Welcoming Our Newborn Kid Goats

The arrival of our two new kid goats didn't run quite as smoothly as it could have. In fact the whole thing was a bit of a trauma as a number of events took the wrong turn at every possible opportunity. It all started five months ago when the goats visited the billy, our first mistake was not writing the expected due date on the calendar immediately. A couple of months later we accepted a very special invitation to attend a baby welcoming ceremony for my best friends child. This event was to be very special as her arrival  into the world six months ago had put both herself and her mother at serious risk. With mother and child now thriving, celebrations were truly in order.  A couple of months later I counted up the days and realised that the goats due date was three days before the baby welcoming ceremony date. Pants.

I was certain that fate would be kind to us and that the goats would kid several days before we were due to leave, meaning we could be confident that both the mothers and kids were safe to be left with a carer to keep an eye on them. But, this was not to be the case! The morning we were due to leave one goat went into labour. Against our better judgement we set off with a great sense of trepidation. Their carer was great and she texted us five hours later to say two kids had been born with no complications and they were both up on their feet.

After seven hours of driving we reached our destination, the beautiful town of Kenmare in Co Kerry. We checked into the Hostel and found a great little pub for dinner. We chatted excitedly about the ceremony planned for the following day, and how we would then take a boat trip out to the Skellig Islands the day after, and before heading home we would stay in An Daingean (Dingle) to swim with Fungi the Dolphin. Spirits were high.

Then my mobile rang and it seemed that all was not well. The kids weren't yet suckling and they must do so within six hours of birth in order to ingest antibody rich colostrum. After six hours the ability to absorb the colostrum through the stomach and gut lining is lost and the kids then have no defence against illness. Their chances of survival would be minimal. She tried all the tricks in the book, including bottle feeding, but as the six hour deadline loomed and darkness fell their carer milked out some colostrum from Esme, loaded the kids into her car and took them to the vet for a tube feed.

At this stage Dan and I knew that we had made the wrong decision to leave our goats at such a crucial stage, so following a tearful phone call to my best friend to explain what was happening, we packed up and left Kenmare after only two hours! We arrived home at 2.30am and stayed up till 4am looking after the goats. At 8am I got up to check them and was delighted to witness the smaller doe suckling but the larger doe was still not managing it. Although she licked the udder she seemed to have no sucking reflex. I tube fed her again.  Tube feeding can get the vital colostrum into their system, but it's only an emergency solution. For a weak kid it can give them enough energy to get going and suckling, but having a full tummy also inhibits the sucking reflex ... vicious circle.

Happily a few hours later hunger kicked in again, and before the fine line of exhaustion took hold she finally managed to suckle. Exhausted we all breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed a good nights sleep.

Comments

[alan]

Wow! What an adventure. Goats do have a knack for kidding at the worst possible time. I'm glad everyone survived the ordeal.

Our next ones are due in about a week, but since our son's first communion is this weekend with lots of family plans attached, they will probably come early.

Thanks for sharing.

[katrien]

Thanks for sharing this. It shows the sacrifice one has to make for one's homestead, that it's not all a romantic field of wildflowers...

[jean]

Congratulations but what a performance! I'm so pleased you wrote about this - that's what I like about your blog. You give it to us as it is.

[Cakes]

awwwww...congrats on the kids!

[Pamela]

Glad to hear of their safe arrival, but wow! What worrisome drama afterward. Sorry you weren't able to celebrate with your friends. :( I hope they take many, many lovely photos to share with you.

[colour it green]

glad they pulled through. hope they continue to thrive.

[carolyn]

All's well that ends well. Adorable photograph.

[Christina]

Great story and what a drama indeed! I'm glad it had a happy ending. The kid in the photo is soo cute :)

[Lizz]

Just like midwifery!

~welcome babies~

[HandyCraftyWoman]

I understand the quandry you were in, we are totally landlubbed with the animals we have, it's a total lifestyle choice. But at least you travelled a fair bit of the way to the celebration and so were able to bestow your blessings to mother and child in that way. And all worked well upon your return too :) What an amazing story. *taps foot impatiently* ...reads like a book ;)

[teaching handwork]

how cute!!!!

[teaching handwork]

how cute!!!!

[debra]

So glad it worked out!

[Lorna Sixsmith]

Hi Bebecca, Glad all ended well but a shame you had to miss your friend's family occasion. I know the feeling though - animals have that habit of being 24/7/52! We have just got back from 5 days in Trabolgan - our holiday slot that fits in neatly between cows calving, cows going out to grass and the breeding season starting - its starts Monday! so apart from a few weeks in January when I just might persuade Brian to get away for a few days, we have to forget about getting away. Glad all ended well though, have you named them yet? Glad all well with this lot of chicks too. all the best, Lorna

[Victoria]

Who knew it could get complicated?! And they look so happy together, just gorgeous.

[Victoria]

Who knew it could get complicated?! And they look so happy together, just gorgeous.

[Ellen]

How sweet and lovely are the babies. So glad that all turned out okay.

[Claudia]

Hi i am wanting some info on smallholding ideas for my school work.... Please halp me i already have goats birds veggi patches cows sheep worm farms bee farms chickens hens and guine pigs i am only 11 and wouls like some help thank you