Bernie

Bernie (goat) Arrived 7th June 2018

Back in June 2018, when we were contacted by rangers about the pigs Lola and Bindi, they also mentioned that they had impounded a goat. We were told he was an old goat, “nothing special”, and he was due to be destroyed as no one had claimed him. As we couldn’t cater to another goat at this time, a dear friend of ours agreed to foster him for us while we searched for a loving home.

When we collected Bernie, he was not a pretty sight (or smell!). He was covered in his own urine, his white coat stained with yellow. Intact male goats do this to attract female goats. Before Bernie was transported to his foster home, we took him to the vets for castration. He spent a week or so in the yards at Happy Hooves being tended to until he healed from the procedure, and then he headed to his lovely new foster home.

Bernie was sharing a paddock with three sheep, despite his recent castration he was giving his woolly companions a bit of a hard time. He was chased them around the paddock and proved to be too aggressive for the property caretaker. We’d hoped Bernie’s behavior would improve over time, but after a few weeks had passed, it was clear he just wasn’t going to settle down. We arranged to pick him up and bring him back to Happy Hooves.

Bernie joined the Happy Hooves herd, and after a few clashes with some of the other males he settled down. Almost immediately he developed a bond with one of the female goats Laila, the two were often spotted affectionately together. After a few weeks Bernie was a new goat, no longer aggressive, he is now one of the most sweetest goats in the herd and is always up for a cuddle.