M5farm
Well-known member
I have read several stories that many of you have posted and ya'll do an excellent job of painting a picture. As I get a little older I have started trying to write some things down. When we all gather around the holidays there are a lot of reminiscing and stories and after reading BEZ story I was reminded of my one of my own. I hope you Enjoy.
Back in 2002 and 2003 I had grand plans to corner the market with goats in my area and had bought several small herds and had around 50+ head. most were fairly tame but a few that were wild as deer and could jump as high. Any of you that have raised goats know that they kid in the most inopportune time and it will be cold or raining. this particular year seemed colder and wetter than usual. (I know some of you are laughing right now because of my location) but we had 4 first time nanny's that refused there kids. A couple were traumatic births where I had to pull and the mommas never showed any interest so we fed those boogers 4 times a day and all were doing well. I had taken a single stall I built and sealed it where they couldn't get out and had tried to block as much wind as I could. this particular night in question we had Hard freeze warnings lows 20's with wind 15 to 20. for us southern guys that's down right cold and miserable. I came home early from work and made my rounds dripping spigot's and wrapping pipes I put a light with the pump and I had an old farrowing house that I let the goats and cows come into and had spread some hay out for them to bed down if they wanted.
the last task that evening was to fix a warm place for the baby goats because according to my wife if they didn't have a warm bed neither did I. I took 3 pallets and strapped them together and piled some hay in there showed the them new bed and thought everything was good. Just as I began to head for the house Inspector number 9 came out to see if I would get to sleep in the house that night. I had had a heat lamp positioned over a corner for a few weeks without any problems and in all of the years with Hogs we always had lights that hung down next to the farrowing crate to keep the pigs warm so I thought nothing of the light being positioned above the make shift manger at a safe height. The task I was charged with got the stamp of approval and we proceeded to the house to get warm and eat some supper.
before bed I went out to check on them and they were all curled up and seemed content. We turned in for the night with extra blankets on the bed and hoped for a warmer day tomorrow. at approximately 2 am I heard a noise and it sounded like gun shots so I arose from my bed and peered out the window. THE BARNS ON FIRE I shouted, Call 911 and out the door I ran no shoes, no shirt, no nothing. Behind the stall I had a work bench that had many items on it form paint cans, tools to shotgun shells. I flung open the stall door and 4 little hairless goats met me in a panic . I armed them all up and put them in the bed of my truck and moved it to safety. I had a water hose near by and in the water trough and proceeded to fight the fire like I had been taught with my many years experience with the VFD. My wife soon arrived to help and I could hear the sirens in the distance. by the time she got out there I had the fire out and had already cut the power so it is pitch black. The trucks are pulling in the drive way and I then realize I'm naked about the same time my wife starts yelling WHY DONT YOU HAVE ANY CLOTHES ON. with the trucks pulling in I know I need to get some clothes or I got a lot of explaining to do of why the barn caught fire and I'm naked in a goat pen so I make a mad dash to the house and grab some shorts and a tee shirt. The fire dept. made sure that everything was out and luckily all I lost was the work bench and one wall of the wood stall. The goats were singed pretty bad and got to stay in the utility room until their hair grew back and spring came. In the daylight I investigated what had happened and all I could assume is that the goats trying to warm up pushed under and raised the height of the hay closer to the lamp.
Back in 2002 and 2003 I had grand plans to corner the market with goats in my area and had bought several small herds and had around 50+ head. most were fairly tame but a few that were wild as deer and could jump as high. Any of you that have raised goats know that they kid in the most inopportune time and it will be cold or raining. this particular year seemed colder and wetter than usual. (I know some of you are laughing right now because of my location) but we had 4 first time nanny's that refused there kids. A couple were traumatic births where I had to pull and the mommas never showed any interest so we fed those boogers 4 times a day and all were doing well. I had taken a single stall I built and sealed it where they couldn't get out and had tried to block as much wind as I could. this particular night in question we had Hard freeze warnings lows 20's with wind 15 to 20. for us southern guys that's down right cold and miserable. I came home early from work and made my rounds dripping spigot's and wrapping pipes I put a light with the pump and I had an old farrowing house that I let the goats and cows come into and had spread some hay out for them to bed down if they wanted.
the last task that evening was to fix a warm place for the baby goats because according to my wife if they didn't have a warm bed neither did I. I took 3 pallets and strapped them together and piled some hay in there showed the them new bed and thought everything was good. Just as I began to head for the house Inspector number 9 came out to see if I would get to sleep in the house that night. I had had a heat lamp positioned over a corner for a few weeks without any problems and in all of the years with Hogs we always had lights that hung down next to the farrowing crate to keep the pigs warm so I thought nothing of the light being positioned above the make shift manger at a safe height. The task I was charged with got the stamp of approval and we proceeded to the house to get warm and eat some supper.
before bed I went out to check on them and they were all curled up and seemed content. We turned in for the night with extra blankets on the bed and hoped for a warmer day tomorrow. at approximately 2 am I heard a noise and it sounded like gun shots so I arose from my bed and peered out the window. THE BARNS ON FIRE I shouted, Call 911 and out the door I ran no shoes, no shirt, no nothing. Behind the stall I had a work bench that had many items on it form paint cans, tools to shotgun shells. I flung open the stall door and 4 little hairless goats met me in a panic . I armed them all up and put them in the bed of my truck and moved it to safety. I had a water hose near by and in the water trough and proceeded to fight the fire like I had been taught with my many years experience with the VFD. My wife soon arrived to help and I could hear the sirens in the distance. by the time she got out there I had the fire out and had already cut the power so it is pitch black. The trucks are pulling in the drive way and I then realize I'm naked about the same time my wife starts yelling WHY DONT YOU HAVE ANY CLOTHES ON. with the trucks pulling in I know I need to get some clothes or I got a lot of explaining to do of why the barn caught fire and I'm naked in a goat pen so I make a mad dash to the house and grab some shorts and a tee shirt. The fire dept. made sure that everything was out and luckily all I lost was the work bench and one wall of the wood stall. The goats were singed pretty bad and got to stay in the utility room until their hair grew back and spring came. In the daylight I investigated what had happened and all I could assume is that the goats trying to warm up pushed under and raised the height of the hay closer to the lamp.
