# What a freak accident !



## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Well , Im not so sure about the safety of plastic chains with break away plastic ties to hold them together.
I had a horrible experience with them and Im still shaking from it.
I was just finishing up doing hooves and I was just putting everything away when I heard Jenni scream ! It wasn't her usual "Mom where are you" yell , it was a panicked one. I ran into the barn and found Jenni's hind foot twisted and over Rosita's neck ! It was entwined in Rosie's collar with no way of getting it loose. I thought it would break any second so I held the two together which wasnt easy because Rosie was trying to back away and poor Jennie could do nothing but scream in pain ! It didnt break ! I saw that the two break aways that were on it were in such a position , there was no weight on them , so it wasnt going to break at all ?! I had to do something and fast ! I was all alone, no way of yelling for help from anybody. I partially picked Jenni up on my shoulders and back enough to get her closer to Rosie who I jammed into a corner so she couldnt move. I was shaking so bad because my poor Jenni was screaming and looked like she was going to pass out ! I was praying to God so loudly I was sure he would hear me !! Well , he did ! I was able to get enough free space on the chain where I could slip her hock out of the chain , then I just ripped the chain off Rosie's neck. Jenni fell into me and stayed there breathing heavily and moaning. Rosie was no worse for wear and she just walked away looking a bit shaken but otherwise fine. I held Jenni's head close to me and cried. I wasnt sure if her leg was broke or fractured but we both needed to just sit there and breathe. My poor Jenni , I love her so much , I couldnt bare to have to put her down , not my Jenni !! Im making myself cry again typing this. But I want everyone to be aware of the freaky accidents that can happen in a split second. If I wasnt home , it would have been real bad.
Jenni's leg and foot is fine. No swelling , no limping , no nothing !!!!!
I thanked God over and over and just couldnt take my eyes off of Jenni !!
She was walking slowly , seemed to be testing her leg and found it to be OK.
She then came back over to me and rested her head in my lap. I was shaken up that I couldnt even get myself up off the floor. We both looked at each other for quite a while , she looked right into my eyes !! I almost had to look away because it made me get goosebumps ! Now if someone wants to tell me we didnt have a connection there for a moment , go ahead , but its a waste of time.
Please me careful with collars and such. They just may not break even though they "always did before". I would find collars laying around in the grass all the time . And I was always happy about it. But now I need to rethink their plastic chains. 
God bless my Jenni .


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Oh Laura, I'm SO sorry, and I'm so sorry for Jenni! I'm glad she's all right, I know how HORRIBLE those moments are :hug: :hug:

And no one will ever convince me I don't have a conection with my pets. They are my babies, when they look into my eyes I can see right into their sweet souls


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Aww Laura! That sure is scary! I'm so sorry that happened! I was almost in tears reading it.. :hug: I hate when things like that happen... I think freak out just as much as my goaties...


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm so sorry that happened. Glad you were there to take care of it! :hug:


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

Oh my, what's horrible incident. I'm so glad you posted because I was planning on getting those collars and mine are crazy jumping fools. I'm so thankful your sweet Jeni is alright. They get themselves into some horrible pickles. Thank god you were right there to save her!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

wow...now you made me cry...how scary. Im so happy you were there....and yes..I do believe we have connection with our goats..God cares so very much about the things we care about...He helped me Save my Rosie a few years ago...even my vet could not believe she survived. ( anther tear jerker story)


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Oh wow scary indeed! Up to her hock, oh my goodness! Thank God you were there!


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

Oh wow! It's so scary when stuff like that happens!!! Our 2 year old Boer doe jumped a no climb fence from a tree once. She got her back ankle stuck in one of the top fence holes, fell over the fence, and was dangling from the top hole. I watched her do it and ran over there so quickly, lifted up all the 140 pounds that she was worth, and got her foot out. She was absolutely fine... just being a silly monkey.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

My sweet Jenni and her BFF Lilly 
Now look at the chains on Lilly , there are two !
Two chains with the plastic zip ties. 
Why I put two , I couldnt make up my mind which color looked better on her , so I left the two on ! How stupid , right ?!!
Dumb mistakes but at least I learned from them without a loss of life.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

When I said up to her hock , I dont know if you would call that the hock on a goat , but if you know horses , thats the part I mean .
Not completely sure of all the "goat body parts" yet


