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Village Squire, 1978-03, Page 6impediment, as they are rebred on the same day that they give birth. The cavies brought us our first close encounter with a skunk. That longhaired black and white wormed his way into the cages and killed nearly all the young guinea pigs. We did manage to chase him out without getting sprayed. but he left behind a massacre and an awful stink. The number of wild animals one encounters in the country is truly amazing. Beside the nocturnal ones that one sometimes hear, but are seldom seen, there are many others that can only be seen by expert outdoors men or by accident. We think of the brushwolf and the bobcat, the lynx, many owls and many others. When my mother visited us the last time she was .in her 80's and could sit for hours outside in her easy chair, watching the little chipmunks in their busy jerky way. She enjoyed the squirrels and when they scolded her, as is the wont of the squirrel, she merrily scolded back. The graceful deer are always a joy to watch. even when one knows very well that they are mostly bad tempered and untrustworthy. The building of a new business calls for much hard work and sacrifices, and no business more so than the farm business. So early in our farm venture, we decided to produce our own milk. The fashion (fad?) of the last few years was not new to us. At the time I speak of, a goat cost us six dollars. Now the price is at least $125 for a milking goat. Anyway, Toni, Annemarie and Johanna, each bought a goat. I built a stall for them in the old chicken house. All those jokes about a goat being smelly are just that, jokes. As a matter of fact, a goat smells less than a horse. Now mind you, I speak of nanny goats. A billy goat is a different story. His smell can be quite overpowering, and for that reason we didn't keep one. When breeding time came around, we either took the nanny to the billy or rented a billy for the shortest possible period. A goat has several advantages over a cow. She eats ALVIN'S TV YOUR HEADQUARTERS FOR ROGERS MAJESTIC TV EXPERT TV SERVICE ANTENNA & TOWER INSTALLATION NOW CARRYING A COMPLETE LINE OF C.B. RADIOS 162 MARY ST. GODERICH PHONE 524-9089 PG. 4. VILLAGE SQUIRE/MARCH 1978. considerable less. She eats weeds. She crops the grass very short, thereby saving considerable on lawn cutting. She gives two or more kids per year who, if planned right, can bring as much return as a calf. She has several disadvantages as well. She must have a very good fence or be tied up. The reason for this is that she has eaten most of your garden by the time you find that she is not where she is supposed to be. She may be neckering when behind the fence. but when in your garden she won't open her mouth 'till she is through with it. She also makes a dairy farmer out of you, tying you up for seven days a week. for she has to be milked twice a day, twelve hours apart. Anyone who still thinks that he does a favour to the owners of a dairy goat by bringing in tin cans for feed. better hold on for a bit. A goat may eat noxious weeds' and chew holes in your washing, but he ain't stupid. he doesn't eat tin cans. That tale came probably about when a Hollywood producer saw a goat licking the glue from a tin can label. Goats love bark and can for that reason not be let loose in an orchard of young trees. Goats have destroyed even more good farmland than modern developers of subdivisions. They have turned big parts of North Africa, Greece and Turkey into deserts. All agricultural lands need trees to hold the water until needed in the summer. Goats, if let loose, will destroy them. They can be quite affectionate and will follow you around wherever you go. For many years after we bought all our milk in a bottle, but it appea'rs that some old times are making a comeback, for. one day a couple months ago I returned home to be greeted by the meckering of a couple of goats. Another couple. Annemarie and her Bob are trying to build a farm business and they have their own poor man's cow. Annemarie churns some of the milk into butter, for two goats give more milk than we can drink. She owns also two quarter horses. Some years ago she bought a top quality mare and had her bred to an excellent stallion. She kept the colt from that union because it showed so much promise BRAND NAME FURNITURE — FINE GIFTS MITCHELL PHONE 348-8851 STORE HOURS: Monday to Saturday - 9-6 Closed Wednesday Genuine Pure Brass with its inherent qualities of warmth, durability and sophistication is perfect for todays enchantment with the past ... and the future.