Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

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'm sorry about your goose and do you have an update on the whether? No dull visits to the farm, huh?

wow ot having a good week huh?!

for the goaty eyes I don't know what antibiotic your using right now but Oxytetracyclin is the antibiotic of choice for eye isues, inject normal does then put a few drops directly in the eye if you can.
vetmycin is good too but the oxy is realy good for eye infections.
poor guy, though even vision impaired he may still be ok, put a bell on one of the other goats collars, that's what I did for lilly whil her eyesite was gone nd she followed them round no problems when she could hear them.

such tough tim, poor goosey and goaties and YOU!
tak about stress!

Daaaaaaaaaaaang! Sorry sis! Glad you had a good time with the grandbabies!

Thanks, ya'll - it's part of life on the farm for sure - but I wish it hadn't happened while the kiddos were here.

Pink, thanks for confirmation that I'm using the right thing. I haven't tried putting it in his eye though. I might try getting some powdered oxytet and mixing it with water and using that when I put the cool compresses on his eyes.

All in all, he's doing well. He fights me everytime I try to medicate him - and he's strong, lol. He's eating well and wanting more. He's starting to scratch at his eyes with a back foot though. I hope the itching means that there's healing going on.

If it turns out that he's permanently blind, I may try the bell thing, or just keep him in a smaller area.

I've been milking on a pretty regular basis again. It's nice though that I can leave the kids with the mama's and not be forced to milk when I don't want to. It takes a little pre-planning, but that's ok.

I'm hoping my barn-port will be delivered and assembled in the next couple weeks. I've got so many plans and it's going to make my life, and the critter's lives, so much easier. It'll take a lot of work though. I'm going to have to put up several more fences. I want to be able to drive right out to the barn to unload feed and hay and I don't want to have to fight off critters every time I want to go through a gate. That means I'll have to build a 'sally-port' of some sort so that I can drive up to the structure. The piece de' resistance will be to have an automatic gate opener, lol.
Nothing lazy about me!

I've been thinking about it - and, like Pink, I needa cut the numbers around here. It's not all about the feed bill, it's about my time too. Now, I gotta admit that twice a year I feel this way - in the dead of summer and in the dead of winter, lol. But, I don't 'neeeeed' 33 goats. (or whatever the number really is cuz they won't stand still and let me get an exact count.)

Nothing around here is up to snuff right now. Nothing major, but there's weeds growin where weeds have never grown before, my gardens are outta control, even though they're still spittin' out okra, eggplant and peppers pretty well. I've got two broody hens right now and I'm too lazy to worry about it. If they hatch summpin' that's ok - and if they don't - that's ok too.

I prolly should add some chickens to the 'for sale' list too. I've been meaning to have my flock tested just so I could say theyre tested and clear, but I haven't even had time to do that. I've got chickens everywhere, and the thought of having to catch 'em all is just too overwhelming to think about right now, lol.

Still waiting on the barn build - I'm guessing it'll be a couple weeks...hopefully no storms or hurricanes in the interim.

Little wether is holding his own. Not any worse, but not getting a lot better very quickly either. His appetite is still there. The swelling around his eyes seems to be easing up just a tiny bit. I'm not sure what will be under there when the swelling goes down...

The skeeters are about to carry us away. If not for that - I'd be in the hot tub right about now..... Guess I'll just head to the bed.

G'nite folks.

Wow sorry about your goose and goat, plus side is you had your grand kids for a time. I was lucky enough to have mine here for Labor Day. I thought I had a lot do do with feeding the chickens and rabbits. I hope your little goat heals up. I say put your feet up but I know you can't spare the time. Take care.

Thanks CW - it is always a blessing to have time with the grandkiddos. They're growing up soooo fast. They are almost 7, almost 6 and 2 1/2....

Hallelujah - I think the little wether is gonna be fine. HIs eyes are still swollen but it's gone down enough that they're open just the tiniest little bit. And, best of all - he can see!! I let him out with the other goats for awhile just to see how he'd handle it and the first thing he did was go sniff some girl goat hiney, lol. He may be a wether, but he's still thinks he's got cajones.

I've gotta disbud the two little doelings this weekend. They're around 4 weeks old and they've still got nothing more than tiny little bumps on their head. I never wait this long, but they were so tiny and frail for so long that it seemed best to put it off for awhile. It is the thing I hate most about raising goats. But, I'd rather do that than have goats with horns.

Picked 5 big ol' eggplants out of the garden today. I think I'm going to go turn it into something delicious.

Happy weekend everybody!

fem....I seem to be short on time right about now too :/ It's frustrating, but I have too many irons in the fire right now. I'm gonna have to cut back on a few things, animals is just one of those things! I wear myself out every day, and still go to bed with a to do list a mile long and 10 feet wide I'm with ya lady!!!

ses like too many irons is the theme of this year lol...
know the feeling though, it all comes down to "who" and "what" on the goes list, I hate that whole "but I might regret that one" issue.