Cleaning out the garage, there are a few "goat items" we are not actively using right now - and one of them, thankfully, is BluKote. Basically this is like a stinging anti-bacterial permanent marker in a spray bottle, useful for treating any open wounds on your goat boys. We were instructed to use it after the boys were banded (neutered) as the skin pulled away and left a sore area...ok, not too much detail here...so dutifully we "blukoted" Emerson and Elliot twice a day until they were fully healed (about two months). Every day I asked the same question: Why dark blue? Wouldn't "ClearKote" make more sense? Whoever invented this staining product obviously never did a load of laundry...but in case it ever comes up, here's a quick how-to! Ideally you will have two people...
Person 1: the goat-catcher and holder. This individual definitely needs to wear navy blue clothing. Long sleeves and pants are preferred. Gloves and facemask are optional. Trick the goat into thinking you are just petting him, then suddenly snatch him up and flip him upside down so his vulnerable parts are showing. Attempt to shield yourself from wildly-kicking hooves as the goat realizes what you are doing. Try to master the technique while the goat is still small so that you are an expert by the time he doubles his weight (and strength!) Once you have him, call for Person 2, who has been hiding behind a fence post with the spray bottle.
Person 2: the sprayer. When your partner-in-spraying has the goat ready, quickly uncap the bottle and get in position. Be sure to check wind direction so the overspray does not end up all over you. Keeping out of hoof range (you should have calculated the distance before), aim the spray nozzle and depress the plunger. One of three things will then happen:
1. the goat is successfully blukoted and happily jumps down to continue grazing
2. the goat moves at the last moment and your assistant is now sporting permanent color on some part of his/her body or clothing
3. you miscalculated the wind direction and you are now "blue in the face" while the goat runs off making snickering sounds of amusement
Happily I can report that our goats are now fully healed and infection-free, so we must have done something right, but recently my husband was asked to assist a nearby farmer with the castration of a litter of piglets. After hearing about this escapade, my warning is, NEVER DO THIS! SAY YOU ARE BUSY!! This horrendous process involved two extra people (to hold the head and the feet), an unsterilized razor blade (which Mike saw the farmer absently put in his mouth between pigs) and an impromptu table in the barn. Each piglet was then spritzed with one spray of BluKote and tossed back into the pen, inches deep in slop and manure. And that was that. It made me wonder about our months of twice-a-day treating and keeping the goat pen immaculately clean...but one thing is for certain - after multiple loads of laundry trying to get the pig smell out of Mike's clothing, I will never again complain about a little blue stain on my shirt!
No comments:
Post a Comment