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Oh wow, I am glad they are both okay! :hug:


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

My goats have "naked necks" for lack of a better phrase unless I am leading them somewhere ... I have the collars clipped onto the fence for easy access. It can be a pain if you don't have a collar on when you need it, but for me it's worth the peace of mind. I've learned how to make a collar out of my hands -- I cup them around behind the cheek-bone, works in a pinch :laugh:

Oh I'm just SO glad she's okay!!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

OMG I am so sorry this happened to you, so glad you were there to assist and get Jenni free! It's a freak accident, and I hope your nerves have settled. I'd be a nervous wreck too 

I highly am against using collars for this very reason. Goats always seem to find ways to get themselves in trouble. We have enough problems with their horns, they don't need anymore help getting into trouble lol


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

both are very pretty....and I would say look a bit spoiled????


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

^ Laura's goats spoiled?! How could you think such a thing?!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Thank you Cathy  And Skyla 
Yes , my goats are spoiled , lol Goats are MADE to be spoiled and loved on


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I know exactly what you mean Danielle ! I have used my hands around the very top of their necks as a "collar and lead" too. Sort of insisted that they go the way I lead them , lolol It works in a pinch , but they wouldnt let me do that for long. Not the big girls anyway 
Its just hard to grab them in a pinch , like when they are trying to push their big selves through the barn door when Im trying to close it .
Having those chains on them helps a heck ova lot , but its just not worth the stress of what happened today happening again when Im not there.
God I cant even think about that ! Just a horrible experience !!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Maybe carry a collar in your pocket? I have started to do that. I just sling it around their necks real fast. Sometimes I'll be in a store and put my hands in my pockets for warmth, only to pull out fistfuls of collars :laugh:


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Yeah , your right  I will have to get used to carrying a short lead with me. Its a easy thing to do. I used to carry one of those vet leashes in my pockets at all times when i worked there. It was a requirement . Then , at the barns , I always had a lead with me .
I have a few of those vet leads yet , they are small and easy to fold into pockets. I consider myself so very lucky to be able to learn from this without having to deal with a broken heart.


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

Wow! You were lucky to be there when she did it. Is she the LaBoer in your pictures?


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

This is awful, and it's great you were there and able to fix it. I'm so glad everyone is all right. I don't put any collars on mine until they are older. But it does seem like this could happen with other collars also.

If you have no problems catching them maybe they can go without collars at all. There are slip leads you can get at dog supply places that can be used when you need a leash. I think the place I have gotten them is called gun dog supply online. This is a really pricey one http://www.gundogsupply.com/slipleadroll1.html, but it stays open and is easy to loop around them to catch them. This one is a lot more reasonable - http://www.gundogsupply.com/k-9-komfort-6-ft-hollow-braid-slip-lead.html and a sort of in between one - http://www.gundogsupply.com/k-9-komfort-6-ft-whip-lash-slip-lead.html

When my first two goats were about that age, maybe a little older, I had one of them get stuck in one of those plastic yard chairs, I left it in there because it was handy. I had to get help and we had to cut it off of her with loppers. I found her like that when I got home from work, had no idea how long she had been stuck. She was fine too.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Yes , thats my Jenni girl . And her BFF Lilly .


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## StarMFarm (Jan 17, 2013)

Oh my goodness how awful for you both  Thank GOD you were there to get her free. :hug: Your girls are beautiful by the way!


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## Bambi (Jun 10, 2012)

Thank goodness you were there to save your Jenni. That is horribly frightening. We had problems with the breakaway plastic chains also. We almost lost our doe, Gretel . She got her plastic breakaway collar stuck through a pine branch and twisted it so she could hardly breath. Even though the collar was tightly twisted it did not break. I was lucky to see her in the pasture and ran down to get her unstuck ,but it was close.She is fine and a ripe old age of seventeen now, but I will never use those plastic breakaway chains again.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

I just read about your ordeal! Glad everything worked out! God bless you and your goats.

