Farm animals exhibit personalities

by Sandy Graham

Nobember 11, 2006

Photo of pygmy goats in barn.

A rare close encounter with the shy but delightful pygmy goats.

After reading Marley & Me and What the Dog Did, it became even more apparent to me that our pets and farm animals are very similar. Household pets have quirky personality traits and idiosyncrasies that we laugh and tell stories about all the time. Yet, so do farm animals.

In Marley & Me, John Grogan states “A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not.”

This applies to farm animals, too. They only want love and care. In return, the animals are not judgmental and will give you love in return.

When I volunteer at the farm, I notice the different personalities of the animals. Sammy and Harry, the geese, now greet everyone who comes in the gate. One day, they followed me everywhere as I worked, and they honked and made their chatting noises as if we were gossiping together.

Carmen, the turkey, coos, makes noises, and looks at you in a way that indicates she’s trying to tell you something. And, I have watched her running behind new birds at the farm making her sounds at them. I’m not sure if she’s making them aware of the rules of the farm or protecting them from something, but I do know she has a very distinctive personality.

I was amazed at Grace, the horse, one day. She is normally so docile and comes up to get her treats from visitors when she is called, but she did not want anyone touching her the day we tried to put medicine in her eye. And, Dylan became very anxious trying to get to Grace to help his buddy through our ministrations. When you think about it and put it into perspective, these are characteristics that humans might also display. Dylan was being protective, and Grace did not understand our intentions to help her, so she was scared, just as a human would be.

Then, there is Jessie. Everybody loves Jessie, the sheep. He craves attention. He is always in the middle of a work party. Volunteers reach out to pet him as they take breaks, and his short little tail wiggles in delight.

Farm animals do have personalities. They don’t judge us, except by what we do to them.