A Tribute to Dora

Poor Dora, I can’t believe it when I look at her. Her faults make up her conformation. She is mule headed (no horns/handles); her legs are like straws; her utter is not connected very well. She will never be a show goat, or much else.

At eight years old, she has many vices. She loves to be the first to the new paddock, sometimes getting there before we want her to. She is the first animal to the attack the daily browse and the first back to the barn.

She knows that she is special, but would never allow anyone to spread the news. When she runs, her over-used utter beats the back of her legs. When she is carrying over two, her utter gets so big it almost drags the ground.

She would prefer to be away from humans all the time, hates the working chute, hates to go through the working alleys, hates her annual vaccinations, deworming and any other handling. Her feet almost never need trimming; but in wet weather, she gets scalds and is easier to catch to treat.

Dora is a goat we promised several years ago would be allowed to die of old age on our place. You see, Dora was one of our first goats - a true brush goat – purchased for $35 eight years ago to see if we could keep goats alive.

Why do we put up with Dora and all her faults? She has give us 21 kids in ten kiddings, weaned them all, and has never has to have assistance with a birth. She looks for a place away from everything and has her kids. We put good solid bucks over her, and wait for the results. We have never seen her breed, nor give birth. It is not a mystery, but she does her thing away from us. We have put four of her kids in the show ring as wethers. All her bucklings are wethered. With the exception of the two kids in the freezer, all her kids have been sold at weaning.

Sometimes we call her our paint doe. Her front and back are brown and her middle is white. She is the leader of the herd - not the herd boss, but the leader. Or could it be the big, beautiful Full South African does send her out to insure all is well before they venture out? Who knows??.

Dora is Dora and would be Dora until she dies. Dora died 26 January 2009.

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Ken and Pat Motes
Clear Creek Farms
33 South Clear Creek Road
Fall River, Tennessee 38468
Phone: (931) 852-2167
Fax: (931) 852-2168


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