The latest additions to StoneFace farm Big & Rich
Yeah try saying THAT three times fast.
So on Saturday evening April 7th I went out to feed the goats and found Rosie to be in labor. I had been watching her very close because of last years trouble and she had shown signs since Friday that the process was starting.
She started out well about 8:00pm and then she simply quit. No contractions no labored breathing no signs of anything. I asked my mentor from down the road how long to wait for her to begin again and he told me not to wait more than an hour before going in to pull the babies. We waited just over an hour and then she delivered three water sacks and stopped again. I decided to start pulling kids. the first one presented just one front leg and seemed to be upside down, so I had to find the other foot and the head and align them with the birth canal and by gently pulling out came a boy goat. he is the one on the right in the picture above and his name is Big. The second one presented only one REAR hoof and so I found the other one and didn’t have to worry about the head and he came out backwards. His Name is Rich. They were born between 9:00pm and 9:45, I was up quite late that night tending them and their mamma.
Rosie’s delivery did not go well, in all there were three babies, the third one did not survive and in pulling him, Rosie was injured. There is a tear in the birth canal that goes through to the abdominal cavity and if it turns septic I may lose her. I have already begun bottle feeding the boys. We are pumping Rosie full of antibiotics and treating her for mastitis. she is not eating or drinking very well at this time and I am worried. Goats are not supposed to be this difficult about birthing.
In a previous post I tried to predict the kidding dates for these girls. I predicted Rosie to
Next up, Connie!
deliver within a day or two of April 9, so April 7 is very good. I predicted Connie to be on or about April 13 (that is this Friday). I hope to go out in the morning or evening and just find some new babies in the pen this time. Don’t let me down Connie!
In the meantime, I still have chickens to tend and a garden to prepare and there is always cleanup and re-building of fencing to do.
I’m tired just thinking about it.