- Thread starter
- #31
PJisaMom
Loving the herd life
I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has posted their very sincere and kind replies.
I have found a solution that will somewhat ease my guilt.
Tomorrow morning, the kids will be getting up early and heading to the zoo with Daddy. I will pretend to stay home and clean out the garage or other such nonsense. I will then find Brownie dead in the barn. She will have died of a freak birth defect (which coincidentally her twin actually did about a month ago - a double digestive system, with only one going straight to her anus - they figured she got septic and died quickly). Nothing we could have done.
I DO NOT like lying to my kids. But if she "runs away" then they will always be looking for her. If I give her away to nice people to take care of her, then I will always be the bad guy (and if the excuse is that there is the remotest of possibilities it could make her sister ill, then my oldest will always remember what she had to give up because of her sick sister - she's already going to hate me for it at 14, I don't need to give her another reason). If she dies, then it's over. We don't ever have to wonder.
In reality, Brownie REALLY IS going to live with people who are fully aware of her test results and feel for my situation. They are going to take her and keep her (with many promises that she will never leave the property).
I didn't really want to have to euth a perfectly vital little doe... but I also needed to leave myself open to future possibilities (we were thinking milk)... which brings me to the boys.
Because of their negative status, I am going to Case-Bac them and watch. Very closely. I cannot devastate my children and remove all three goats at one time. Not to mention Smith and Wesson are a total duo. A package deal. One goes, they both go.
I have contacted the "breeders" and (surprise, surprise!) I haven't heard anything. I emailed the husband; not sure if he had the cajones to tell his wife (this would be devastating news to them - i truly don't think they knew what they were passing along). I thought about posting it on her facebook page, but I'm not that mean. (Even though I will admit it was a bit tempting.)
So Brownie gets to live; I have to tell my kids she died (still not sure I can do it) and get on with life.
Oh yeah.. and hope like H E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS that the boys manage to hold off on a miserable existence for years!
Again... thank you all for your information and advice. I have truly landed in the right spot.
I have found a solution that will somewhat ease my guilt.
Tomorrow morning, the kids will be getting up early and heading to the zoo with Daddy. I will pretend to stay home and clean out the garage or other such nonsense. I will then find Brownie dead in the barn. She will have died of a freak birth defect (which coincidentally her twin actually did about a month ago - a double digestive system, with only one going straight to her anus - they figured she got septic and died quickly). Nothing we could have done.
I DO NOT like lying to my kids. But if she "runs away" then they will always be looking for her. If I give her away to nice people to take care of her, then I will always be the bad guy (and if the excuse is that there is the remotest of possibilities it could make her sister ill, then my oldest will always remember what she had to give up because of her sick sister - she's already going to hate me for it at 14, I don't need to give her another reason). If she dies, then it's over. We don't ever have to wonder.
In reality, Brownie REALLY IS going to live with people who are fully aware of her test results and feel for my situation. They are going to take her and keep her (with many promises that she will never leave the property).
I didn't really want to have to euth a perfectly vital little doe... but I also needed to leave myself open to future possibilities (we were thinking milk)... which brings me to the boys.
Because of their negative status, I am going to Case-Bac them and watch. Very closely. I cannot devastate my children and remove all three goats at one time. Not to mention Smith and Wesson are a total duo. A package deal. One goes, they both go.
I have contacted the "breeders" and (surprise, surprise!) I haven't heard anything. I emailed the husband; not sure if he had the cajones to tell his wife (this would be devastating news to them - i truly don't think they knew what they were passing along). I thought about posting it on her facebook page, but I'm not that mean. (Even though I will admit it was a bit tempting.)
So Brownie gets to live; I have to tell my kids she died (still not sure I can do it) and get on with life.
Oh yeah.. and hope like H E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS that the boys manage to hold off on a miserable existence for years!
Again... thank you all for your information and advice. I have truly landed in the right spot.
