It has been an eventful week here at the farm! We are still having a few stragglers having babies, the tomatoes are finally setting fruit, the okra has decided it is warm enough to emerge, and we lost our herd sire, to injuries he sustained while trying to prove he was the biggest and the best. Goats have a pecking order in the herd. If a new member is introduced into the mix, it is made evident immediately who is the leader and who is the follower. We raised a new buck this year to help with the breeding, as our herd is growing and we needed to explore a different lineage of dairy goats. Our existing buck needed a little help in the " AMORE" department . We have to separate the bucks from the does to protect the quality of our milk, so the bucks are together in a pen. Usually, after a few sniffs, and head butts, and a game of chase around the pen a couple of times, the boys settle down, realize who is the boss and turn their attention to eating and sleeping. Welllllll........ needless to say somebody thought he was the "cheese that standed alone" and was going to do whatever he could to rid himself of the young nuisance that was invading his space. He head butted and pounded and chased and butted some more. That young buck was running around and around the pen, trying to avoid a confrontation . We finally had to separate them as he was relentless in his efforts to bring the younger buck down. Well, the next day he was wobbling around as if he was drunk, and his head was swollen the size of a watermelon. He fell asleep that night and did not wake up the next morning. Kind of makes you stop and think, doesn't it! There are lots of lifes lessons that we learn here on the farm, and from this harrowing experience, we do not assume that older, bigger, and stronger, insures a long and healthy life. If you become full of yourself and are overbearing and dominating, your head may swell, but not for a good reason. So on that cheery note................. from our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!