The other day, I had the opportunity to be at the farm alone. That doesn’t ever happen. It was a beautiful warm day – a great day to be outside and playing with the goats. We had a pretty long week of farm work and planning, fence building, late evenings and early mornings. My husband loves the farm so much that seldom does farm work seem like work to him – but it was a pretty long week.
I thought I would be helpful. It was time to give all 5 goats a CDT shot, worm them, and trim hooves. The bigger goats are coming along. They aren’t too skiddish. Charlie (a bit of a bully) is right down friendly and enjoys being petted as though she were a large dog. Great! I thought – her I could handle. Even Ruby has been coming up and “asking” for her head to receive a pat or two.
We had started working on a “goat stand”. We need a head-gate but haven’t gotten that far yet. (That contraption has just moved up the priority list a bit) I thought I would modify our “goat stand”, ready all the medicines, and try to get a couple of goats done before farmer man got home and we have to move them back over to my sister’s farm.
I was awfully proud of myself for finding a post, screws, drill, drill bit, and thinking of the grand plan! I screwed the post to the table, had to countersink the screws so they would attach well, and placed a hook to hold my bucket of supplies. Brilliant! I thought.
So my friendly girls came up, visited me for a bit and so I “caught” her and hooked her to the post with a small fence chain. Great!
Then it all went south!
So Ruby decided to be freaked out by being chained to the post about the time I had injection #1 out and ready. She jumped off the table, knocked the whole table and post over before I could lay the syringe down and get her calmed. Which sent the bucket of supplies tumbling, along with a good portion of goat treats I had readied for the task. Then, apparently I didn’t secure the post well enough because it came off. There are no photos – I am sorry, not sorry! So off goes Ruby, running down the hill with a post following. Which freaks her out even more. So she is uncontainable, Charlie is upset because Ruby is upset. So five goats are running full speed away from me, holding an open needle and syringe! This is one of those times I would have liked our kind sweet older “real farmer” neighbor to have been GONE – but nope! Not only was he home, he was out on this beautiful day working his horse – and getting a great laugh I’m sure!
Poor Ruby! She ran away from the post that was chasing her for quite a way before she finally shed the post. Great! Except the still had the chain attached to her collar. So she would walk – it would rattle, she would run away from the rattle noise – and it would chase her, she would jump up – and it would “bite” her on the back of the leg. Not a good scenario! Funny, but pitiful!
For 45 minutes, I crouched, offered snacks, talked calmly – and alternately calmed and spooked her into the same run, rattle, chase, jump, and bite cycle. FINALLY! She decided to go into the barn – Thank You Lord! I was able to finally get her close enough to me so that I could step on the length of chain and gently bring her to me and take it off. I loved on her and calmed her and loved on her and calmed her. Two steps forward, one step back!
So, instead of making my poor husband’s day easier, I actually made the process of getting the freaked out goats herded and loaded in the van much more difficult. “Spookiness” is contagious, so all of them were quite worked up! We finally did get them loaded (much more entertainment for our neighbor) and taken back to my sisters where four of us worked together to give shots, wormer and pro-biotics. Hoof trimming did not happen! That will have to be another day. We ran out of energy and daylight.
This has been a week of late evening farming! I have a few new bruises and some powerfully sore muscles to show for my attack of brilliance! And, 5 goats that will need a few days of calm and uneventful life before we bring the other 5 we are expecting!
At least it was a successful failure –
Ruby is largely unharmed (much prayer sent forth for such)
I did not in the chaos give MYSELF the CDT shot I had ready
I learned a few things – like we need an actual head-gate fast! One that is lower and wider so it won’t tip over!
I was able to spend time just relaxing in the field with the goats afterward to help them see me as calming and not a predator – helpful if we EVER want them to come near us again!
I have a few new bruises and am quite sore, but did not get hit in the head with the post, or drug around the pasture. So, minimal damage.
We did still manage to get them into the van and back to Acres of Grace. (eventually -there were moments I doubted that would happen)
Need to move leash training up the list a bit!
by the way – we only used the chain to get the little one in the van. Three goats – two people loading! We took it off. I don’t trust the babies with collars!
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