When we first met Batman in early April, we knew he was special. After all, it’s not every day that a stray goat finds its way to Lollypop Farm.
This 1-month-old Nubian goat was brought to our doors after he was found wandering, alone on the highway in the middle of the night. Batman (named by our staff in honor of his night-time adventures) was picked up by a good samaritan who realized that he was in imminent danger. She took him home and made him comfortable for the evening, and the next morning brought him to Lollypop Farm. While we’re still not sure where this little goat came from, we know where he’s headed – a happy home.
When Batman first arrived at Lollypop Farm, his photo was shared on our Lollypop Spotters Facebook page in an attempt to connect with anyone who may be missing him. We had no way of knowing where he had come from, or how he ended up on the thruway in the middle of the night. The ID tag in his ear indicated that there was a possibility he had come from an auction, but upon calling the USDA and animal control, we still didn’t have much to go off of. Female Nubian goats are generally associated with the dairy industry – a sector which doesn’t have much use for males, and they are often sold as meat. At first, Batman was very quiet and withdrawn – clearly shaken by his experience. We brought in a large animal veterinarian to make sure he was not injured, and the vet assured us that he was in good health. Whereever Batman came from, he had at least been well-fed.
Batman was so young that we quickly realized he would need to be bottle-fed several times a day. Baby Nubian goats generally nurse for 6 – 8 weeks. Luckily, he took right to the bottle! Batman quickly became an active character around the shelter. He started joining farm staff for meetings so that they could feed him and keep an eye on him. “Daily life for Batman at Lollypop Farm starts with preparing a bottle. Once the bottle is ready, he comes into the office with us and we have a little staff pow-wow to talk about what’s going on for the day. While he’s drinking his bottle, he’s part of the staff” says Joanna Dychton, Farm and Safety Manager.
Batman has his own personal stall in our indoor barn (complete with a cozy bed, originally meant for a dog), and receives lots of attention from our staff and visitors. Batman is also being socialized with people and other animals. Soon he will start taking short jaunts outside onto the farm and meeting other goats, pigs, and sheep. Once he is a little bit bigger, it will good for Batman to meet other goats who will show him the ropes – goat 101, if you will. “We’re happy to see Batman growing into a happy, healthy goat” says Joanna.
Batman has been with Lollypop Farm for weeks and has waited the appropriate amount of time for stray-hold, with no promising leads. Now, under our custody, Batman can begin the road to his new home. When Batman is fully grown, he will become a rather large fellow! Nubians tend to grow to approximately 150 – 175 lbs. They are tall, lanky goats with long, floppy ears, unique coloration, and sweet, goofy personalities. Batman will have to wait until he is at least 4 months old before he can be neutered, and then Batman will head to his new home! We have already found an adopter who will give him the very best life a goat could ask for.
We can speculate as to where Batman may have originally come from before he ended up alone on the thruway. A farm? A meat auction? But in reality, we’ll never know for sure. What we do know is, this little guy will be adopted, grow into a big, healthy goat, and live out the rest of his life as a beloved farmyard pet. Because of support from friends like you, we were able to give this baby goat a second chance.
Help us continue to care for Batman and other farm yard friends like him: www.lollypop.org/donate
Meet our farmyard friends available for adoption: www.lollypop.org/adopt/horses-farm-animals
If you ever come across a stray pet or lose your pet, contact Lollypop Spotters at 585-223-1330 or lostandfound@lollypop.org.
