Goats Shouldn't Climb Trees

Yesterday, I came home from taking Rachel to her speech therapy session, to find Abby very upset. Margie (one of our goats) had been staked out in the brush so she could browse and enjoy some of the varied trees and saplings. We have been staking the goats more often because the price of hay is so unstable. The more brush they eat, the less hay they eat.

Apparently Margie had managed to tangle her front leg in the chain and a few saplings with it. Abby had handled it very well. She untangled the goat, realized that the leg was injured, and moved the goat to the small barn. She then called Sam, who was at the firehouse (of course). He told Abby to call the 'Ski's. Donna gave her instructions, which Abby followed. (At least Donna didn't say, "It's gonna die.")

When I got home I looked at Margie's leg. It was swollen just above the knee. I could feel where the chain had wrapped tightly, but the skin was not broken and the bones were all intact. We wrapped her leg, gave her a shot of pain killer, and had Abby ice it for 15 minutes, every hour for a few hours. By the evening she was putting some weight on it.

We'll ice it again today and keep her by herself in her own little area, so she won't get knocked around by the other goats. The worst case scenario is that Margie won't go to the Chester Fair with us. But I think that since she is already putting some weight on it, she will heal in time.