# Lala and My Journey into New-Age Bakrebaazi: When Love Met Artificial Intelligence

# Lala and My Journey into New-Age Bakrebaazi: When Love Met Artificial Intelligence There are some decisions in life that are made after careful calculation. And then there are decisions that happen quietly, almost instinctively. You see someone—or in my case, someone with four legs, long ears, innocent eyes and a beautiful face—and something inside you simply says: > “This is the one.” That is how Lala came into my life. Not because he was the heaviest goat in the market. Not because someone guaranteed that he would become a giant buck. Not because I had calculated his future resale value down to the last rupee. I liked him because of his face. There was something angelic about his expression. Something calm and familiar. His personality connected with me in a way that is difficult to explain to someone who sees goats only through kilograms, teeth and market prices. I felt that my vibe matched his. And somewhere inside, I had the feeling: > “This is the pet goat I was looking for.” That was the beginning of my journey with Lala—and, unexpectedly, the beginning of my experiment with what I now call new-age bakrebaazi. ## When Friends Started Questioning My Choice After bringing Lala home, I began sharing details about his feeding habits and development with friends who also have experience with goats. Some of them raised an interesting doubt. They said that perhaps Lala's previous owner had sold him because he did not see much future potential in the animal. Why? Because Lala had a very particular preference. He liked his feed dry. Soaked grains? No. Wet chuni mixed into a porridge-like consistency? Absolutely not. The previous owner had already tried those methods and had honestly told us about it before handing Lala over. Some friends interpreted this differently. Their argument was: > “Maybe the previous owner tried everything, realised the goat was not responding as expected, and decided it was not worth investing more time and money in him.” I understood their point. And even though I did not fully agree, their comments stayed somewhere in the back of my mind. Because I am human. Even when we love an animal, even when our heart has already accepted it, outside opinions can sometimes create a small cloud of doubt. I began wondering: Did I choose correctly? Does Lala really have good growth potential? Am I being emotional and ignoring something obvious? But instead of allowing speculation to decide the story, I decided to investigate. And that is where AI entered my bakrebaazi journey. ## My First Lesson: A Goat Is Not a Machine One thing I slowly realised was that many people discuss goats as if every animal must respond identically to the same feeding method. If one farmer feeds soaked chuni and his goats grow well, the conclusion becomes: > “Soaked chuni is the secret.” If another farmer adds several supplements and sees weight gain, the conclusion becomes: > “These supplements made the goat big.” If a goat develops permanent teeth early, people say: > “This one will become taller.” And if a goat refuses a particular feed, people may immediately assume: > “Something is wrong with this goat.” But Lala made me question that entire way of thinking. What if he simply prefers dry feed? What if he digests it comfortably? What if he eats enough nutrients in that form? What if the problem was not Lala—but the fact that the previous feeding method did not suit his personality and preference? That possibility made much more sense to me. ## The Great Wet Chuni Debate In traditional goat-raising circles, soaking grains or chuni overnight is often considered an essential practice. I heard many explanations: * It makes the feed softer. * It improves digestion. * It makes goats eat more. * It produces a bigger belly. * It helps the goat gain weight faster. * It makes the animal look heavier and fuller. Some of these points can be practically valid. Soaking can make dusty or coarse feed more palatable. It may help a goat that refuses dry feed. It can sometimes encourage an animal with poor appetite to consume more. But the important question is: > Does soaking itself create extra nutrition? No. If I take 300 grams of dry chuni and add water, I still have approximately the same amount of actual feed nutrients. The water increases the wet weight and may increase the appearance of fullness, but it does not magically create additional protein or calories. This was a useful distinction. A goat becomes genuinely well-developed through adequate nutrition, health, genetics and consistent care—not merely because its feed was served wet. And in Lala's case, he already eats dry feed willingly. So why should I force him to eat wet chuni simply because it is considered the traditional method? That was one of the first myths I began challenging. ## A Big Belly Is Not Always a Big Goat Another thing I started thinking about was the obsession with belly size. In goat markets, a large, rounded belly can immediately attract attention. People often associate