Another Broken Leg!

Pony · #1 09/21/09, 08:31 PM

Okay, I am NOT an abusive goat owner, my goats' habitat is NOT a death trap, and I do NOT enjoy setting broken legs.

Many Troubles got her foot caught in the crotch of a tree while she was reaching around with her head to nibble some leaves that must have looked tastier.

She twisted around too much, and broke her leg.

Once again, it was Nick who found one of my goats with a broken extremity. (He went out to check if Bow Tie was actually breeding her.)

This break doesn't appear to be a clean one like the buckling's. It may have been a spiral, as the foot was twisted around 90*. Still, I think I was able to pull it straight while Nick held her. We splinted with PVC, rags, duct tape, and 100MPH tape.

We have Banamine, and she's comfortable for the night. (I didn't milk her, because she's down to about a cup a milking anyway.)

The buck is not comfortable at this point. He is in full standing rut. (We call him "Yellowbeard.") We've built a Rube Goldberg shelter to keep the doe in the goat shed, and knocked together a temporary "bachelor hut" for the buck. They're separated -- for now. The shelter is no Fort Knox, but it should be enough for tonight, God willing, to keep them apart.

Does anyone have an idea (no matter how extreme) to keep him from trying to breed her before she figures out how to get around on three pins?

Maybe this post is too optimistic. I am a bit concerned that my doe won't make it through the night. OTOH, she was eating almost as soon as she figured out how to stand (gotta love that in goats!) And my heart just breaks for the buck. He's out there, crying his heart out, and it's not that weird "ooga-booga" talk rutting bucks have. It's the same plaintive cry as when we first brought him and Troubles home.

Oy. Someone, give me some encouragement here. I'm tired and I'm worried.

Thanks.

Wonderland · #2 09/21/09, 08:52 PM

That just stinks =( I'm so sorry you're having this bad luck. I hope your girl heals up quickly for you!

Silver Marten · #3 09/21/09, 08:58 PM

So sorry about the doe.

I hope that her leg heals up soon!

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #4 09/21/09, 10:24 PM

Had the same thing happen here Saturday late. I do chores at 10pm everything was fine, before I go to bed I check the barn, a Feb buckling breeding a group of yearlings was missing. Flashlight out through the pen and he was hungup in a fork of a tree. He is very very sore, his front legs are very swollen but as of this morning he is up and around and bred a doe for me this afternoon. The problem, there is only about 50 trees in that area that are all sucker oaks. I told my husband tonight that if he needs to cut firewood he has my permission to cut off the Y's in those trees, let the kids eat the leaves and then cut them into logs for firewood, at least it wouldn't be any splitting.

We can only do soo much............. I won't cut all the trees down. Vicki

Lizza · #5 09/21/09, 10:37 PM

So sorry to hear that you have another broken leg. Sometimes having livestock is no fun at all and they put us through a lot of worries and sleepless nights. {{hugs and prayers for your animals}}.

pookshollow · #6 09/22/09, 08:06 AM

Poor goat! How's she doing this morning?

DH was woken up one morning (I'd left at 6am) by the neighbour knocking on the door. One of my goats had both front feet stuck in a tree, down by the front creek, where he couldn't hear her. I was lucky - she didn't even have any scrapes. Goats do like to get themselves in trouble - almost as bad as horses!

Pony · #7 09/22/09, 09:01 AM

Well, she's alive this morning, praise God!

I used to think of goats as hardy animals. Two broken legs later, I'm not so sure. If we ever get her bred, since her name is Many Troubles, I've decided to name one of her kids "Certain Disaster."

Nick's at work, so I'm trying to talk a friend into scaling the barrier we built to keep Troubles safe. It promises to be a Lucy and Ethel adventure!

All the best to others with clumsy goats!