Dogs vs. goats, the list

When I got home yesterday evening I helped Mama with the evening feeding and took time to put our young female rabbit with Jack. He was pretty instant about his part of the contact. That was the second time I have put them together, so the little female should be bred. We did not have much time at home because of church that evening, but the evening was not particularly rushed. Victoria was not due home until about 7:30 so she did not come to church with us. Nothing noteworthy – until we got back home, and Victoria quietly announced that Kira and Kobe had killed another of our goats. I was not pleased – to say the least. When I got changed, I took the wheelbarrow and positioned it near the goat. It was only when I lifted him into the wheelbarrow that we discovered the he was still alive.

When I did a thorough inspection I was not able to find any life-threatening wounds but there were multiple cuts, abrasions and tears in the skin of the neck on both sides. I hauled him to the garden and placed him on a piece of insulation I had removed from the coop fearing the ants would make fast work of him if he remained on the ground. Thinking about it more carefully, I took the kennel we use for transporting the goats and carefully placed him inside it; in case there was any chance for recovery. I spent the next few hours checking for signs of life and began to see some small improvements. Thinking better of leaving him out in the cold, I carried him back to the little shed we use for the male goats and laid him on the floor next to his brother. As of this morning at 5:30, he was still breathing and bleating pitifully; enough that Mama continued to insist that I finish him off. I am hoping that as the day warms significantly, the goat will be more comfortable and begin to show us he will recover if left alone. Otherwise, I will have to answer Mama’s request to end his suffering. That would make this the third goat the dogs have killed. So, the tally to date is two goats and five chickens have been killed by Kobe and Kira. One of the potbelly pigs was severely injured but survived. And the dogs still get to sleep in the house. I am still very much not pleased.

No one seemed ready to talk about the issue last night, so I kept quiet too. None of the dogs have been allowed inside this week. They still smell like skunk – and now they have blood on their fur. On the positive side, I am noticing a dramatic improvement in Victoria’s health. She is not having the breathing problems or as much of the respiratory congestion that she battles month by month. Whether she will concede that not having the dogs in her room is to her benefit remains to be seen.

During the day yesterday, I compiled a list of all the projects I have outstanding, materials needed for each project and the estimate of those material costs. It was a long, pricey list. No wonder I am stressed about getting it all done. Mama appreciated seeing it all in one place. Having it all written down and tallied up allows me to prioritize the money and timing of the various projects. Most everything is on hold at the moment due to time constraints and/or financial constraints but that will not be the case too much longer. Crystalizing it in print will help with planning – and it helps me remember those items that may be important to Mama but not be on the list I keep in my head.