PETS

All of our goats are pretty old, since they've mostly aged out of being useful for the dairy they're from. This means they're more likely to have health problems and die. This section is for the goats that have passed since my moving here, since there were about 9 before these four that unfortunately passed away during the winter.

Sanibel (first), affectionately nicknamed Zombie, was an old goat with a variety of health problems I never knew the details of. She survived for a much longer time than I anticipated, but suddenly fell one night and was completely unable to get up. I discovered her body in the morning, and she was buried the next day somewhere easy to visit.

Batman (second), like all of the goats on the ranch, had CL (a disease that's basically really bad goat acne). This was known to us, however one day when I came home from a visit, she was uninterested in eating and fell very easily. About a week later we learn that she somehow managed to have CL, CAE (basically goat AIDS), and Johne's disease all at once. She was put down by the vet because I didn't want my uncle to shoot her, and is buried in the middle of the goat pen.

Shiva (third image, on the right) seemed to have some dental issues, but ultimately it was the cold that took her. She had been unable to move the last day of her life (despite being fine the day before), and died in my arms as I tried to give her some water to drink. We had her buried next to Batman.

Savory (third image, on the left) was the punching bag of the herd, and I usually fed her far away from the other goats so that she could eat something. She was Shiva's friend during her final days, and I have a feeling that loneliness was the final nail in the coffin for her. She passed about a week after Shiva. I had her buried next to Sanibel.

ANIMALS AROUND THE FARM

There are bound to be dead animals within reach at the ranch, both due to the vastness of the property but also because of how many animals there are. I spot owls at night, hawks and crows during the day, and sometimes even opossums and stray cats. This is a collection of deceased animals I've found, usually in or around the goat pen.

Most of these animals were given some sort of burial. My philosophy with dead animals is that, if they're relatively intact or likely just died, they're buried in a specific place in the back of the ranch. If they've rotted to the point of being unrecognizable as having once lived, or are simply body parts and bones, I take it with me.

I have no idea what happened to the gopher or the rabbit, as I only found those parts of them at first. The rabbit's legs were more intact than the picture here, but I let the vultures continue to pick at it so that I would have cleaner bones. I never found the torso or head.

The first sparrow hit the window of the garage and likely died of shock. The bluebird... I'm not sure, I believe something hit it while it was flying, because there was a strange fluid coming out of its side when I brought it to its resting place. The second sparrow I found likely a day or two after its initial demise, but I couldn't tell you what happened to it, either. The last sparrow was remarkably fresh and I thought it might have been still alive, but there was blood on the other side of its beak (not pictured). I believe it may have been injured in flight as well, since I found it right next to the goat pen (and almost ran it over with the wheelbarrow).

Not pictured are three baby birds. Out of respect I didn't take a picture of any of them, and only one of them was intact enough that you could actually make out what it was. I buried all three of them, since I didn't feel right taking something home that had its life taken so early. I believe the nest they lived in is still somewhere in the goats' sleeping area.

Also not pictured is an unidentified bird I found while looking for the cows. At first I only found piles of feathers, but I eventually found many bones including the skull and bottom jaw, and both legs. I'll show pictures eventually, maybe someone could help me identify it? I've taken pictures of some of the feathers, too. My best guess is a red-tailed hawk.