United States
sarahswan
As a kid growing up on a farm in east Tennessee, I spent most of my childhood around animals—primarily cows, pigs, horses, and chickens, but also the occasional duck, mule, or goat. I have remained an animal lover as an adult, although now I stick to horses and dogs. My dogs are my constant companions. We run, work, travel, and play together. Most of our adventures take place on the trails of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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. They were just babies, so I kept them inside for almost two months before they were ready to go outside. Unfortunately, I just didn't have the right habitat for them. I lived on a huge piece of land in the woods, so they had plenty of space, but not enough water. Because I was in the woods in a relatively rural area, there were a lot of predators, and one of my ducks was snatched in under a month of being moved outside. I thought that keeping them inside and handling them a lot when they were young would make them friendly, but they never really seemed to get used to me. They remained skittish the entire time I owned them, and after the first one got snatched in the night (I still have no idea what got it), the one that was left was even more terrified of everything. I ended up giving the duck I had left to a friend on another farm who had five other ducks of different varieties living on her pond. My duck settled in quickly there and was very happy. She never became friendly, but I was glad to know that she could be with other ducks in a more appropriate habitat. The lesson: ducks need access to a large enough body of water that they can use it to escape predators. Water is not just their natural habitat; it is their protection. Without it, the phrase "sitting duck" is incredibly apt, and it will be a sad day for any owner when they discover this.){kind=link}
, she's definitely on the top. She seems to enjoy controlling the other horses and sometimes this attitude carries over to her relationship with people, so regular groundwork to keep her in check is required.){kind=link}
 who they didn't want to have to worry about around their animals (they also keep chickens). After some research, they settled on Pygmy goats. They purchased two and bred them the following Spring. They've now sold their second round of offspring and have been getting steady milk production from them for about a year and a half. Their milk is delicious and makes excellent cheese. My only other experience with goats came from when I was a kid and would milk the neighbors goats for money. I don't know what breed they were, but they were full-sized, strong, and not especially fun to milk. These Pygmy goats, however, in part due to their size, are very easy to milk (it helps that they stand on a block, so you don't have to bend down too far to get under them). They stand patiently and are very well-behaved. They're also easy to keep in a relatively small space, although they do have to be contained because if they got out, they would just wander and wander. They're very curious and playful, so they need space to play, but their fence needs to be strong and high (relative to their size) because they're smart and will try to figure ways out. They're great around the kids, not aggressive at all, but they are absolutely terrified of dogs and will make the most horrific noises if they see one.){kind=link}
, and from a young age I helped take care of them all, but I wanted my very own pet. A kid at school had a guinea pig that had babies, and when his mom brought them to school, I convinced her that my parents had decided to let me have one for my seventh birthday. By the time I got her home and they found her in the makeshift box habitat I had created, it was too late. For my seventh birthday, Rose Petal got a proper cage, toys, food, and shavings, and she officially became mine. I've heard lots of stories about guinea pigs having breeding problems and not living long. Perhaps because mine didn't come from a pet store, she didn't have that problem. I'm not sure. But she lived for almost eight years and died peacefully during her nap one afternoon. Rose Petal (I named her that because her ears were a pink translucent color that I associated with my grandmother's roses) was very playful and friendly. She lived in my room and was permitted out of her cage as long as I kept her in my room. She loved to sit on my lap and eat carrots or lettuce out of my hand while I would work on my homework. She was very vocal and would squeal with excitement any time I came in the room. I was completely responsible for her care, and I think she was great practice for me as a kid. Her cage was easy to clean, and she was easy to feed, but having do those things on a regular basis taught me the responsibility required in taking care of a pet and prepared me for the many animals I would care for later.){kind=link}