I learned on this website, from examples like yours and many others, not to leave a goat unattended with any collar on. I have my chains, collars and halters (and a lot of other stuff like hoof trimmers) in a sterlite box by the door as walk out to the pasture. I grab what I need as I pull my boots on. My goats have horns so a horn and an ear work pretty good for a collar and lead. Doesn't look like the ear is an option on that goat

I hope others will learn from this. Thank God your goats and you are okay.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Thank you guys  Im so glad your ordeals turned out OK too !
There is never a dull moment with these animals is there ??
Thank you for the links lissablack  I will certainly look into those !
StarMFarm, thank you , I love my girls  
Spoiled , spoiled and spoiled some more those girls are , lolol
And Bambi ,17 years old ?!?!? Holy udders ,God bless that youngster !
GTAllen , thank you  Good ideas as well !

Wow , things like these really make you stop and think , dont they ?
Im hoping somebody learns from this mistake too and avoids heartbreak .


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Oh yes , Jenni's ears or lack of wouldnt make a good lead or collar


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I am so glad she's okay, how scary!


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

Poor Jenni


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

Trickyroo said:


> Yes , thats my Jenni girl . And her BFF Lilly .


She's pretty!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Thank you . She is really a special girl .
I highly recommend this cross to anyone , they will have you giggling constantly ! She is a doll


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

Laura glad to see Jenni is fine! What a scary thing to happen. It probably upset you more then it hurt her!


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I am so glad that you were there and on ly by the grace of God you were and all is fine.
I have said for years to not keep them on but eveyone says they are breakaway. You just showed that they are not always breakaway. 
Please people, take them off.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Oh she was wailing let me tell you !
The poor thing looked as if she was going to pass out soon !
I can't believe they both walked away from that !
I really thought I was going to hear it break but I was also determined to get them apart . Glad I won !
Jenni and Rosi were fine afterwards , me. , I needd a drink !


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

I am so sorry this happened to you and your babies. I have heard other people before talking about how the plastic break away collars were not actually breaking any more. I am not sure if they changed the style or materials but I have actually never used them. I had thought about it a while back but heard dangers then about them getting hooked on fences. I only have collars on two of my senior does because they are harder to get your hands on when free ranging if they are not ready to go up and one buck. I use the hard stiff collars that can't twist around like the soft nylon ones, but I still fear having them on the goats. I do carry one of those nylon rope halter leads from TSC for when I need to handle any of the girls.

I am just so glad that you were there to come to the rescue! I know that there is a great connection with your animals. For the most part I can tell all of my goats by their cries/calls but I have a set of sisters that are very hard to tell the difference on certain cries.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Thal you DDFN ! I'm so glad I was there too !
I have to say though , the plastic chains I use are held together by those plastic zip ties . I usually have two or three holding a collar together so there are more chances of it breaking . There were two on Jenni's collar and they got caught in such a way that there wasn't any weight on them to cause them to break apart. I really thought I was being very careful and a good momma  
I can tell my girls cries apart too. One of my Nubians , Lilly has such a yell , it's so unique . The twins , Dasha and Daisy are very similar to each other and hard to tell apart, lol
Jenni has a very different voice too ,I can tell its her without seeing her yell , lol. It's funny how we can tell their voices apart , lol


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

You are a VERY good goat momma :hug: These things happen, and I'm very glad all are okay  Including you! It was probably more traumatic for you than anyone!


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## DonnaBelle66 (Mar 4, 2013)

Yesterday I heard my Felicia holler that "help help" yell. She had hooked the break away link of the plastic collar on the woven wire fence going out into the pasture. The way it was hooked, I couldn't get it loose it was too thick and hooked just right that I couldn't move it.
Happily my husband was working in the yard and my screaming brought him around and he was strong enough to get it loose.
Felicia would never have gotten that link unhooked.
I am thinking about just taking them all off. It is SO handy to have a collar on a goat to move them with, because they just love to get right in the way when you are trying to get something done, but I'd rather have a pain in the a++ live goat than a dead one with a collar on.

DonnaBelle


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Wow , I'm happy to hear you saved Felicia ! Such. A nerve racking experience !
I Use the plastic chains for the same reason , they're handy to have on them to grab one from slipping out of the paddock or from getting in the way. My girls arent hard to catch , they are hard to keep off us and out of our way , lol. 
I have stripped them of their plastic chain collars until I find something that's 101% safe. Im done with collars for now !
Please , please , everyone think twice about using collars ray:ray:ray:ray:ray:


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