I was in the house the other day, standing at the picture window, watching deer cross on a nearby hill, when I noticed that the cars and trucks were driving by very slowly in front of our place. No, they weren’t watching the deer, but the people in the vehicles were staring intently in our front field, staring at the 14 six month old buck boys. Now, what were those boys doing to stop traffic, I wondered.

I picked up my binoculars and focused on the front field and then just felt so proud of my boys. After years of very careful selective breeding of my Boers, I had finally perfected the Bucket Head Boer. The world was at last noticing that there was indeed something different about my Boers, as proof by the slowing down traffic and the staring people.

Down below, where one of the water buckets had been emptied, two boys had stuck their heads in the empty bucket, at the same time, and had picked the bucket up and were proudly walking around, in tandem, like oxen to a yoke, with that bucket over both their heads. They weren’t a bit worried. They were having fun.

Then together they dropped the bucket off and another two boys stuck their heads in and did the same thing as the first two. They were so happy and pleased with themselves. The rest of the boys were following them around, waiting their turn.

Now, I didn’t achieve this fascinating Bucket Head Boer over night. It took years of study and careful breeding. My first Bucket Head Boer was not a success. The kid correctly had the empty feed bucket over his head, but then he got terrified and spooked not only himself but the entire herd. After all, they had never seen a Bucket Head Boer before.

After that, it took a couple of years before my special Boers just knew what they were suppose to do as kids, find an empty bucket and put it on their head and calmly walk around with it, allowing other kids their turn when they were through. Pretty soon it was a regular sight to see some kid walking around with an empty bucket on his head.

I have to admit, the little girls got a bit confused at times. I had one little girl walk up to me and just about say, “I’ve been practicing, but there’s something not right about this.” Somehow, she had picked the bucket up but it had slid on down her neck and she had walked through the handle and now the bucket was perched on her side, fitting neatly over her little fat tummy. The bucket was jutting straight out on the right side and stuck there. I finally worked the bucket off and told her to next time stop at the head. Several other baby girls calmly walked up to me that year with the bucket stuck on their side or even under their bellies. They weren’t a bit perturbed about it, though it looked quite odd, and I told them I really wasn’t wanting to breed Bucket Belly Boers. So, I would work the bucket off their sides or from under their bellies and carefully explain to them again where the bucket was suppose to go. They tried so hard.

Now the adult bucket head ex-kids never try carrying a bucket around on their heads. They are all serious minded that there are more important things to do than carry a bucket on their heads. But, if one ever accidentally got a bucket stuck on her head, she calmly knows how to drop her head and get rid of the bucket. No running, hollering hysterics, looking for help. She just handles it herself and goes back to grazing.

The calmness of these goats when suddenly finding a bucket over their heads is amazing. To them it was sudden, because after all they only had their heads down checking out an empty bucket and when they raised their head up, the lights had gone out and something strange was on their heads. Then something clicks in their Bucket Head breeding and they go, “Ahhhhh. I know what to do now.” Then they go walking around, unconcerned, drop the bucket off, pick it up again, and repeat several times. It’s so familiar to them. Some kids even practice. I’ll see a kid stand and pick up and set down a bucket several times, just practicing on how quickly a bucket can be picked up. When you find you need their empty bucket, they actually chase after you, wanting it back. They feel that close to a bucket.

Yes, my Bucket Head breeding program has worked. And, I believe I have done the ultimate now. Tandem Bucket Heads. I’m so proud of my boys. Though, I do worry a bit what the little girls will do with this idea.