New baby goats

Hopefully you were brave enough to watch the video.  After the excitement of the birth we started focussing on getting the babies to nurse.  Mommy did not want to get up , she kept gnawing at her teats and she would push the babies away.  After a short while I felt something was wrong.  I tried to milk her myself and not a drop of milk would come out.  It was later in the evening at this point so i sent Mykel to the pharmacy to pick up baby bottles and formula.  We began bottle feeding them and hoped that her milk would come down by morning. 

Early the next morning mommy was uncomfortable, her udder was massive and a very dark purple.  We called a vet and by noon we were off to Sturgeon Falls to get Dove some help.

Thank-you Mykel for staying with the babies and feeding them every hour. 

It was not good news for our new mom.  Sadly she passed away the next morning.  We now had two orphaned kids that needed us desperately and I was determined.  We went out and bought a goat milk substitute and took great care in getting the babies to drink from the bottle.  My decision to bring the babies in the house was not received with great joy since up until the last few years having a dog and a cat in the house was a stretch for Sergio.  Like the trooper he is, he realized that getting winter clothes on and hiking up to the barn every hour was not an option.  So in the house they came.  In a box lined with hay in the basement bathroom It was adorable and convenient.

After a week the babies were eating well and were able to stay in the barn.  We rigged bottles in socks attached to their stall so they would be able to eat while we at work.  They quickly got the hang of that too.

One week later the other doe gave birth to two baby bucks.  She did it on her own during the night and in the morning there was not one trace of the birth.   I was so proud of her and she nursed normally.  Thank God!!!  We have not spending much time with these babies to allow mom and nature to do their jobs.  They are adorable though and will be 8 weeks old on Thursday.

Remembering the rule that Leslie told her son Avery, farm animals either produce food or are food,  Easter was fast approaching.  Being of Italian tradition, goat or lamb was always part of the traditional Italian Easter meal.  Our two orphaned baby goats were harvested for that reason.  It was a very difficult morning but come Easter Sunday our table of 38 enjoyed their contribution (immensely).