it with a well-fed and powerful animal. But a large belly can mean many things: * good rumen fill; * plenty of forage; * water and feed inside the digestive tract; * excessive fermentation; * gas; * or simply the goat's body structure. For me, the goal is not to make Lala look like he is carrying a water tank under his stomach. I want to see: * a deep chest; * thickening neck; * broad shoulders; * a strong back; * fuller hindquarters; * good muscle development; * healthy body condition; * alert eyes and active movement. I want a genuinely handsome buck—not merely a goat with an oversized belly. That difference may sound small, but it changed the way I looked at feeding. ## The Tooth That Created Another Round of Questions Then came another moment that made me ask more questions. Lala dropped one of his first milk teeth. Naturally, I became curious. Some people believe that goats who develop permanent teeth early become taller or stronger than those who remain in the milk-teeth stage longer. The familiar comparison begins: > “This one is already two daat.” > “That one is still adant.” > “The early-toothed buck will grow taller.” But after exploring the subject, I understood that tooth replacement is primarily related to age and maturity, with individual variation. Early tooth development may sometimes be observed in animals that are maturing quickly, but that does not mean the teeth themselves cause greater height. In other words: > Early teeth may accompany maturity, but they are not a guaranteed predictor of final size. Again, I found myself separating observation from assumption. Instead of panicking about Lala's tooth, I began focusing on more meaningful indicators: * Is he eating? * Is he active? * Is his weight increasing? * Is his chest developing? * Is his neck thickening? * Is his body condition healthy? Those questions seemed far more useful than treating every tooth as a prediction of his future. ## When AI Became My Second Opinion I began using AI almost like a discussion partner. Not as a replacement for a veterinarian. Not as an unquestionable authority. But as a tool that helped me slow down, organise my thoughts and ask better questions. Whenever I heard a claim, I could examine it from different angles. Instead of asking: > “Which tonic will make Lala huge?” I could ask: > “What nutrients does Lala actually need, and is his current diet providing them?” Instead of asking: > “Should I soak his chuni because everyone does it?” I could ask: > “What practical benefit does soaking provide, and does Lala have a problem that soaking would solve?” Instead of asking: > “Does early tooth replacement mean he will become taller?” I could ask: > “What does tooth development actually indicate, and how reliable is it for predicting growth?” This process did not remove my emotions. It made my emotions more informed. ## The Previous Owner's Honesty Was Actually a Gift The more I thought about it, the more I appreciated the previous owner's transparency. He did not hide Lala's preferences. He told us that Lala disliked soaked grains and wet chuni. That information helped me understand him from day one. I did not waste time repeating the same feeding experiment again and again. I did not spend money trying to force Lala into a feeding routine that he clearly disliked. Instead, I learned to work with him. What someone else may have considered a difficulty became useful knowledge for me. It reminded me that every animal has its own personality. Some goats eat anything. Some are selective. Some are energetic. Some are calm. Some are mischievous. Some look at you as if they have known you for years. Lala has his own way of being Lala. And perhaps that is precisely why I like him so much. ## My Friends' Doubts and My Inner Confidence I would be lying if I said other people's opinions never affect me. Sometimes they do. When someone says that the previous owner probably sold Lala because he lacked future potential, a small part of me wonders whether I have overlooked something. But then I look at Lala. I remember his frame when I purchased him. I see his long body, developing chest, strong legs, horns, ears and overall growth. I remember that he was already around 35 kilograms at approximately eight months. I also remember why I chose him in the first place. Not just because of his potential weight. Because of the connection. My friends may evaluate Lala through the lens of business, growth and return on investment. That is their perspective. My relationship with Lala is different. I want him to grow well, certainly. But I also want him to be comfortable, healthy, emotionally secure and cared for. I did not bring him home merely to prove a point in the market. I brought him home because something about him felt right. ## New-Age Bakrebaazi Is Not About Rejecting Tradition I want to be clear about something. I do not believe that all traditional knowledge is wrong. Far from it. Experienced farmers have accumulated valuable wisdom over generations. They understand local fodder, seasons, animal behaviour and practical livestock