Today I wanted to do an update on Chandra's kids, amongst a few other things fresh on my mind. The boys are doing well. This particular buckling, my husband nic-named "Hoppity," has had a rough time but he is moving forwards by leaps and bounds. He has shown a lot of strength and perseverance, similar to the thoughts I wrote about the day the c-section was done that brought Chandra's twins into the world last week.
Every year we encounter a special kid goat project or two. Some are our own projects, some have been projects given to us by friends. Annie was such a project. She came from a difficult birth. My friend lost both her dam and her brother, and I was given the task of bringing Annie home and nursing her to strength that very cold and wet morning. It worked out very well. She is one hefty boer gal now. There is Amelie, also given to us by a friend. When we first saw Amelie she was coiled up in a Rubbermaid tote. It was not a pretty site. After a month of "goat therapy," as we call it, we got her to stand, strengthened her spine, and now she is a beautiful, healthy, nubian doeling at a year old. The list goes on.
Chandra's boy had double trouble given to him last week. In the process of figuring out the bad birthing presentation, he was pushed back, pulled forward. He was the one huge kid laying twisted under the other. And, he also had the thin rope around his neck as the vet proceeded to try to fish the boys out. Eventually, after the c-section was done, he sat with his head up, but was purple in the lips, requiring oxygen several times. His brother by that time was walking around on the examination table.
This week Hoppity went from not being able to walk, to walking on a bent leg (day 4), to my husband stinting his leg, to swelling badly in the hoof, to now limping, and sometimes walking on all 3-s, to hopping around as a baby goat should, to beginning to eat like a horse and put weight on. You can see the sparkle in his eyes.
I still have 4 of these critters in my house, why? They are the weakest. One developed pneumonia, one had pink eye (of all things), and then there are Chandra's two that I am not ready to put in a barn pen yet. They need to continue to regain strength, but we are going to do it!
As far as I am concerned. I really am ready for spring weather. I am ready to hang up the old warm barn coat. The Muck Boots have proven well for me this year, and they will do a great service year round. Funny how years ago I went from black pumps and a briefcase, to the barn boots that I love, to the heavy coat that is growing frazzled, but ever so warm, and the constant attire of jeans and a sweatshirt. I would trade it all to a farm again tomorrow, yes I would! When I made the switch from the office to the barn, I learned very quickly that not only did I need the proper equipment to run the farm, I also needed the proper attire. But again, I am ready for warm sunshine, and 80 or 90 degrees, and yes, I will still wear the boots with shorts while cleaning the milk room, or the barn. I am a farm chick!
Enjoy your day, whatever you do!
9 comments:
I know those special need goats, we've had a few while bottle feeding, I see you use Pritchard nipples too;)
I love the Pritchard's the best, Amy. We have tried different kinds. The kids act like they are choking on the other types, easier just to let them have what they will nurse with. You can the Pritchard nipples at Jeffer's, slightly cheaper by the dozen (or 10, I cannot remember right now).
Oh, I want to bottle-feed somebody. How 'bout I come stay a couple of months with ya? :-) Now I can bring my own RV.
Mary,
We buy bulk of the pritchard nipples from Hoegger's. Ours seem to handle the Pritchards best too, the others seemed too big for their little mouths.
Your goat tale was nice to read. I have seen and heard stories like this with lots of farm animals but never thought much about goats.
Except during World War II -- mom and I suffered through those years on next to nothing and a vegetable garden. When we both got hungry for meat and I was not able to bring down a pigeon or husky bird of some sort, mom would buy the front quarter of a butchered goat. That was the cheapest meat she could get.
We had no ice box or refrigerator so we had to eat it up pretty fast. I am no longer sure how we did that but I don't remember ever getting sick on too much meat.
And, now and then she would get a pail of fresh milked goat milk and bring it in the house and pour some on my corn flakes -- the only cereal we could afford.
I sill don't like corn flakes and will be 74 come October.
Keep on keeping on with your goat stories. I found them interesting.
The baby is a cutie!
I would not trade my farm boots for dress shoes at all. I like my life here on the farm. So much more interesting.
Ditto to everything said! Don't get me wrong, I can still dress when I need to, but I am totally comfortable in my skin with muck boots - overalls and a heavy pair of insulated gloves. Such a feeling of accomplishment! Such determination to nurture is a gift!
Deb
Abe, I enjoyed your comments tremendously. I do hope you come back and read some more.
No trading, exactly!
Joanna, keep your eyes set on the horizon...your dream is unfolding. Funny, though, help bottle feed out of your RV.
I remember bottle feeding my baby goats, there is something so sweet and amazing about those little kids, and they grow so fast , don't they? Then they are the nosy and cute goats outside that want to be in all your business, which makes them even more endearing I think.
You and your husband are patient, and I bet you are pretty close in knowledge and experience in goat keeping and health to most , or more veterinarians now. You are going to be the people others with goat problems will call and if you're like our neighbor, your expertise in keeping goats might even have a few vets giving their clients your number!
Post a Comment