Weaning

It's weaning day today. 

 

The girls - together this morning before they were separated.

I'm listening to Jorgie call across the yard to her baby. It's a different cry to any I've heard from her before- loud, desperate and so, so, sad. She isn't herself this evening. Her favourite food remains unfinished. 

 

Tilly is in with the chooks. Her call sounds so much like 'muuuuuuum' that I wonder whether that's where people came up with the word. 

 

My mind wonders back to the first times I was separated from my babies. My heart breaks for my goats a little.  

 

Our little buckling was wethered and sold before Christmas. The girls were sad, but nothing like this. Storm had always been a bit different and separate to the girls. 

 



Jorgie and a tiny Tilly, even before Storm left, they were the dynamic duo.



Jorgie and Tilly are so alike and so close. I would love to keep them together always. And hopefully, in 6 weeks or so, Tilly will be weaned and they can be together again to grow old and each have babies and be companions to each other. 

 

But practicality rules today. We got the goats to be milked. Tilly is sucking out a lot of milk each day. Tilly is four and a half months old, fat and very healthy. There is no way they would wean if I left them together. 

 

It was time. 

 

I can be practical, but that doesn't make that any less sad.