Caution: Barn Fire...

[Gailann Schrader]

A very pregnant doe (registered of course and carrying my first born-on-farm registered Nubian doeling), when bored, CAN and WILL short out a flood light fixture (no, not a heat lamp) that she can reach. She CAN AND WILL manage to electrocute herself and her unborn baby and burn the horse/goat barn/shed to the ground and turn her down to the front shoulders into just roasted meat and skeletal remains (and totally burn off the forelegs)...

<sigh>

Her unborn doeling was gorgeous...

<sigh>

Next time?

Shield the light fixture - including the lamp - with chicken wire or other... including the cord...

And install GFIs throughout the barn.

Always something on a farm... :no:

[Milking Mom]

Oh my God. I'm so sorry. :waa:

[animal_kingdom]

That is horrible...I cannot even imagine...

Sorry.

[Jen H]

What a nightmare. I am so sorry.

[GrannyG]

This is just heartbreaking. I can only imagine how you must feel. mY goats are like my children. I have one pygmy who is pregnant and has been down now for three weeks and I carry her, and rock her in an old rusty rocking chair trying to soothe her. The vet just says toxic pregnancy but nothing has helped so far, and I could not stand the thought of putting her down, so to loose one to a fire is so sad. You will be in my prayers.You have probably saved some by giving good advice to us.

[eggladyj]

I feel so sad for you......I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel at this time. You're in our thoughts.

Jeannine

[Kim in Indiana]

I am so sorry to hear about the fire. I'm not too far away, if there is something I can help with, just let me know.

[joyfulmama]

I am so sorry.

[Helena]

goats are curious animals for sure. We use heat lamps in the barn this time of year for the kidding. Fortunaltely never have had a problem..but do keep them high enough. Has anyone else ever used smoke alarms in their barns ?? I know you would need to have an open door but our doors are mostly open year round unless really bad cold winter nights. The sound of that alarm alone will spook the goats and horses..to run outside and might just alert us humans to anything wrong in the barn. Just a thought. So sorry to hear about your doe..

[Gailann Schrader]

My barn is actually more than 300 feet away from the house. And I was at work. But the smoke alarm system would be a good addition. And/or hook it up to an intercom.

I had just checked her at 7:15am and scratched her nose and told her how pretty she was. The call came from the Sheriff's Department at noon or so - I had detected no problem in the morning. By the time I made the 25min drive back home? To the ground. The folks/neighbors that saw the smoke came over immediately, but said that she was not crying or screaming - and they said the fire was so intense that they couldn't have gotten to her anyway - it melted aluminum (1200° or so...) And the burn pattern on her body indicated she was electrocuted prior. I still just go out there and stare...

The riding lawnmower was in there too...

Thanks for all your thoughts...

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE install GFIs and secure the cord and light so the goats can't play with them. I truly think she had her front legs in her water bucket and chewed on the light cord... Her front legs were gone. Not bone, gone.

[grandma*angel]

Hi
I am a volunteer Fire fighter and this is not uncomon and we just fought another barn fire so similar ... someone was raising baby goats and they got to the heating lamp wires....i hate it because the family lost the baby goats to...it is so sad.

[bethlaf]

i am so sorry to hear of this, what an awfull thing to have happen
i wish i knew where you were, im willing to offer you a replacement kid out of my next doe to have one, i know it wont replace the one you lost , but it would get you started again
Beth