Goats
August 13, 2008
This little farm backs up to the football field. My younger kids love going over to the fence and playing with the goats. They learned this week that there is a low votage electrical fence inside of the wooden one.
Of course they had to keep touching it with their hands. Clearly they do not learn as quickly as the goats.
Posted by Chris @ 9:06 am
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So freaking cute.
I once had a boyfriend who wanted to know what it felt like to get close to one of those invisible electrified animal fences, so he put on the dog collar and ran through it. He didn’t try it more than once. We’re no longer dating.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:53 amWhat a gorgeous scene.
And I learned long ago that my children do not learn as quickly as puppies, so why not goats?
August 13th, 2008 at 9:57 amOh, but aren’t goats highly intelligent? And they make such good cheese.
Love the photo.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:12 amOh but MOOOOOOOOOOM! The little zap is the most fun!
August 13th, 2008 at 10:32 amOuch! It never ceases to amaze me, the things boys find fun!
August 13th, 2008 at 10:49 amThat’s awesome! We lived by a farm with cows… and an electric fence. My sister and I used to join hands with our brother then I would grab the fence while at the same time she and I were jumping into the air. Little brother got the shock. He’s 32 now and still talks about it. Good times!
August 13th, 2008 at 11:14 amThe worst part is that teenaged boys don’t learn as well as the goats either :>).
We have a small livestock farm with acres of pasture surrounded by electric fence. When my teenagers have friends over we always warn them about the electric fence. But the boys have to check it out for themselves.
Because the elecricity is pulsed, if you quickly touch your finger to the fence you many not get shocked. So the teenage boys try the fence, don’t feel anything, and figure they know better than the adult giving them a warning. They then grab the electric fence in their fist, hoping to prove the adult wrong, and get the shock of their life. Happens every time there is a get-together here.
Good thing the kids are fun and interesting, because they certainly don’t have much common sense.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:34 amOr else they are gluttons for punishment, which I’m sure you could oblige at home.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:37 amWhat a cute picture!
It reminds me of the time we took the dog collar to the invisible fence at my aunt and uncle’s house. Let’s just say the dog weighed almost as much as I did, so when my hand hit the voltage it took a couple seconds before I could take it out of the charge. I then understood why he never left the yard.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:42 amhahaha!
I took RJ to do some volunteer work at the local pig rescue and never thought about pointing out the electric fences. I assumed she had seen them, they’re very visible. On our second trip, she backed into one and jumped about a million feet. Then, she kept talking about doing it again but she didn’t… as far as I know.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:44 amThey kept touching it, really? I guess they are boys, pain knows no limit to being amused. I hate electirc fences and avoid the ones on our fences at all costs…maybe you have some future electricians on your hands? Beautiful farm though!
August 13th, 2008 at 12:05 pmSo…an electric fence won’t work to keep the kids in the yard, then?
August 13th, 2008 at 12:34 pmThat is hilarious. Hilarious because I now remember being a child on a farm in Eastern Washington, a farm with lots of electric fence. Electric fence that would shock you EVERY TIME. My father would always yell at us to keep away. And yet, for all the years of my youth, I felt compelled to go up to the fence, wet my finger and then tap it; it was apparently some asinine test of adolescent bravery and grit…how long could you stand to touch the fence without having to pull away.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:03 pmBeing one of the only girls in the area, I somehow had to “prove” myself.
And yes, the goats, pigs, horses etc, would always look at us like the idiots that we were.
Kids are just weird that way. I can’t tell you how many times my kids hurt themselves by doing something they shouldn’t, only to just do it again a few minutes later.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:34 pmI was not so lucky. When I was about 7 on my Great Grandparents farm there was an electric fence (not so low voltage) that I was not aware of. I touched it and thought that my younger sister hit me hard in the middle of my back. When I turned around to see that she wasn’t there I started to cry. Was I going to die now that I had so much electricity go through my body? NOPE! Just got yelled at. Why was I touching the fence in the first place???
August 13th, 2008 at 3:14 pmNow that cracks me up. I can see them touching it.
“Ouch”
August 13th, 2008 at 3:29 pmtouches again,
“Ouch, that’s not so bad”
to siblings,
“Hey, touch this.”
At first, I was going to comment about the lovely photo. Norman Rockwell couldn’t arrange a better goat picture. But then… the electric fence touching has me giggling!! I guess boys will be boys!!
August 13th, 2008 at 3:49 pmThey are just making sure…..
August 13th, 2008 at 4:17 pmDid they find this new fence by accident or did one locate it and then tell the other to touch it? My brothers thought it was fun to dare each other to pee on the electric fences when they were younger. Stupid rednecks!! If it hurts the first time it will hurt the same the second time.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:20 pmI can hear it now.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:42 pmBzzzzzzzt! Cool, watch this! Bzzzzzzzzzt!
Sigh…I’d probably touch it too. Just keepin’ it real.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:05 pmLOL, we had an electric fence around our cow pastures as kids and spent long afternoons seeing who could hold on for the most pulses or touch it with our tongue, etc.
Not the brightest kids in the county, I suppose, but we turned out ok.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:47 pmI have seen that Grab-The-Fence trait in others, though I can’t lay claim it it myself . . . actually I think this comic sums it up pretty nicely –>
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/the_difference.png
August 13th, 2008 at 8:29 pmThank you for the great giggle. Kids go figure.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:51 pmAnd making their little sister touch it too, right?
August 14th, 2008 at 12:57 amMary
Electrical fences can be hours of fun, as long as they’re low voltage. It sounds like the fence almost won out over the goats for entertainment value.
August 14th, 2008 at 1:53 amI love goats, they are so sassy!
When I was a kid, the neighbors put up a short, low-voltage electric fence across “our” shortcut to keep their bassett hound in. It was only on sometimes, so we’d just grab it to see if it was on, before going through the shortcut. And yet somehow, I made it into Mensa.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:35 amCan I borrow your kids? We have an electric fence, and sometimes wonder if it is working. “YOU touch it.” “No - YOU.” You can rent them out as little fence testers.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:00 amBoys and their…toys? Um, nope, that’s not quite it. Small things amuse small minds? Erm, nope, not quite it either. Hmmm…guess “It’s a good thing they’re cute!” fits best after all!
August 14th, 2008 at 9:49 ami feel like my little brothers would do the exact same thing, haha.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:38 pmHey there - I just wanted to say I have been lurking on your site for quite some time and I really enjoy reading your posts, especially the photography. I don’t have children myself but I like the anecdotes and sense of humor. Thanks for the good read!
August 14th, 2008 at 9:37 pmThat is so a “Kodak” moment. I’d have that enlarged and hung on my livingroom wall in a heartbeat. Precious. Priceless. Serene.
That being said, too funny about the goats learning faster.
August 16th, 2008 at 2:48 pmOMG…I am laughing hysterically as I post this comment!
YOu just crackme up everytime I come over here! Its like getting HD (high definition) over here!
August 18th, 2008 at 10:15 pm