Long story short, I went outside Friday to discover my goats had knocked a pallet over onto one of my alpha hens and the vet confirmed today what I had figured out but with more detail:
Her right leg is either dislocated and fractured at the hip or her femur is broken and the grinding feeling we both felt is the ends of the bones rubbing together. Either way, she's in a lot of pain and can't stand up. She may never lay again either, the vet said, because there might be a fracture inside that would make her egg bound or just not work anymore.
I'm so sad. I've looked up slings and I don't think the success rate on something like this is very high. She weighed in at around six and a half pounds, though, so I might get some meat out of her if I go that route.
I'd euthanize her and make her death worth something if I could, but I don't think I can do the deed. Killing, maybe, but butchering and cleaning, no. Maybe. I don't know. I'm still sad.
Her right leg is either dislocated and fractured at the hip or her femur is broken and the grinding feeling we both felt is the ends of the bones rubbing together. Either way, she's in a lot of pain and can't stand up. She may never lay again either, the vet said, because there might be a fracture inside that would make her egg bound or just not work anymore.
I'm so sad. I've looked up slings and I don't think the success rate on something like this is very high. She weighed in at around six and a half pounds, though, so I might get some meat out of her if I go that route.
I'd euthanize her and make her death worth something if I could, but I don't think I can do the deed. Killing, maybe, but butchering and cleaning, no. Maybe. I don't know. I'm still sad.