Well, I meant to blog about the 2019 kidding season, but things have been so busy with work and school and various charity events, that it kept getting pushed to the back burner, but now with the day’s events having unfolded in such a devastating fashion, it seems I am forced to write.
Bella’s Beauties
Getting ready for kidding season seemed to take a back burner as well. Nothing was really ready as it felt like there was always something else to do. Friday arrived and I still had things happening including a hair appointment, but we still had 4 days until Bella’s due date. Since she was not up with the other’s when I got home, I decided to check on her and sure enough, there was a string of mucous – a sure sign of early labor. Well, I gathered the troops and gathered the appropriate supplies for the kidding shed and moved miss Bellatrix into the kidding area. I had not yet gotten the cameras set up, so was planning to check on her every hour or so. Having had an experience with my friend Wendy last year waiting hours and hours for the kidding to happen, I figured I had a bit of time since she didn’t seem overly anxious to get down to business. I came inside and had some dinner and a cup of coffee and then decided to check on her. The kids were living here at the time and wanted to come as well. Good thing too as surprise surprise, there was already a baby on the ground. A little frosted brown boy, looking good and being doted upon by their mom. We called for help and got him cleaned up in time for the second baby – a black and white girl. Both babies are super friendly experimentals (3/4 Nubian and 1/4 LaMancha) with long floppy ears. Since the children were there they claimed naming rights. The girl is Crystal and the boy is Splash.
Stormy’s Surprise
Kidding shed ready – check. Stormy in the kidding shed – nope. I was not expecting babies to come any earlier than a few days before their due date. So far all of my kiddings from previous years and this last one, all came 4 days before their due date, very conveniently waiting for me to be home after work or on a weekend. I had been distracted lately with a pretty severe case of plantar fasciitis and was finally going to make it to the podiatrist. They had really helped me out with a special appointment and everything. I got up extra early to get the morning chores done and Mark had even agreed to help. As I walked past the barn to milk Star I noted something lying on the ground. It was quite tiny and at first, I thought “dead cat,” but then my senses caught up with me and screamed “dead baby goat!” She was tiny and covered with dirt and looked to be not moving, but as soon as I picked her up she made this really loud “Bah!” There was another new baby goat standing upright. I called Mark and somehow rushed to get the almost dead one cleaned off and dry and get both mom and babies into the kidding area, realizing that I was NOT going to make that podiatry appointment. I called Wendy for guidance and we managed to keep both beautiful girls alive. I brought them to the office where the staff and students could fawn over them. It was quite the experience. The first little girl is Elsa and she is black and white frosted. The second little girl is a white Roan. Both are super friendly and Elsa is bottle fed (mostly). They were supposed to be born on Liz’s birthday but arrived 6 days early.
Luna’s Long Labor
Liz was super excited that Stormy kidded early so that I could visit her in Flagstaff. Unfortunately, Luna had other ideas. She was already in the kidding area, but during morning chores I noticed that her udders had come in and her hind end had started to soften, and, you guessed it, she was dripping. I was still hoping to finish quick and make a trip to Flagstaff but Luna had other ideas. It wasn’t until after 4 when she finally decided to get down to business. A boy and a girl with elf ears. Carrying the theme we named them Kreacher and Winky. Not the friendliest as they both insisted on being dam fed, but cute as buttons. Then we were done for a while…until the Mother’s Day Massacre.
Astra’s Agony
Astra is a big goat, easily 300 lbs when she’s not pregnant. She’s had problems with her hooves and foundered at one point but otherwise is a very docile goat. Her due date was Mother’s Day. I kept hoping she would just get on with it since she was the last to go and it had been more than a week since the rest of the babies had been born, but she was just hanging around – NOT having babies. Finally the day before Mother’s Day, she seemed to be ready to go. It was an all day affair. It got dark and rainy and the weather cooled significantly. Finally late into the evening when I had all but given up, she started to push out a tiny baby. Since she was especially huge, we knew there were more in there and anticipated more babies in quick succession but needed to get this little one, a girl, warm and dry and fed, but it was a lot of hurry up and wait. She just didn’t want to get down to business. Finally, about an hour later, the other two came in quick succession. A golden boy was first. a bit floppy but warmed and dried, and then a basic brown girl. Astra had no desire to get up and lick or nose at the babies and certainly no desire to feed them. Getting a 300+ lb goat to a standing position to milk was also a challenge, but milk her we did for that precious colostrum. Since she had no interest in the babies and it was cold and wet outside, I opted to bring them in for warmth and bottle feeding through the night. They did well but did not perk up nearly as much as I would have liked but we continued to keep them warm with warm towels from the microwave and warm milk in their bellies.
And then it all went wrong.
Mother’s Day morning we woke tired but satisfied. Babies had been fed through the night and were doing well. We fed them in the morning before heading out to milk all the mamas. I was still concerned about the babies being warm enough – especially the little runt. We’d only named the boy so far – Midas after his golden color. I sent Mark in with some warm towels and we went out to milk. Unfortunately he did not close the bedroom door well enough and while we were out, the dogs decided to go in and investigate and play. It’s hard for me to relive the sight that greeted us when we returned. Two of the babies were dead, unable to get away from the dogs. The third had managed to hide herself in a corner and though traumatized, was uninjured. Guilt and despair and “if-onlies” permeated the rest of the day. Hazel and Jorge came and took the poor dead babies to properly bury them. We named the little one Persephone after the Goddess who needed to return to the land of the dead. The lone survivor was named Valkery. She became a house goat for a while being much smaller than the other kids born only 2 weeks before and rejected by her mother. Eventually we did return her to the herd, but she received a whole lot of loving before.
Epilogue
It’s been more than a year since that awful kidding season, but I still feel terrible when I think of those poor dead babies. We have since braved another kidding season with only one doe pregnant. Stormy gave birth in stealth mode to another boy and girl (Nimbus and Freya) and both did very well and have found a lovely new home, but I will never forget the kids I lost.
I Have Food Issues 