Twin Boys!

I sat down to start this post and upload photos about 3PM yesterday.  The bucklings were born about 1215 and 1245, and we had spent a couple of hours watching them.  A mom I know from the park was coming by to bring her kids to see the babies and she pulled up right after I typed the title of this post.  The boys were more interested in running around playing than looking at the goats, so they were off having fun while she and I talked.  Then I noticed that Baby Boy 1 was making a strange cry and laying on the ground.  I went into the pen to help him stand up, but he couldn't.  I felt around for injuries, but nothing specific seemed to be wrong.  She left so I could tend to the baby and I warmed some milk and tried feeding him.  He couldn't suckle, though I had watched him do so earlier, knowing he was getting milk because Peaches' udder was noticably smaller on the side he was drinking from.  Called the vet, just to see if I was overlooking something obvious.  He suggested Karo syrup and maybe a B complex injection.  I have honey and kombucha.  Tony said the kombucha would have a high rate of B vitamins.  I had to use a straw like a dropper to even get liquid into him, and them smeared a bit of honey on the roof of his mouth.  He would complain with a cry, and try to roll over, but couldn't get up.

We had small group last night and I really didn't expect him to be alive when we got home.  He was.  I gave him more milk, kombucha and honey and prayed again.  Goober Gus and I went to bed after that (Tony is out of town).  I told God that if the goat's survival was dependant on me getting up to feed him thru the night, He'd need to wake me with enough energy to do it.  I didn't wake up until 4AM and went to check, he was still alive.  Peaches had moved him to a warmer part of the shelter and surrounded him with straw.  I didn't give any more milk until I got up at 7 though.  He was losing muscle tone, I could tell that.

I called the woman that cares for our animals when we go away and she came over to see him.  While waiting for her arrival I continued to hold the little guy (his mouth and ears were cool, knew that wasn't good) and squeeze a few drops of milk in his mouth on a regular basis.  Don't think I've ever been happier to have an animal pee on me!  I had already realized earlier that the whole time we were in the pen after birth I never saw either do their "dooty".  My friend arrived shorty after and I showed her the video I took of his attempts to get up and she recognized it as convulsions.  Suddenly it made more sense.  I kept wracking my brain to figure out what happened to cause this first born, healthy, suckling goat that had been walking around, trying to run just moments before to not even be able to stand.  Now I knew.  Then I cried.  One baby goat, not even 24 hours old.  Not much monetary value in the world, but still a marvelous creation of God with life that always has value beyond any dollar measure.

Tuesday mornings are our park date, so we went ahead to play.  Goober Gus needed to know that he was more important to me than the goat, and that I'd make the time to take him to play even with the sadness at home.  We got home shortly after noon and Baby Boy 1 had passed.  We wrapped him in an old pecan bag and took him out of the pen.  Gus wanted to say goodbye and give him flowers.  He decided the marigold he had picked out on Mother's Day (that he's very attached to and has been watering on his own) should be part of the goodbye process.  Sweet boy.  I did manage to get some good pictures during the couple of hours he was healthy.

Mama Peaches with Baby Boy 1 looking for a teat while Baby Boy 2 is waiting to be licked some more.

Baby Boy 2.  No matter where I put clean straw for birthing, they choose another spot.

Baby Boy 1

Aw ma, don't do that here!

Baby Boy 2 finding a teat.

Mama and the twins.

Baby Boy 2.  We think he'll be called Blackjack.