Deborah Jackson
On the Pierce farm, it’s not so much “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” as it is “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.”
But this time itís the student workers in the goat pens who have so many kids they donít know what to do.
Thirty-one goat babies, or “kids,” were born on the farm within the last three weeks. And at press time, one of the females, or “does,” was still pregnant. The student workers expect at least two more babies from that doe, which is known to have twins.
There is just one proud papa. But students call the male a “buck”; the term “billy goat” is considered slang.
According to Annie Desha, a second-year student in the Registered Veterinary Technology program, the births were not unexpected, but there were an unusual number of triplets and three rare sets of quadruplets. One of the quadruplet kids died during birth.
“The goats have personality,” said Chris Jacobs, an RVT student. “They’re curious. They’re affectionate, just like [human] kids.”
Desha agreed. “We just love goats. They’re hysterical to us. They’re better than cable [TV].”
RVT students spend hours each day tending the goats. Though students are required to be at the pens four hours a week for their Animal Science 596 class, some are there up to 35 hours a week, Jacobs said. The class is open to all Pierce students, not just to agriculture majors.
Alexandra Cortez, an RVT student, is paid to work there part time. She looked online for a school that offered “vet tech” classes and discovered the Pierce program is the only one offered in the Los Angeles area. She drives 25 miles each way from her L.A. home every school day to spend time with the goats.
Cortez is interested in a career working with animals or in animal advocacy, as are most of the students who care for the goats. She said she was drawn to the program because of her lifelong love of animals.
Desha said the kids will remain with their mothers in the pen for about three months until they are big enough to no longer be “coyote targets” in the pastures. During that time, students will try to find homes for them.
She described the herd as “Bore” goats originating in South Africa that are bred for meat, not dairy. Any of the kids that are not adopted will be sold at auction.
In 2002 students were able to place two goats, in 2003 they placed three and in 2004 they have placed 21, not including the new babies.
Desha attributed this years greater success in placing the goats to better marketing and outreach by the students.
“We were better able to communicate the value of the goats as companion animals to humans and horses and their value to clear brush for fire prevention,” she said.
According Desha, students often take up a collection to subsidize the $80 people must pay for each goat.
“There’s been more effort. Bigger hearts,” she said.