It has been a very rough couple of days. Sometimes homesteading just comes down to hard work, tired achey bodies, little sleep, and much prayer. This has been one of those weeks. Spring has sprung with full force; ducks and chickens are hatching every day....meanwhile we are really struggling with turkey poults, keeping things maintained, getting the garden started, plus working on the house. The physical labor and tiredness is comforting to me...it's the lack of sleep that gets to me!
On Tuesday I gave Fiona her haircut, and she looked and felt great. Along with that haircut comes a good exam; I check the condition of their skin, trim hooves, fecal exam, and record their weight. She passed every test with flying colors and felt really good all afternoon having gotten a new hairdoo and tidy feet.
Fiona is due to kid next month, but since I had bred her the month before as well....she could be due at any time. Late Tuesday evening it looked like any time. I prepared the day spa and charged up the moniter. The whole house was in full alert. Kidding towels, iodine, umbilical clamps, molasses...all set.
I watched her all evening. By 10pm I knew things just weren't right. She wasn't in labor yet, but she was having problems. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink, she was restless. All night long.
Then yesterday she still wasn't in active labor. I let her out with the herd briefly thinking it would make her feel better. Within an hour I put her back into the stall.
There are so many things that can go on with a first freshener. She could just be a drama queen. She could just be stressed out because she's never experienced this before. She could just want extra attention because she has an ugly suit on. All the drama and lack of sleep on my part earned her a big shot of Fortified B. Hours later, still no appetite. No fever, but temp is not subnormal.
Have I ever mentioned how bad I hate breeding first fresheners?
There are a number of things that could be wrong. Pregnancy toxemia can and will kill both doe and kids; just as it will with women. Last night was another sleepless night, Fiona is still in guarded condition. She is negative for ketones, which is good....and she is finally nibbling at her hay. She has no fever, no parasite load, and she seems to be much more comfortable. We'll continue treating her and press on.....and praying for a healthy doe and kids.
Meanwhile, the newest batch of meat chicks have graduated to the brooder pen, we're up to over a dozen or so ducklings hatched and they are gradually moving to an outdoor pen, and the garden has been weeded and more seeds started.
Time for a nap!
2 comments:
Wow. I didn't know there was so much involved in a goat kidding. Ours just have theirs out in the field, no help from us. We just keep on eye on things in case mother needs help bringing out baby. And, this is the first time I've heard of a goat getting a hair cut. Interesting. Here's hoping everything goes fine with Fiona's first kidding!
Most kiddings go off without a problem...First fresheners are always an unknown because they've never freshened. Fiona hasn't given birth yet.
We shave the goats in the spring to check their body condition, as well as checking for lice, and to evaluate their overall conformation.
One this is always sure about goats.....
you never know!
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