Animal...sociology?

Greetings! Boy, is it windy here! I tried going out to pick up trash and wander the back pastures with the goats a couple times, but the wind was whipping me with dust so much I was just stumbling around with my eyes closed and tears streaming down my face. Eek! So I spent most of the afternoon inside again writing, working on cover letters, starting some crafty-crafts, and re-hydrating my tear-ducts with bengal spice tea (yums!). I did yoga, finished the Wapsipinicon Almanac (so good!), and spent a bit of time pondering something fascinating about life on the dairy: animal bonds. Not to worry - this isn't a college essay, or even a series of vignettes...that'd be a bit too ChickenSoupfortheSoul-esque for me, but just listen to some of these inter-species relationships I've seen around the yard here! So cool! :)

I've told you before there is a male goose who lives with the yearlings... And you've seen a video of Buck messing with Wilbur's halter... But today I saw Buck and Wilbur actually touching noses! Maybe he wasn't just being a pain? And Wilbur's ears were up and not backing away...

And the dogs, when they get bored, seem to find entertainment and standing outside the fence barking at the donkey - you could see that with that last video of Buck and the donkey, too - when Edison rushes the fence at the end... But Wilbur doesn't seem stressed, doesn't walk away...is she taunting them and I just can't hear her? Or does she know they won't actually hurt her so she just stands there grinning at them? What's the deal? And why do they care to bark at her so much? I don't get it...

And while watering the goats, there was a chicken perched on a low rail of a fence right at nose-height of the goats - just chilling out... she was there all day, and when I went back this evening for chores she was still there. Buck, the goats, the dogs would all come by and sniff - but ever-so-gently - and she'd just sit. It seems like any time I've seen chickens they've been running for their lives every two seconds...but there she was totally calm. And the goats were really curious about her - all coming around and sniffing... but no nibbles that I saw, which is interesting since they seem to feel the need to chew a little on everything within reach - not chickens though. :)

The dogs and pigs were sniffing each other through the pen - the dogs with more interest than the pigs... Could the pigs tell I'd given them some bacon this evening? (should guard dogs eat meat products? does that make them more likely to turn on their herd? ... hmmm :/ woops?)

The geese were sharing the water basin with the donkey...

The geese were hovering around Buck... quacking or squawking or whatever do... oh! Honk. Honking, yes.

And I realize they're both dogs, but Edison was constantly trying to get on Maddy today. Made me want to slap him for even thinking about a 7mo old puppy like that, but Maddy seemed to think it was a really fun game - every time he got up she'd roll over on her back and bat his face with her paws and playfully set her teeth on his neck. He better watch himself. If she puts them right into his throat I will do nothing to help him. Seven months. Seriously, dog. (I'm kind of joking.)

Anyways... all this makes me wonder about all the dynamics happening here that I'm totally oblivious to...and makes me wonder what they all think about me? if anything? Are the chickens and the geese just horribly cliquey and have shunned the little chicken on the fence and the gander with the yearlings (gander is a male goose, right? i just realized this...)? Or does the chicken just needs some space? Maybe the gander just feels more like a goat? And does Buck wander around alone all the time because he's just a difficult personality and none of the others can stand him? Or is he a loner and sees himself as an explorer, a pioneer of the herd? ...Man. So many things happening here. What would you call this? Sociology of a barnyard?


The web of relationships here is a lot more interesting and intricate than I thought... I'll try to capture some photos of these little interactions some time and update this post with pictures...which would obviously make this a lot more interesting for you.

Anyways, those are my thoughts. Interview tomorrow with a farm in Wisconsin. They have cows and chickens and pigs. :) We shall see.