Two more Animals in our Lives 102

Always from behind at speed, he'd leap from five foot back,
Hit you with his bony head, your hip or thighs he'd whack.

With sheep breeding you can bet you will always have some cade lambs about, depending who has reared then, they can turn out to be a dam nuisance. We had one, who, as he got older became
positively dangerous

The Cade Lambs

Years ago had some Cades, reared around the garden,
Tame and bold and cheeky, from us we tried to harden,
But this one tup lamb hard faced, nothing put him off,
Would follow close behind, and charge you from his trough.

Out in the field when he got big, he'd look and give a baaaa,
He would let you get half way in, then start his run from far,
Always from behind at speed, he'd leap from five foot back,
Hit you with his bony head, your hip or thighs he'd whack.

Even if you saw him come, to waive him off you try,
The charge would be just the same, the devil he was sly,
Take off your coat, hang it out, he would be drawn to that,
Like a bullfighter in the ring, he loved to have a spat.

Word got round, keep out that field, cross it if you dare,
Could not see which one he was, from a distance stare,
Then without warning at full speed, to late he's got you marked,
Now it was we must know it's his temper we have sparked.

Countryman

Another pet we had some years ago when our girls were growing up was April the Goat, she had been round the block so to speak when I bought her, and was more worldly wise than the children she was purchased for.
She was always one move in front of them, and found the only way to keep her in the orchard was to tether her. She would not be led out to the tether, got to be dragged, although there was ample lush grass to eat, so that job always fell to me.

Number one daughter was doing her best to take her out one day soon after we had her and she got her down on a hedge bank, and pinned her horns into the hedge bank either side if her thighs and would not let her go. She would walk back keenly to her shed but defended her food "to the death", they had to lower the bucket of food and water on the end of a cord over the gate.

Everything centred around food once fed and full, they could groom and fuss with her, as long as she was able to lead them where she wanted to go when out on a lead. We kept her around a year until she became totally dominant over the children.

A Goat Called April

We had a goat called April, for the children bought,
As a pet to play with, to feed and water thought,
Give them a little job to do, when they got home from school,
But she was older than we thought, would not be made a fool.

She had long horns up curved, and use them she knew how,
Defend her rights and show the kids, to lead would not allow,
Grazed around the garden, tethered on a chain,
This so we'd know where she was, the only way to restrain.

Brought down at tea time, a feed of corn and hay,
Water in a bucket full, there must be no delay,
The buckets had to be lowered in, on the end of a string,
Or she'd power her way out again, past you or anything.

Leading she'd pinned Diane down, horn each side of her thigh,
Horned dug deep into the turf, not move and made her cry,
So April had to go to market, next Monday was a must,
Ethnic butchers liked her, in the pot next week we ( I ) trust.

Countryman

The Misses and the girls did not approve of Aprils demise, but she had to go.


It's better to live one day as a lion, than a hundred years as a lambJohn Gotti