Windward

Come Meet the Kids

Kiri talks about the joy of having babies around

July 15, 2021

By Kirianna Patrick

Every year here at Windward, we welcome a new generation of animal friends to our home. They bring cuteness, fun, and laughter along with a renewed sense of purpose. Our animal systems are an integral part of this community we are building. In exchange for a safe, well-cared for existence, they gift us food, milk, fertilizer, wool, and the joy of having animal companions in our lives.

The especially wonderful thing about caring for baby animals is the bonds of trust you can build with them. I took the opportunity to build such bonds with the baby chicks and goats. By building a rapport with the chicks, I am now close enough with them that they are very comfortable when I’m moving amongst them and they enjoy eating grain right from my hand! It always makes me smile when all three compete against one another for the most grain, absolutely adorable!

I also made sure to spend time with the baby goats. I’ve observed that if they’re not socialized with people, they’ll not want to be touched or handled when they’re all grown up. This happened with one of the two mother goats. Now, it’s a real challenge moving her when it’s necessary since touch is alarming, rather than comforting, to her sensibilities. I felt it was important to ensure that this wouldn’t be the case for her kid, ‘Little Foot’.

Simply having baby animals around makes the feeding and caring for the whole lot of them a true joy. Seeing how they navigate the world as they grow up and change, adds to that joy. They’ll receive a full, happy life and afterwards fulfill their role in the circle of life. Essentially returning to the community that sheltered and protected them, the good will of that happy life in the form of sustenance to fuel our bodies. Bearing witness to these cycles of life, here at Windward, really helps one to appreciate the ever-renewing nature of this world we all live in.