Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Got the rest of the tomatoes and the peppers planted. Got wire cages in the tubs so that the chickens don't get in there. I need to go ahead and line the stock panels with 2x4 wire so the chickens can't get into that area. Just one more thing to add to my 'list'.

Lungs have not been happy since disbudding this morning and my cough is increased - so very annoying.

Love, love, love my son!! He brought his mower over and finished mowing the back yard for me - AND - looked at my mower and told me what parts I need to get. I need to remember to take the part of the mower that fell off to town with me tomorrow and take a picture of the model number. Guess I should go do that while I'm thinking about it.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

OMG - what a day!

Feeding this afternoon I notice one of the does is "MIA" and another doe is having a goopy discharge..... I look out across the pasture and the 'MIA' doe standing - head to the ground. I'm sure she's kidded at this point, but at last check this morning ligs were tight and her bag showed no changes. I grab a basket and head across the pasture. She sees me and starts trotting in my direction leaving any babies behind. I get to the area where she was and find three babies...scattered out a bit, dry, and hungry. Two bucks of course, and one doeling. I check her bag and still no growth....what the heck? This is a doe that I have trouble keeping any weight on. A Nubian of course. I bring them all up to the barn and milk some colostrum and give it to the babies. It really perked them up because they were sooo lethargic when I found them. Few hours later I milk as much as I can get out of her and divide it between the kids.

The one pygmy doe I have left to kid is the one with quite a bit of discharge. So, after I get the other doe settled I get this doe put in a kidding pen. She finally is in hard labor and I get a foot.... after nothing for awhile I go in and find the head but it's not budging. I literally spend about 45 minutes trying to pull that baby. I can't get my hand through the cervix so I'm trying to get my thumb in the baby's mouth so I can pull the head through. It is NOT working. I've got a foot, and can barely reach the head and I'm frustrated and feeling like I'm gonnna need to get a gun.
Finally I decided that there's no other choice than to just pull like hell.... and finally I get it out. Baby is not moving - not breathing - nothing. I sling it like crazy and rub like crazy and finally give it mouth to snout respiration - YUCK! But, it worked! Baby is breathing and finally makes a few squeaks
So I milk that doe and give the baby some colostrum. I think by morning I'm going to probably have 4 bottle babies.

I never said - at risk of jinxing myself - how well this kidding season has been going lol! It can't be all good, I guess. Time will tell. My biggest concern at this moment is if the pygmy has more hiding in there. I did a finger sweep and didn't feel anything. AND, I'm going to bed... it's been a day and I'm done. Stick a fork in me.

Goodnight!

 

[sumi]

Fwiw, great job pulling that kid!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Go you! Do pygmies often have issues birthing? I thought I read that somewhere.

How's everyone this morning, did your Nubian start producing? Bottle babies are cute and all but so not my thing. I hope the mommas can take care of them, you have enough to do without bottle feeding!

 

[baymule]

I am glad that you found the 3 kids and got them safe and fed. And great job on saving the other kid. Just when I think I would want a dairy goat, I read about pulling kids, bottle kids, diva does and the whole bit about birthing issues. They make my sheep look like champions, I go out and find lambs! knock on wood-rapping knuckles on my head.......

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@baymule - none of my dairy goats have had any kidding issues. They lay down and pop 'em right out.

@sumi - thanks!


Pygmies do have a "reputation" for having kidding problems. It's been a long time since I've had any really bad problems with a pygmy doe. I think the problem with this doe was that she hasn't been bred in about 5 years and she had definitely accumulated some visceral fat that tends to interfere with the kid(s) being able to position correctly. This baby was laying in there sideways. Generally they should be right side up and that position helps the shoulders compress as they come through the cervix making for an easier birth. Laying sideways like he was didn't allow those shoulders to squeeze down like they should have and also didn't let the head come through the way it should have. Baby was definitely jammed against the cervix and I could NOT get my hand in there to reposition. If I had gone in earlier I might have been able to get him turned....hindsight is 20/20 right? Poor baby's mouth is sore because I did my best to pull his bottom jaw off, (not really - but it gave me something else to pull on) and his left front leg, the one I pulled on, is sore too. But, this morning he could stand and he can definitely drink so I think he's gonna be just fine! And, I think maybe he's nursed because his tummy was definitely not empty - but I haven't actually seen him latch on.

I did get up at 3:30 this morning and gave all the babies another shot of colostrum. Mama Nubian is empty... if she doesn't come into milk and raise these babies it doesn't look good for her. But, I'll give her a chance and see if her milk comes in.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Is mama Nubian a FF?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

No, at least 4 kiddings. Just not sure what's up with her... Nice pink membranes, fecals are always clean, but she is always battling to keep weight on. She's tested clean for everything also. Former owner told me that she battled coccidia as a kid and thinks she's got some intestinal scarring that inhibits her from putting on much weight. She's the best bred doe on my place and she's got a beautiful udder.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Maybe she's trying to help you downsize!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Beginning to think that myself!