One of the responsibilities of keeping livestock is maintaining their health, and since we just added new girls into our herd, we decided it was a good time to insure that they all have temperatures within normal range. Just as in humans, a fever can indicate an infection, and so on Sunday morning, we ventured into the barn with the digital livestock thermometer I had purchased at TSC. George held them steady while I did the dirty work – which worked out the best, because he was able to keep them still.
The girls were much more cooperative than I had expected, but still, they were not amused. I did use some lubricant to help ease the discomfort, but the thermometer took about 60-90 seconds per animal to complete its measurement, and that’s just too long – if you were dealing with a rectal thermometer, I’m sure you’d agree! So, I have found something we will need to purchase – a 9 Second Thermometer. I’m sure the girls will approve.
And yes, thankfully, everyone was operating within normal temperature range, which for goats, is 102-103 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a half degree in either direction.
Today’s post has no photos, and I assure you, that is a kindness to you, considering the subject matter at hand! But, if you’d like to see some cute pictures of our farm residents over the past several days, please visit the new Photo Album, a permanent link for which you can find in the Pages section of our right-hand column.
Related Images:
Leave a Reply