about a day but then he settles into his role as protector/overseer.
On a personal note, when I was going through my chemo treatments, Murray was there. I would go sit with the goats and start to feel sorry for myself. Murray seemed to know what I needed. He would come over and just stand right next to me. At times, he would rest his head on me and just let me talk and pet him. This would go on for as long as I needed. He’s also a great source of entertainment!”
Stay tuned for more stories in upcoming posts