Sad, Happy, Grateful

Early yesterday morning, all by herself, Leela the goat had her babies. In minus 15 degree weather (counting the wind chill). She was 5 days or so early, and had five babies (yes that is a lot, but for a Nigerian Dwarf, not unheard of).

When I went out to feed, they were all born and motionless and covered with hay. She'd just passed the placenta...none of the babies were cleaned off, I think she had too many too quickly. Three were clearly dead, two others were still breathing.

I ran into the house, yelled for reinforcements, and my great family mobilized instantly. My husband came out with me and brought the babies in the house and started to warm them up; my daughter called a work colleague to see if she could take my shift at the yarn store. I hurriedly milked a bit of colostrum from mom, then joined them in the kitchen to revive the cold completely floppy babies. We had them in front of the wood stove, wrapped in towels, and rubbing. A call to my boss the vet gave me a few other ideas like towels from a hot dryer. But what turned out to work the best was opening the oven, turning it on to 400, laying the babies on a towel on the open door and just turning and flipping them regularly. Here are the two babies on the oven door, for all the world looking like they were dead:

While doing that, my daughter and I took turns putting some corn syrup on our fingers and down the goats' throats, a bit of quick energy that also helped. First the goats -- one buckling, one little doe -- started to move around, make a bit of noise, then finally the heads came up, then they were half-sitting up, and then there was real movement, and eventually, hey, we have legs and we can try to stand. And fall over, etc.

That's them in my music room yesterday afternoon...Lucy, the girl, is on the right, Lucky is the boy. They're both adorable, of course.

They're still in here, being bottle fed from mom's milk, and waiting for Lucy, who is tiny, to hit the right internal temp for a goat (101-102), and for both to get a bit bigger and stronger. And of course, for things to warm up a bit too.

Mum Leela is doing well, but is furious at me...she *wants* her babies...screams at me every time I'm out there and is not exactly letting down her milk very happily for me either.

What have I learned from all this? No more dead of winter babies if I can help it. I bought Leela bred, so it was out of my hands, but I prefer the May/June timeframe for babies...safer all around. And I was also reminded how lucky I am...I have a great family, who are increasingly experienced in goat-mid-wifery. And the goats themselves...they're hardy, they're feisty and they have a strong will to live. Just what you want in an animal that can give you five tiny ones on a minus 15 degree day...without that, there would have been no survivors.

Comments

[Chris]

Lucy and Lucky are indeed adorable! I'm cheering your successes and sending hugs for the losses.

[Christine]

They are too cute! I hope they stay well and grow big and strong.

[Rebecca (eco felter in rural Ireland)]

Our goats arrived couple of weeks ago, one has 2 kids, the other is due 12th March but today her udder was fairly full. I am a complete novice at goat midwifery, so fingers crossed.

Great the kids came through,thankfully not -15 here.

[Rebecca]

You've made your images bigger, and in the process I can now say 'OMG those kids are just adorable little bundles of fluff'.

[Killi]

I came here via Phelan's blog. I have 3 Goats: Persephone the Perverse ( my first) a Saanen, Demeter & Pan who were dumped by the river near me. I think Demi had kids before she was dumped as half her udder is enlarged, but she won't let me milk her, & the vet gave me a course of antibiotics which doesn't seem to have done any good. I may need advice when my girls come to kid...!
Like Rebecca, I live in rural Ireland ~ in co. Tipp, on Mother Mountain. *waves at Rebecca*

[Bramble Berry]

Good job!

If you visit my blog, you'll see that we've had about 45 goatie births this season so far.

Next time take those frozen, dead kids and fill a laundry sink with warm water. Submerge them and keep heads above water. Add hot water as the water cools. You might be surprised...! I've done this in the past.

We've been able to convert an extra barn into a nursery this year. It is warm and cozy.

[Ailsa Ek]

They're adorable. My husband tells a story about how his great grandfather was born premature and they kept him alive by keeping him in the family's wood-fired bread oven for a while (also with the door open).

I'm curious why you're selling Lucy as pet-only, though. Is it because she had such a hard birth?