On Wednesday Masquerade gave birth to twin girls - much to my surprise. Early that week I had scoped her to see if she was expecting because she has a very large hay belly. For those who do not know what that means is it like a middle age belly - too many kids, loss of many teeth and the hands of time. None of us have our girlish figure any more. I could not find any heart beats so I considered her baby free - WRONG ! Anyway, as I came in for afternoon chores there was Masquerade with a small little one on the ground and the next coming out and hitting the ground. I noticed that one was not breathing so I grabbed her, turned her upside down and expelled all the fluid and cleared the mouth. She took a few clear breaths and I placed her back with Mom. I quickly moved Mom and babies to a clean kidding pen and got everyone feed and water. In that ten minutes the troubled girl was back in distress. I ran and got a the emergency kit and started in on her - heating her with the hair dryer, clearing her windpipe and tubing her to give her warmed milk. As soon as I got her stable I wrapped her in a blanket and ran for the house. The littlest of the set was nursing away and walking on her own.
Once I reached the house it was three more hours of restarting her until finally she just did not come back. Then I paniced when I looked at the clock - I had not been able to check on the little one so back I ran to the barn. WHO SAID YOU NEED A GYM - just live on a farm, you get a workout.
I arrived at the barn to see the little one had crashed and was laying in the corner of the pen cold and still. I grabbed her up, tucked her in my coat and ran back to the house. By the time I got her warmed up she was calling for Mom and wanting to go back out. After about an ounce of warmed milk it was back to the barn with Mom and two hour checks.
Thursday was a great day - Mishka is her name and she was small but strong. All day I checked on her and things looked bright until about 4:00 in the afternoon as the clouds became dark and the temperture dropped thirty degress. I came in the barn to find her in the corner again - cold and limp. We had been here before and I was not going to have her go the way of her sister. I spent seven hours teaching her to suck again and getting her to drink, walk and stop shaking. By Friday morning she finally was able to take a bottle and was off the eye droper. As much as I would have loved to send her back to Mom in the barn I just could not risk another crash.
SO HERE IS MY NEW HOUSE GUEST - Is not that the sweetest face?
9 comments:
Oh Grace, she has the sweetest of all sweetest faces. You go through this so often---how do you keep it up? I guess that's what keeps you going too. good to hear from you. MaryBeth
oh how adorable. so sorry to hear about the loss of the first one. sounds like this one is a fighter though.what type are they?
Hi MaryBeth - Since I have some goat ladies who would be in the 80's in human years - problems can arise. They where not to have been bred but one day when I went to town for food, when I came home my two oldest girls had managed to get in the pasture with the billy and guess what happened. I really never mind the work and I even now know that my skills are good enough that if the kid was able to make it - I would have been able to pull them thru. Mishka is proof of that - after her heart stoped three times I was able to bring her back with drugs. I will have more cute pictures posted this morning.
Great to hear from you too.... What is new in your world? I have been thinking of you - just have not sat down long enough to type.
Hugs to you. Grace
Good Monring Gardengoose - great picture in the snow.
Mishka is a pure Angora Goat. I will post some new pictures this morning - she is doing better and ready for fun.
We have also been going through the battle of getting those babies up and running. I think next year I may wait until it is warmer.
Hey Sunflower I wish it was the weather but rather the two girls that had problems this year are my oldest girls - about 80 in human years. Also, cashmere and Angora's have there cycles which give me babies during this time. The difference between me and other folks is I do two hour checks day in and day out which means instead of no chance they have a better great chance. Over the years we have saved around 60 lambs, goats, llamas and puppies that might have never lived - so it is all worth it in the end. Today we are having snow and blizzard warnings and in a day and a half we are to be back in the 60's - planet earth is messing with everyone. Stay warm, well and safe.
Sunflower - what has been your problems? I hope all are doing well now........
I find if I plan for the worst then when the best happens it is all the sweeter.
In the beginning it would kill me when we lost a baby because I was always waiting on the vet but now we have seen it all and just about done it all including a C-section so now I know that if I have a baby pass it is not because I did not know what to do but rather it was just not meant to be. I make sure that each and every animal on the farm gets the best care possible and the rest is not up to me. Take care of yourself too.
What an adorable face! The reward of all the hard wok is right there, isn't it?
I am getting a small herd of angoras this spring. I had goats for years and missed them so I am looking forward to the babies especially. It was fun to see your kids.
OH MY Goodness She is absolutely Adorable!
She is the first little angora goat (or any breed for that matter) with the name Mishka I have come across, aside from my little angora china doll Mishka.
http://goat-link.com/GoatladysGoats/images/mishkacombo2.jpg
My Mishka will be 12 this December.
Your little Mishka is to DIE FOR cute.. and the pictures and narratives are precious. I'm so sorry you lost her sister. Those angora babies are so precious and this one is just angelic.
HUGS! goatlady
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