management in ways that cannot always be learned from books or screens. But tradition should not become a prison. A practice should be evaluated according to: * the animal's needs; * the quality of the ingredients; * the actual results; * safety; * and the circumstances in which it is being used. Likewise, AI should not be followed blindly either. AI can make mistakes. It may not know the exact quality of a fodder, the full medical history of an animal or the local conditions of a farm. That is why I see the best approach as a combination of: > Traditional experience + scientific information + AI assistance + daily observation. That is my version of new-age bakrebaazi. ## Lala Also Taught Me to Slow Down During one period, Lala experienced reduced appetite and fever. Naturally, I became worried. I started considering every possible explanation—deworming, tooth discomfort, feeding changes or another health issue. When his fever did not return and his appetite gradually began improving, I decided not to rush back into an aggressive feeding routine. I simplified his diet. I stopped unnecessary additions. I focused on observation, clean water, normal feed and stability. That experience taught me something important: > Not every problem needs another tonic, another supplement or another experiment. Sometimes the best thing an owner can do is allow the animal to settle, recover and return to normal gradually. In a world where everyone is constantly trying to optimise everything, sometimes simple care is the most intelligent choice. ## I Am Raising Lala With More Than Weight in Mind Of course, I have hopes for Lala. I would love to see him develop into a handsome, healthy and impressive buck by Qurbani 2027. I want his neck to thicken. I want his chest to deepen. I want his shoulders and hindquarters to fill out. I want him to carry himself with strength and confidence. But I do not want to chase weight at the cost of health. I do not want to force feed him. I do not want to overload him with supplements. I do not want to change everything simply because someone says another goat became bigger using a different method. I want to watch his journey. Measure his progress. Understand his preferences. And give him the best care I can. If Lala grows into a 52-kilogram buck, I will be happy. If he reaches 55 or 58 kilograms, I will be happy too. But even if his final weight is different from my expectations, he will still be Lala. And that will still matter. ## The Real Meaning of New-Age Bakrebaazi For me, new-age bakrebaazi is not about replacing the farmer with a chatbot. It is about giving the caretaker better tools. It means using AI to: * question popular myths; * understand nutrition; * compare fodder options; * evaluate supplement overlap; * track weight and body condition; * recognise warning signs; * think before changing the diet; * and avoid unnecessary spending. It means learning that a goat's preference is not automatically a defect. It means understanding that a big belly is not always proof of superior growth. It means recognising that early teeth do not guarantee greater height. It means accepting that no one can predict an animal's future with absolute certainty. And above all, it means remembering that care should be guided by both knowledge and compassion. ## Lala: My Pet, My Responsibility, My Little Experiment When I look back, I realise that Lala has already taught me more than I expected. He has taught me patience. He has taught me to observe small changes. He has taught me not to panic over every opinion. He has taught me that animals have preferences and personalities. He has taught me that love often begins with something as simple as liking a face. And through him, I have discovered a new way of raising animals—one where traditional knowledge, modern information and artificial intelligence can work together. I still do not know exactly how Lala will look in May 2027. Nobody can guarantee that. But I know that I will continue learning, observing and caring for him. And perhaps that is the real journey. Not simply raising a heavier goat. But becoming a more thoughtful caretaker along the way. ## Final Thoughts Some people may believe that Lala was sold because his previous owner did not see enough potential in him. Maybe they are right. Maybe they are wrong. But I do not have to live according to their assumptions. I have my observations. I have Lala's progress. I have his personality. And I have the feeling that brought him into my life in the first place. My gut instinct told me: > “This is the pet goat you were looking for.” So I am choosing to trust that feeling—while still keeping my eyes open, learning continuously and making responsible decisions. That is my journey with Lala. That is my experiment with AI. And that is what I call: # New-Age Bakrebaazi — Raising a Qurbani Pet Goat with Love, Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence. Because sometimes, the future of animal care does not require us to abandon tradition. It simply asks us to become curious enough to question it.