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Welcome to the Animal Club!
The Animal Club is a group devoted to learning about and helping
animals and the environment. Our new meeting time is Wednesday after
school from 2:50 to 3:50 in Ms. Collins' room, A129. In the past, we
have taken trips to places from the Denver Dumb Friends League to the
Butterfly Pavillion and Alameda East Veternary hospital. Also, we have
had many wonderful guest speakers, such as the Gabriel Foundation and
the Colorado Greyhound Rescue. We work to inform people on topics such
as animal welfare, pet care and tips, and more through games,
discussions, projects, and crafts. We are open to all visitors and
newcomers with a love of animals, so come join us and see what we're
all about!
We would like to thank Mr. Tom Loux
with White Birds Unlimited, Canine Companions for Independence, and all
of our wonderful visitors for their time!
Some Thoughts About Goats –Brendan Craine
Goats are abnormal, and I’m just going to come right
out and say it. They are amazing at eating and digesting amazing
amounts of weeds and shrubbery, there are breeds that fall down and
stiffen up when they’re scared, and they are some of the most useful
animals on the planet. Also, they have weird eyes.
First off, goats have better meat, milk, and fur
than cows. They eat less, and are cuter. I have plagiarized some
interesting facts about cow milk versus goat milk:
· Nutrient content of goat milk is slightly less than cow milk
but goat milk is more digestible because the fat molecules are
one-fifth the size of those from cow milk -- making it easily tolerated
by those with compromised digestive systems.
· Seventy-two percent of the milk used throughout the world is
from goats. It is one-third richer than cows milk but more nourishing
and easier to digest.
· The flavor of goat milk is comparable to that of cow milk. Goat milk has a milder taste.
· Goat milk has no cream separation because of smaller fat molecules.
· Goat milk contains pre-formed Vitamin A in the milk fat that allows it to be readily available for use by the body.
· Goats milk contains a more highly-evolved cholesterol than cows
milk, making it more available for absorption to the brain and body.
(Cholesterol is essential to the health of the myelin sheaths "white
matter" of the nerves in the brain.)
· Goat milk is closer to human milk and is therefore easily accepted especially by those young or frail.
· Goat milk has an alkaline reaction the same as mother's milk. Cow milk has an acid reaction
· Goat milk does not form mucous (phlegm) and is therefore better tolerated by asthmatics and those with allergies.
· Goat milk contains more chlorine, fluorine and silicon than any
other domestic livestock. Chlorine and fluorine are natural germicides
and fluorine assists in preventing diabetes.
· Goat milk contains 2% curd, which precipitates in the stomach. Cows milk is 10% curd.
· Goats are naturally immune to diseases, such as tuberculosis,
and are used in third-world countries to actually cure tuberculosis
because of their inherent antibodies.
· Goats milk is tolerated by a compromised /damaged liver because
of the smaller fat molecules and it's naturally homogenized.
· Goats milk has the ability to "sweeten" the intestinal tract and assist with constipation.
· Goats milk contains a higher evolved carotene (pro-Vitamin A). Researchers have found this to have cancer preventing.
Convinced?
Also, Goats come in all shapes and sizes and qualities. Some goats are
very small and are mostly bred for meat. These goats are called Pygmy
goats, and while they are about a foot and a half high at most, they
are excellent for that purpose. (Curse my luck!)
They are also soooo cuuuute! I love them. Here is a picture:
See?? This goat is a baby, or kid. As kids, the goats stay close
to their mother does and usually are pretty shy until they are about
four to sixths months old. (← This was somewhat of an estimate; I
presented this a long time ago.)
As pets, goats can be hard. They like to explore their surroundings,
and without hands, the only way for them to really test something to
see if it’s interesting or edible is chew on it. Goats have amazing
stomach and digestive systems, so there isn’t much danger for anything
except for flower beds. They make great weed-control, though, and the
cashmere and Spanish/Brush breeds can even eat some toxic weeds! If you
raise goats and sell them for profit, then I wouldn’t recommend
thinking of them as pets. Otherwise, Goats make a good match to a kooky
individual. They are affectionate, furry, and will eat out of your
hand. Goats do not develop teeth on the tops of their mouths, and have
only the bottom ones for mashing stuff, so unless you let it get your
ginger to the back of it’s mouth, having a goat chew your finger is
actually quite soothing. Goats can be very difficult too, and take a
lot of space, time and money. I think that the benefits are well worth
it, so I’d adopt a goat in an instant, but… well, choose for yourself.
A couple other tidbits about goats is that their pupils are turned
sideways, and that you can tell a goat from a sheep in the following
way: sheep tails, however long, hang down, while goats tails point up!
Also, sheep make the traditional “BaAaAwwrg!” sound, while goats sound
more like “MeEeAaAuUrgh!”
Pygmy goats will mate with any other type of goat, regardless of size,
and so while I recommend goats as pets (Pygmies in particular) make
sure you either get only females or keep the male(s) away from them
when it’s “that time of the year”. Goat sex is well…
Icky.
I could keep rambling all about the various games I’ve seen them play
(King of the Barrel and Doggy-pile to name a couple) I will leave it at
this:
I. Love. Goats. You. Should. Buy. A. Goat. IF. You. Have. Time. And. Money.
Or, just spend some time at the Urban Farm!
--Brendan
Choosing Your Friend by Kristian Cowden
Pets are wonderful companions that can enrich our
lives with their love and friendship, but they aren’t
for everyone. You should think seriously before taking
on the responsibility of a life. You are making a
promise to a living being to commit your time, money
and affection to its welfare. Know what you are
getting into before you adopt or buy. Do your research
and take your time. Look objectively at yourself as a
potential pet parent. What is your budget? Consider
the long-term expenses and emergency veterinary costs
as well as the initial investment. How long will the
animal live? Examine your future from a rational
standpoint. If you want to get a puppy, and you’ll be
leaving to college in three years, is it reasonable to
think the dog would live in a dorm with you or at
home? Some pet parrots can live over sixty years. Will
your childhood pet grow up and grow old with you?
Research different species and pick one to fit your
lifestyle. Get to know someone with the kind of animal
your interested in and be open to all experiences and
opinions. If possible, get to know or work around the
type of animal your interested in. Take lessons and
lease if you want to get a horse, do some pet-sitting
for someone with a hedgehog if your thinking about a
prickly addition to your household. Don’t get caught
up in the moment and ignore quirks and habits. If you
read somewhere that ferrets have a strong musk smell,
don’t just pass it up and learn the hard way later.
Confront and weigh every pro and con. And remember
that in many ways pets are just like people; they each
have their own particular personality; you must accept
them for who they are as an individual, and expect the
unexpected. Remember your agreement of dedication.
Before getting a pet, if you are doubtful in the
least, think in terms of an animal’s welfare. If you
don’t think you can handle it, you might prefer
volunteering at your local animal shelter (or getting
a pet rock!) instead.
-Kristian Cowden
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