scrambledmess
Ridin' The Range
Advice needed at end, if you make it that far.
We had a tarp up over the inside part of the goat pen to block any drafts that might have come through when the garage door was opened this winter. As we were doing "spring" cleaning, I took it off yesterday to give more light into the pen when we open doors to clean it.
Enter this morning. I go out this morning and only see 4 of our 5 nubian kids in the outside pen. I heard the other in the garage. I figured she was in the pen. I never went to check. I was just out taking pictures, enjoying the quiet spring morning, and waking the outside critters up before the inside family woke up.
I come back in the house. The little human kids were up and excited they found their baskets. Our great dane is whining and wants to go out. Mind you, I don't ever let her outside out of the fence without us being with her. But the door to the backyard was blocked with little human kids and I wanted to watch my girls play Easter, so I let the GD out the front door by herself.
GD is not out very long, but she is panting when she comes back in. She was out in the yard with us most of the day yesterday. I figured she was just really tired and didn't think much of it.
We finish up Easter. I make deviled eggs. Kids throw their easter candy papers all over the house. Older boys go out to feed and water. They come running back in to let me know that one of the goats is missing.
I don't panic yet. I did hear her in the garage after all. I said, "Go check the garage. I heard her in there. Maybe she panicked and got trapped under/behind something.
Nope, nothing. I go out to help look. Still nothing. DH gets in the truck. Boys get on bikes. I start searching the yard.
I started to doubt that I even heard her in the garage. I couldn't find where she could have gotten out. And if she was out, why didn't she go to our pygmy pen, up on the porch, under the porch of the garage, in the chicken coop that I had left open after gathering eggs on my first outing. I started to think someone might have stolen her. I started making plans for at least a GSD if not a LGD.
Boys come back on their bikes. Nothing.
I tell them that IF our GD did chase her, the boys needed to head to the woods north and south of us. Even though both were easily a half mile away (we are surrounded by open fields.)
As they were putting boots on, DH comes flying back in the truck. She was almost 2 miles away in a woods further then those close to us. I know my GD didn't chase her quite that far. The GD wasn't gone that long or muddy at all. But the poor doeling must have been so spooked she just ran and ran and ran.
We have reinforced their pen inside and out. We have secured the garage door better. It isn't hard to push up and that is what she would have had to do to get out.
What do I do with this doeling now? I couldn't find any injuries on her. No scraps. No bite marks or drool like she had been grabbed. She was crying when they found her. I know she is exhausted. Do I need to do anything to relief stress? Do I need to watch for anything specific?
Why do we always leave our guard down on the holidays?
We had a tarp up over the inside part of the goat pen to block any drafts that might have come through when the garage door was opened this winter. As we were doing "spring" cleaning, I took it off yesterday to give more light into the pen when we open doors to clean it.
Enter this morning. I go out this morning and only see 4 of our 5 nubian kids in the outside pen. I heard the other in the garage. I figured she was in the pen. I never went to check. I was just out taking pictures, enjoying the quiet spring morning, and waking the outside critters up before the inside family woke up.
I come back in the house. The little human kids were up and excited they found their baskets. Our great dane is whining and wants to go out. Mind you, I don't ever let her outside out of the fence without us being with her. But the door to the backyard was blocked with little human kids and I wanted to watch my girls play Easter, so I let the GD out the front door by herself.
GD is not out very long, but she is panting when she comes back in. She was out in the yard with us most of the day yesterday. I figured she was just really tired and didn't think much of it.
We finish up Easter. I make deviled eggs. Kids throw their easter candy papers all over the house. Older boys go out to feed and water. They come running back in to let me know that one of the goats is missing.
I don't panic yet. I did hear her in the garage after all. I said, "Go check the garage. I heard her in there. Maybe she panicked and got trapped under/behind something.
Nope, nothing. I go out to help look. Still nothing. DH gets in the truck. Boys get on bikes. I start searching the yard.
I started to doubt that I even heard her in the garage. I couldn't find where she could have gotten out. And if she was out, why didn't she go to our pygmy pen, up on the porch, under the porch of the garage, in the chicken coop that I had left open after gathering eggs on my first outing. I started to think someone might have stolen her. I started making plans for at least a GSD if not a LGD.
Boys come back on their bikes. Nothing.
I tell them that IF our GD did chase her, the boys needed to head to the woods north and south of us. Even though both were easily a half mile away (we are surrounded by open fields.)
As they were putting boots on, DH comes flying back in the truck. She was almost 2 miles away in a woods further then those close to us. I know my GD didn't chase her quite that far. The GD wasn't gone that long or muddy at all. But the poor doeling must have been so spooked she just ran and ran and ran.
We have reinforced their pen inside and out. We have secured the garage door better. It isn't hard to push up and that is what she would have had to do to get out.
What do I do with this doeling now? I couldn't find any injuries on her. No scraps. No bite marks or drool like she had been grabbed. She was crying when they found her. I know she is exhausted. Do I need to do anything to relief stress? Do I need to watch for anything specific?
Why do we always leave our guard down on the holidays?
what a morning you've had!
