Relaxed Farming - our farm in your classroom

What a look on Buzzard's face!!! We can tell you that this was the moment he had been waiting for: for Parsley's kid, now named Satin, to come over to say hello. His patience was astounding. He had crept into the pygmy stall and laid down about a metre from the two of them and then spent the next ten minutes staring, willing Satin to come over. He knew if he went any closer, Parsley might well threaten him with a head-butt! After a while, Satin did a mad dash right round Buzzard and began to slowly approach his back. A less patient dog might have leapt up and turned around: not Buzzard. He twisted his head around and gave her such a longing look... next minute she had leapt on top of his back and frightened the life out of him!!! (And no we didn't have the video going...) And Nutmeg at the back there looks completely amused by the whole thing! Parsley was very close the whole time, just keeping her eye on this 'new' friendship, ready to interfere if needs be.
Buzzard loves any small animal on our smallholding and will spend ages just sitting and looking at them: chicks, ducklings, turkeys, lambs. We think pygmy goats are his favourite and this little bundle has definitely got a special place in his heart!!!
A lot of farmers and smallholders will have stories and photos/videos of two different types of animals really getting on. Part of the joy/fun of keeping different species and breeds is watching some of these more unusual relationships developing, especially where in many cases the animals concerned might in the wild be predator and prey or very big and very small: dog and rabbit, cat and duckling, horse and chick for example.
However, caution is always advised. We would never leave Buzzard on his own with the pygmy goats and the same applies to all our dogs. It is very important to us that we can take them onto the smallholding and into any of the enclosures but when we leave so do they. Dogs are predators, they have teeth and jaws designed to kill and just one snap could cause heartache all round.