Poor Little MeyToch!

I really empathize with MeyToch Chandler, the little male pygmy goat.  I understood that the vet was going to geld him (neuter, castrate, whatever you want to call it) on Tuesday.  Instead of a quick slice and dice, he was banded instead.  The vet places an extremely tight plastic band at the base of the scrotum, and the band causes a lack of blood flow, causing the testicles to (eventually) drop off.  The poor little guy is walking around with his back hunched up, and his scrotum is swollen to 4 times it's normal size.  He doesn't want me to touch him, as he now associates that pain with humans; but he also wants to be comforted.  He and Sunbeam ( a very pretty cream and white  girl) are also in the process of being weaned from their mothers - this is their third day of being separated from Mom's udder and Mom's protection.  Sunbeam currently wants to be with a person constantly; MeyToch wants the comfort and love he remembers, but each step he takes reminds him that he hurts.  I'll have to take my camera back to the house and take more photos of all the critters.  ...  Lemony, the little yellow chick from my last stay with the Chandler's crew, has turned into a white hen with black speckles on her back.  And Topgallant Charlie, the rooster, managed to draw blood from my right ring finger this morning - I had just glanced away from him, when he came at my  hand - so I have a round hole at the fleshy base of that finger.

The red kids managed to get into my chicken jerky treats yesterday evening - and ate all 2 pounds of them, having just had their supper of four raw chicken wings each.  I guess they were sated, as they both slept through the night.  We had a nice 90-minute walk this morning when the temperature was still below 65.  After their walk, I took care of the Chandler crew and walked both Victor and Xena.  While I was walking them, I met one of the new neighbors, and we had a nice chat.  They have an 8-year-old cat, and are interested in hiring me to cat-sit for them. ....  Even though the sky looked ominous several times yesterday afternoon, we only had one loud thunderclap.  There were a few very light sprinkles of rain - but just enough to dampen the grass. ....  I'm at home with my kits at the moment - Lovey is stretched out on top of the room divider, and Nedi has just gone back outside, having nursed on, and kneaded, the insides of both of my elbows.  And I just discovered a knot in his pantaloons - I'll have to comb that out .   -   Have a great Thursday!