If The Video Doesn't Make You Smile...

...well you haven't been watching #2's rough couple of days.Meet Zuri (#2) and Zahra (#1).

This year the letter Z is the registration letter for goats, and since these two are Full blood Boer goats, I found African names for them. Zahra means blossom and Zuri means beautiful. Zahra has the spot on her knee and has more brown on her face. She's also a shade darker. Zuri's face has a wide white blaze and extends over all her mouth and chin.

This morning the kids were together and active and Zahra was doing a little hopping, but Zuri was just wobbling around still. The video is from this evening. The improvement is wonderful. She's really catching up and I am sure she gained weight today. She's filling out. Mom still has her favorite, but Zuri has learned to chase that teat and latch on.

VIDEO OF ZURI AT DAY 2 1/2

Good Night!

Everyone is hanging in there.

After two days of kid sitting and pushing on the teat, I'm not sure who is more tired. I think its me.Night night!
PS: Tomorrow their names.

Re-establishing Maternity

These pictures are from yesterday afternoon when I decided we all needed to get out of the cool barn, and see the sun. The kids are about 12-13 hours old.#2 on the left and the "Favorite Child" on the right, #1.

I think Layla is starting to pay a bit more attention to #2, but #1 is still the favorite child! #2 weighs 6 1/2 pounds to her sister's beefy 8 1/2. Layla is giving #2 more of a chance to nurse, and that is good, as she needs time to latch on. She is getting some milk, but I'd like her to get stronger sooner. I want to pull back so I am out of the picture for bonding until Layla gets back to her good maternal self. We are all mad at her and scolding her, but she was doing what nature requires. Survival of the fittest. This morning she was following after, and talking to both kids, but you can still pick up #2 without much complaint. Beware if you take #1!We're not out of the woods yet. So another day of coddling when needed.

Lunchtime Update On Layla's Does

Things are looking better. When I went back in around 7:30 this morning, Layla was starting to ignore the weaker doeling, and was giving all her attention and warmth to the other. I guess she couldn't be in two places, and chose the one that was healthy. You can see here at 8AM or so, the one doeling does not look good and Layla is still trying to stimulate her, but without much success. I mixed up some powdered colostrum and gave about 8-10 cc's of it to the second doeling, and she got a bit more lively. Then I introduced the bottle and nipple to her. It took a few tries, but all of a sudden she started sucking pretty well. Then my neighbors Allison and Stacy stopped a second time (already!) this morning, and #2 really took a real liking to Allison. She tried to suck her chin and fingers. I guess her smell was right. We let Allison do some of the bottle work, and it went well. A bit more team work and we got an ounce or so in her. Then when doe#1 got up and hungry, I managed to help #2 to a teat. At first it did not work, but a second try was a bit more successful. Finally, after getting all the stalls cleaned and water freshened, it was noon. The twins were together, and Layla seemed to becoming more interested in "talking" to both kids. I left them alone to rest and gain more strength for an afternoon session.Now that I have had some lunch, its back out to try a bit more assistance to get everyone well.
AND:

At 4AM and 8AM I could hear a generator still going across the creek, because of Friday's storm. I was feeling lucky to be able to turn on lights this morning. I think the utility trucks just left, so I hope that's one of the last to be waiting this long.

Twin Does for Layla

At 3:30 AM., but one is having trouble. Quick breakfast, and heading back to the barn with a bottle, and to try milking and feeding. The first born was nursing at 4:30AM and is doing great.

Fingers crossed.

Picking Up the Pieces

After getting the animals out this morning, we set out for a walk though the woods. We were looking for downed trees, as our neighbor spent all day yesterday clearing the ones around his house. We found none yet, but we have many more paths to check. I also was looking for morels again, but really don't know where to find them. I know of ONE that was found near a path, but don't know which. Mia joined us on our walk, and I took any hint from her as a place to look. She did her best to find me the biggest morel in the world. Nice try Mia.
Today we were back to power all day, and so we accomplished a lot of work to get us caught up. The temperatures hovered around 40 F, and it was pretty raw, with a drizzle or mist most of the day. Finishing our walk near the vegetable garden, we found more remains of the plywood that used to be part of a shed. Repairs of the shed, or actually, rebuilding, took place inside the barn. There, at least the wind could be blocked by keeping the door closed most of the way.The sled part of one shed got pretty damaged, so we replaced them with two larger boards, left over from the arbor project. This might end up as an improved version with the two inches extra height making it easier to hook onto the tractor. I hope you are impressed that a level and square were actually used to build this shed. When we were lining corners and boards up, we did pretty well. But we would also excuse a small imperfection with, "Ya know! Its just for goats! " The shed will be ready to go outside tomorrow. I think it looks like a little ark. Meanwhile, the yearlings were mowing around the barn today, and as an extra plus, they got to climb the wood chip pile. And all afternoon we kept an eye on Layla, still hanging on to whatever she's carrying. This morning the udder was much bigger, so we kept watching, and she knew it. Finally about three in the afternoon, she separated from the herd, marched over to the gate and stared back at me. I took it as notice that it was time to come inside and nest. I quietly ran up and opened the gate, before the rest of the crew caught on, and she marched slowly, and regally, to the barn.The yearling kids came to the gate to watch her go by. She spent the afternoon quietly standing around, and we made some extra preparations for her comfort. When the rest of the herd came in, she definitely did not want anyone in, or near her space. She slammed against the gate when they were near. Luckily she is letting me by her, and seems to know I am at her beck and call. And so, after a bed time check, and the baby monitor on again, we wait for those baby kid cries.

86 MPH Wind

Its been a busy, messy, 24 hours.While I was in town yesterday afternoon, we had quite a burst of wind and rain, and one of the first things I found was this huge, downed, old fir. This was only the beginning of the discoveries to be found all over the area. When I got home, the garage door didn't open, so of course, we had lost power. Also, I had an angry Pekoe waiting to get dried off. He is our disabled cat, and probably couldn't move fast enough to a good hiding place. Then I turned to see some very happy goats coming over the barn driveway. Their fence had been knocked down by bowls and debris, and just the 86 MPH wind. That was an empty feed bowl, not the water bowl. That much water was from the rain burst of perhaps 15 minutes or less.We had quite a weather change that has taken us from warm, t-shirt weather, to downed trees, shattered sheds, and bits and pieces still being found. One of our two sheds on sleds is this shattered pile of lumber that was spread over 50 feet (I think the fence slowed it down from going further). This is the other shed, that somehow survived in almost perfect shape,... ... after traveling from the brown spot between Jock and Brees on the left, also at least 50 feet, to where it lies,......sideways, tangled in the Electronet fence. Then as we tried to gather up the goats and debris, another front moved in, bringing white stuff(not really sure whether to call it snow or hail) today, and reason to bring a load of wood from the barn. We were out of power for twenty four hours, and are fortunate to be back already. At least last night, we were able to enjoy the candle light, and some time to slow down and have a glass of wine. Today we worked it off, with more repairs to go.

We are grateful that we didn't loose any animals, and that we know of no one that was hurt with all this damage. Tomorrow's local news will probably have more stories to tell, but for now, we thank our lucky stars that this is the worst of it for us.