I just can't believe this. I am always learning what NOT TO DO. I put a small bucket with a little bit of feed on the OUTSIDE of the fence so I can get through the gate to get the goats in their pen to feed them.
Mia jumped up and tried to stick her head through the fence to get the feed before I could stop her. She got STUCK!! OMG, panic...two dogs on the outside of the fence growling and barking at her and me threatening them, she is almost hanging by her neck...can't get the horns through. Trying to hold her up at the same time as shooing the dogs.. panicking what to do. she kept slipping and I kick the plastic trash can lid over so she could stand so I can have more lead way in figuring out how to get her loose... this went on for about 4 minutes, I finally held my breath, pulled her head down (almost choking her) at the same time pulling up on the fence wire, that one damn horn wouldn't come loose, she is crying and finally it came loose I fell backwards on my butt, . OMG...I thought I was going to lose her. I sat down and she laid in my lap and I hugged her and 10 seconds later she went to find the feed that fell on the ground..... Us humans.....geese... I hope this is the last time something like this happens...
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I’m so glad she is ok. I had something similar happen this summer. I looked out my kitchen window and saw one of my girls hanging in a hay net. I started screaming and running for my back door. She was hollering and struggling but as soon as she herd me running toward the pester she stopped and patiently waited for me to get there. It took mea few minutes to hold her up so she could breath and untangle her. It felt like forever. When she was free she started checking my pockets for treats while I was crying and telling her I would be a better goat mommy. Definitely more traumatic for me then it was for her. Needless to say the hay net went into the fire pit. Lesson learned.
Thanks Marty... I panicked, but something inside just took charge...thank goodness. It was my fault. I should have never had grain anywhere near the pen...I can't believe even if they don't see it, they just seem to know it's there..... lesson learned. That's why I'm keeping wire cutters with me, as when they are in their pen, it's okay. I'm always checking on them during the day and they scream if something isn't right LOL
Poor Trish. I'm glad you were there. I used to keep horned does, but not anymore. One of my nubians was forever getting in the fence, and was aweful about letting me help her out. I'm so glad it never happened and she got hurt over it. I'm also glad everyones ok at your place.
Thanks, I'm still upset even tho she's okay. I keep thinking what if......I'd never forgive myself. I am making a list of things (wire cutters for one) water gun etc as a tool box each and every time I go out there LOL The wire cutters can get them loose in a second and the fence can be repaired.
That shows me that animals just "get over it" and us "humans" tend to have those human compassionate feelings that linger. I kept waking up thinking about what happened..but all is well for now LOL It also shows me. even tho my dogs are good and love me to death...they are DOGS and I would not trust them for a split second around those goats...after I saw how they reacted. Still trying to figure out if the dogs thought that I was in danger or if they knew the goat was helpless and they wanted at it....
So scary!! Glad you were there!
That sounds awful! I'm so glad everyone is alright. It seems we're always learning what not to do by doing it. That sounds exactly like something I'd do to get into the buck pen without letting them out. :)
That is one of the reasons people don't like horns.
We leave the horns on our Shetland rams and wethers, and we have had some get their heads stuck in fences. One wound up getting eaten by coyotes when he got his head stuck, and we weren't around to free him. At least with the rams, their horns get big enough by six months that the fence issue becomes a non-issue. However, with goats, their horns don't curl around like rams, so they can get stuck in fences for most of their life, especially does, which have smaller horns.