Laverne
Type: Mixed Nudian Doe
Born: ?
Height: 30"
Weight: ?
Color: White w/ black mask
Position: Fire Clearance
Laverne was one of our first three goats. They came from an inhospitable lot near the railroad tracks in Rialto, CA. We don't know the history of these goats, but we do know they were free and they have a much happier life here at the pack station. The original idea was to use them as pack animals. Goats can carry up to 25% of thier body weight and will follow thier people like dogs. This would be perfect for quick trips to the Main Canyon area with groceries, bedding etc. Laverne may never be up to this task, but her baby will. The other reason for having goats is for fire clearance. Goats are often used to clear grass, herbaceous plants and even poison oak from around country homes.
Mark Woodyard of cabin #130, one of Eric's brothers, is the one who told us about the free goats. He didn't know any more about them than we did, other than the location, and we wound up having to catch them ourselves. Mark was a big help with this and he was able catch Laverne by the horns. He and Greg got a rope around her horns and walked her to Sue's truck. Ajax and Shirley were already loaded so Sue kept them in the truck while Mark and Greg lifted Laverne into the camper shell.
Laverne is a very sweet animal but also very shy. One can tell that she is bright and would like to be more friendly, but is too afraid. We can pet her a little bit when we are feeding her 4-way grain, and we can catch her if we have to. She will come out of the corral with the younger goats an explore a little bit, but she still feels safer at home in the pen.
Laverne is Marjorie's mother. She, like Shirley, came to the pack station pregnant. We believe that she was young and that this was her first pregnancy. Laverne gave birth one day before Shirley. Sue came outside early one day to find Laverne standing over her new baby. This was our first experience with goat births, but something seemed wrong to us. Laverne kept squatting as though trying to pass more afterbirth. We didn't see the "bubble" indicative of another birth, so since this behavior persisted, we found a vet from Norco that works on goats. He wasn't able to come out until the next day, so we put mama and baby in a clean stall with dry shavings.
When the vet came up to examine Laverne he found that there was still a baby inside. He couldn't pull it out by hand so he went to the truck for tools. While he was away, Candace, who was helping the doctor, found a still-born female baby buried beneath the shavings. The vet was finally able to pull the third baby from the womb, a boy that was already dead.
Because of some physical damage, Laverne had to be put on antibiotics, but she also stopped eating and drinking. Suzanne Baltzer, who lives at Santa Anita Dam, found a local vet who would work on a goat. It turns out that when this doctor was growing up in Jamaica, she was in charge of the goats and she still has a soft spot for them. She put an IV in Laverne and stayed at the hospital all night long with her.
Laverne almost died but she is happy and healthy today. Because she was full of medication, the surviving kid, Marjorie had to be bottle fed and lived her first days inside Sue's house. When it was safe to reintroduce the two, Laverne refused to let Marjorie nurse, but she knew it was her baby and otherwise bonded with her.
Laverne was originally going to be named Marjorie. Greg thought that she looks like a storybook goat and that Marjorie is an old-fashioned sounding name. Before the goats were named, and before we knew Laverne was pregnant, we did think that Shirley was pregnant. When Sue said "I don't know anything about kidding a goat," Greg said "Surely, you must be kidding," and the first female goat was named Shirley. Once we had a Shirley, we had to have a Laverne, and Laverne was old-fashioned sounding as well.