[groovyoldlady]

OK, We just got back from the "Big E" in Springfield, MA. My girls spent most of their time doing 4-H work, but we did get some time to wander and goof off. So we went to the petting zoo. I was very pleased with the set-up there. The animals all seemed very clean and well cared for - bright eyes, soft, sleek coats and well trimmed hooves. They also didn't seem stressed. Surprising considering that there was a record number of fairgoers on Saturday.

But here's the thing that puzzled me - and I've seen this at a couple of fairs; They had a boer buck in the petting area.

No, not a wether. A rutting, stinking full-on buck.

He was bathed and he was very well behaved, but he definitely smelled musky. Fortunately he wasn't "displaying" himself or peeing on people. Clearly he wasn't full sized, but still... I had to restrain myself from taking a spot next to him and loudly telling everyone, "Don't pet him! He pees on his face! And he stinks!"

Well, ok, so I DID tell a few people...

Anyhoo, I have NEVER seen a dairy buck at public fair. At least not where passers-by could pet them. But I have seen Boer bucks on display and in petting zoos. Are they just mellower than dairy boys? Why do they take them?

 

[SalteyLove]

Was he breeding all the miniature does too???

 

[Old Post Farm]

i can't even go through the petting zoos anymore because i feel too bad for the animals (especialy the elephants and camels).
why a buck though couldn't they find a doe?
i was there this weekend for the hereford show. and in the mallary complex there was a goat milking demo, ok great. i got there around 8 from thursday to sunday and on sunday, the alpine looking doe haddn't been milked by 5:00 PM. in the morning when i got there the two goats in there had no hay and no water i checked on them, a few times but there was no official person to talk to. the pen was only like five feet by five feet. it made me super sad/angry

 

[mariarose]

I could see myself making a sign that says, "No Hay, No Water. How Do You Think They Feel?" and standing there with it upheld until it got official notice.

But I'm super aggravating that way... unfortunately.

 

[groovyoldlady]

i can't even go through the petting zoos anymore because i feel too bad for the animals (especialy the elephants and camels).
why a buck though couldn't they find a doe?
i was there this weekend for the hereford show. and in the mallary complex there was a goat milking demo, ok great. i got there around 8 from thursday to sunday and on sunday, the alpine looking doe haddn't been milked by 5:00 PM. in the morning when i got there the two goats in there had no hay and no water i checked on them, a few times but there was no official person to talk to. the pen was only like five feet by five feet. it made me super sad/angry

You could go to the Livestock office to complain next time. It's in the hallway close to the restrooms. Bad care in the Mallory Building is the fault of the exhibitors, not the fair. When we are at the fairs, we put our goats' needs first. Mine get way more hay than usual to help with stress. And when we can, we will tarp them off so the lights and continual streams of visitors don't make them cranky.

We've never exhibited at the Big E, but there was a sign that said milking times for goats was 9:30 and 4:30 - which I found quite odd. If you're showing, then it's the show times that dictate milking times. Otherwise animals are usually milked at each farmer's normal time.

As far as the petting zoo animals - like I said, they seemed quite happy and content and well cared for. The Boer buck was in a little pen connected to a pen with a Boer kid (SO cute!) and a Boer doe. She was also small for a Boer, but had obviously kidded before.

 

[Old Post Farm]

the milking demonstrator used the oberhasli doe that was in the pen with the alpine for the 9:30 milking and didn't milk the alpine but put her on the stand? (i am a snoop and checked on her after she was put back in the pen). i would hve talked to the live stock officials, if they didn't have hay the next time i walked by but that was at like 1:00 and they had hay/water so they could have been fed at like 10 or some thing. but they are stressed being at a show any way so you would think them having water would be important.

 

[Damfino]

It's possible they're drying the Alpine doe up and that's why she wasn't milked. Maybe they just checked her udder and relieved her a bit but left her full.

Weird about the buck in the petting zoo! Stinky boys like that give goats a bad reputation. I've had a lot of folks over the years who told me they don't like goats because goats stink. Apparently the goat they met was a buck.

 

[Old Post Farm]

the adga show at the big E is this week end, she wass freshly clipped too. i am wonder ing if they are trying to dry her up, but why right before a big show?