My Goats Ate Wire!!

[Elyse Nicholson]

There is a wire that runs from the house out to a little post in the field that controls out weather station. It is not eleltrical. The goats dragged it into thier pen today and now  it is in little pieces. Should I be concern about thier health? I am not sure what kind of wire it was. It had a black coating, with a green, red, and yellow smaller wires inside. What should I do?

 

Any advice would be must appriciated!!

 

Thanks!

WG4

[Elyse Nicholson]

Thanks for double checking!!

Yes, goats get into everything! Plastic, twine, etc. But, as I proved in a Goats 101 class I taught, goats do not eat tin cans!!! I did a section on goat myths and we tested famous myths for goats! The kids loved it!

WG4

[Deborah Niemann-Boehle]

Double checked with my husband, the electrical engineering professor who plays with electrical wire all day long, and he said yep, it's probably copper, especially if it's copper colored. Were they looking for copper? Who knows! Mine untie my shoe laces every chance they get. And Katherine once fished a baling twine out of a goat's throat. Not pretty!

[Elyse Nicholson]

I'm glad to hear that there is no problem! I had kind of worried when I saw how much wire was chewed, but now that two people agree, I think my goats are safe!

So, since the wires are copper, were they looking for copper?

Thanks so much!
WG4

[Aleesha]

I had a pgymy when I was a kid and he ate christmas light wire... and he was ok... And Deborah is right almost all electrical wires are copper...

[Elyse Nicholson]

Okay - just wanted to make sure they'd be alright! You know how I am - always worring about my little goaties!

Thanks Deborah!
WG4

[Deborah Niemann-Boehle]

I don't think there is much you can do. They can't throw up, so if they really did eat it, it will just have to come out the other end. Most electrical wire is copper, I think, which won't hurt them.