A life in darkness ...
25 rescued goats
25 goats were living in a cramped, dark and dirty stable in Lower Austria. The Lower Austrian Animal Welfare Association contacted Gut Aiderbichl and reported that the plan was to confiscate the goats. After the confiscation, the goats found a temporary home. There, the animals were examined by a vet and it was also observed which goats got on well with each other. In order to avoid the slaughterhouse, the animal welfare organisation set out to find places of mercy. And 17 of the 25 goats ended up at Gut Aiderbichl.
The goats were totally insecure and anxious
The small, dark shed could not possibly provide a species-appropriate environment. There were at least seven uncastrated bucks and a few small kids in the group of goats. Everything that can slip away had probably slipped away here… When it comes to animal suffering, you don’t have to look beyond Austria’s borders. Animal suffering knows no borders, it happens all over the world.
In principle, anyone can keep goats
Goat keeping does not require any special authorisation or personal requirements. The general legal requirements of the Animal Welfare Act (§2) must be observed, which means the following: goat husbandry must be species-appropriate, the diet must meet the needs. The goat needs the opportunity for species-appropriate exercise – the latter was definitely not the case in the small stable.
The essence of the goat
Goats are very intelligent, curious animals with a talent for learning. They are among the most sure-footed animals on earth and have great stamina. Goats are good at asserting themselves. When they want to achieve something, we recognise their facial expressions: their heads are slightly lowered, their eyes become more fixed and their horns signal: “Watch out! Don’t contradict me!”.
Goats are social animals and love to live in a herd.
Goats are great observers
When you observe them, you realise that there is nothing they don’t notice in their environment. They want to know and get to know everything, and to do this, the animals need a generous run and climbing opportunities. Whether big or small – goats look for a “lookout tower” and love to observe their surroundings.
Prams, tables, benches, large stones, roofs … almost nothing is safe from them
Everything is interesting and is explored. Our Tati, the goat with the white heart on her forehead, also jumps onto the roof of the Kune-Kune hut and eats the geraniums until there’s nothing left. “You have no idea how good they taste” – she seems to convey.
The 17 rescued goats have now become Aiderbichlers and are slowly getting used to the sun, freedom and all their new friends at the farm
The new goats have now received the best veterinary care – they have been wormed and have also been given great names.
There are, for example, Seppi, Lucifer, Melina, Sabine, Bibi, Barney, Michaela, Luci, Cheyenne, Klein Mia, Lara, Pamina, Esmeralda, Emil, Bindi, Rapunzel and Lea.
May they all soon shed their insecurities and fears and become cheerful and cheeky goats at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf.
