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- #941
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
I did have fun with the grandbabies, and we did get the grass cut. It took a team effort but we got some things done that needed to be done. Unfortunately, we had a couple of tragedies and my grandkids learned a lot about life and death while they were here.... that's how things go on the farm.
I don't know what's gotten into my little horses but they were the instigator in the first instance. Background info: I have feed troughs hanging on the inside of my fence so that the goats have to stick their heads through the stock panels to eat. It works great for me - no tripping on 30+ goats while I feed. However - sometimes two goats will stick their head through the same hole in the stock panel and get stuck - until they figure out how to get loose. Friday - two goats did it again, and they couldn't figure out how to get out - they kept fighting each other instead of working with each other to get out. For some unknown reason one of the little horses decided to use the opportunity to take out some anger on the two stuck goats. She was literally grabbing them by the neck and trying to stomp em with her front feet.... geeze! I sceamed at her - threw a feed bucket at her, a stick, a broken chunk of concrete and finally she backed off, but the goats were terrifed by then and so stuck that I had to get bolt cutters and snip a crosswire on the stock panel to free their two stupid heads.
So, the goats get loose, haul a$$ away from the feeders and the geese move in. I've headed back inside with the kiddos, but DH is still outside. He hears one of the geese screaming, the LGD is going crazy so he goes to check it out. Who knows how this happened, but a goose has impaled herself on the snipped crosswire of the stock panel. The wire has entered through her nostril on one side and exited through her eye socket....omg. He gets her off the fence and she disappears out to pasture. It was dark by then and there was no way to find her in the dark. I did find her the next day and brought her up to the barn, ut her in a stall with fresh water and feed. Her face was swollen to the point that she barely still looked by a goose...it was so nasty. She died just a bit later.... poor thing.
The next evening we're outside with the grandchildren and I heard a goat in distress. My little dogs were loose and I thought one of 'em must be antagonizing one of the goats. I go tearing out to the barnyard and can't find anything wrong. The inside goats are fine - looking at me like I'm an idiot.... (not all that unusual, lol). The pasture goats are unconcerned, so I go back to the house. The next day I have a sudden urge to walk out to the pasture. I'm having a new barn built and ther are some building materials leaned up against the fence, behind the trailer. A window for the barn has been pushed over and so I go to pick it up and OMG, there's a young wether under it. I couldn't even see him under there until I pulled the window off of him. He is in baaaaaaad shape. The window was laying on his head and he can't even stand up afterwards. I pick him up and carry him back to the barn with grand kids in tow. Geeze.... The worst thing is that it appears that his head took the wrost of it - and even more so - both of his eyes are damaged. I don't know if the eyeballs are ruptured or not - they're so swollen I can't even see them. I started him on antibiotics and some Vetericin opthalmic solution. I'm putting cool compresses on them as often as I can get out to the barn. He finally regains his balance and equilibrium and can walk just fine. Plus he's eating and drinking, but is obviously blind right now. He was destined for the freezer - but I want him to have as good a life as he can until that time. I'll re-assess his condition tomorrow. Might be time for the veterinarin - this might be beyond my abilities.
Rough weekend for the critters, but the grand children were a pure joy. My granddaughter even decided that we should name the little goat Tyson - because he's such a fighter.
Hopefully this week will be better for the critters.
Gotta sleep now....
I don't know what's gotten into my little horses but they were the instigator in the first instance. Background info: I have feed troughs hanging on the inside of my fence so that the goats have to stick their heads through the stock panels to eat. It works great for me - no tripping on 30+ goats while I feed. However - sometimes two goats will stick their head through the same hole in the stock panel and get stuck - until they figure out how to get loose. Friday - two goats did it again, and they couldn't figure out how to get out - they kept fighting each other instead of working with each other to get out. For some unknown reason one of the little horses decided to use the opportunity to take out some anger on the two stuck goats. She was literally grabbing them by the neck and trying to stomp em with her front feet.... geeze! I sceamed at her - threw a feed bucket at her, a stick, a broken chunk of concrete and finally she backed off, but the goats were terrifed by then and so stuck that I had to get bolt cutters and snip a crosswire on the stock panel to free their two stupid heads.
So, the goats get loose, haul a$$ away from the feeders and the geese move in. I've headed back inside with the kiddos, but DH is still outside. He hears one of the geese screaming, the LGD is going crazy so he goes to check it out. Who knows how this happened, but a goose has impaled herself on the snipped crosswire of the stock panel. The wire has entered through her nostril on one side and exited through her eye socket....omg. He gets her off the fence and she disappears out to pasture. It was dark by then and there was no way to find her in the dark. I did find her the next day and brought her up to the barn, ut her in a stall with fresh water and feed. Her face was swollen to the point that she barely still looked by a goose...it was so nasty. She died just a bit later.... poor thing.
The next evening we're outside with the grandchildren and I heard a goat in distress. My little dogs were loose and I thought one of 'em must be antagonizing one of the goats. I go tearing out to the barnyard and can't find anything wrong. The inside goats are fine - looking at me like I'm an idiot.... (not all that unusual, lol). The pasture goats are unconcerned, so I go back to the house. The next day I have a sudden urge to walk out to the pasture. I'm having a new barn built and ther are some building materials leaned up against the fence, behind the trailer. A window for the barn has been pushed over and so I go to pick it up and OMG, there's a young wether under it. I couldn't even see him under there until I pulled the window off of him. He is in baaaaaaad shape. The window was laying on his head and he can't even stand up afterwards. I pick him up and carry him back to the barn with grand kids in tow. Geeze.... The worst thing is that it appears that his head took the wrost of it - and even more so - both of his eyes are damaged. I don't know if the eyeballs are ruptured or not - they're so swollen I can't even see them. I started him on antibiotics and some Vetericin opthalmic solution. I'm putting cool compresses on them as often as I can get out to the barn. He finally regains his balance and equilibrium and can walk just fine. Plus he's eating and drinking, but is obviously blind right now. He was destined for the freezer - but I want him to have as good a life as he can until that time. I'll re-assess his condition tomorrow. Might be time for the veterinarin - this might be beyond my abilities.
Rough weekend for the critters, but the grand children were a pure joy. My granddaughter even decided that we should name the little goat Tyson - because he's such a fighter.
Hopefully this week will be better for the critters.
Gotta sleep now....
Sorry sis! Glad you had a good time with the grandbabies!
