I royally messed up with Houdini when I first got him here. That is why he disappeared. I put a frightened flight animal in with my biggest, most annoying wether. Houdini was in a new place, he was scared, and I added a goat twice his size that bullied him. I should have put Houdini in the buck pen alone, and quarantined him for at least a week. That may have alleviated the entire ordeal I put myself and my family through. I was irresponsible, OK done beating myself up!
New goats should be separated from the new herd for at least a week, and possibly up to a month. The new animal may carry something that can be devastating to my herd. In Houdini's case he did come from the same breeder that my other 3 Nigi's came from, but mine have been here for a year so they they have established an immunity to my area.
All of that being said. I'm going to keep Houdini in with my does for the next few weeks, bring the new girls over, and keep them in the future buck pen. Yes, there is a method to my madness.
Houdini is a crafty goat. I will have to make some changes to the doe pen. They were planned, but now they're on a hurry up. Yesterday, I crated my LaMancha wether (he had been in with Houdini, but I separated them when Houdini came home), and brought him to a new home. Houdini has been skittish ever since. He's jumped the low side of the fence twice. Luckily, he doesn't want to leave the ladies or the delicious taste of Chaffhaye. Despite the fact that I want to yank the low fence out and rebuild it, I'm going to have to make some temporary adjustments to prevent my flight animal from taking flight.
Goat ownership has been an amazing learning experience! Despite the constant ups and downs I truly believe that this is what I am meant to do.
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