Kidded on her Due Date, 3/21 with Twins!
Today's Blog is Written by Hazel's Dad, Jorge, because he was the one actually there!
Hazel said something like “Not to worry, she probably won’t go today but just in case I will have the van so you can call me and I will come home.” Does that sound reassuring?
April was doing fine all day, I looked in on her at eight and she acted fine. At nine Robin's cute kids needed to be fed and I checked her again - her udder was starting to come in, but not exceptional. A quick walk about at eleven and she was laying down relaxing. At one o`clock it was time to feed Robins kids again-very cute creatures those baby goats. Aprils udder didn`t seem any different. At about two I washed the bottle and milk containers then went out to buck some hay.
A brief moment here to touch on bucking hay. It means moving bales of hay from one place to another-in this instance from a tarp wrapped stack to a covered area that is a more accessible and maybe fifteen feet away. The three string bales a are little weighty and we do use a backhoe to help us move them sometimes, but I was feeling antsy and some physical work could relax me so I moved a few bales.
After bucking hay I washed my hands, changed my t-shirt and drank a glass of water. Time to check on April. At the door I received a text message from Wendy- “I have not heard from Hazel. All okay?” I replied “She should be driving right now. “ I walked out to the kidding shed, heard my text alert, but was suddenly to busy to check it.
April was pawing at the ground and two slime bundles were laying in the dirt. One was rolling about-maybe trying to right itself and the other was just lying there not moving most likely dead for days already! The one rolling about in distress seemed to be calling for attention but I grabbed a blanket out of the kidding shed and started drying, cleaning, rubbing, sticking my finger down its throat to clear goop on the dead thing first. She seemed to wake up and say “Maaaaa! It's okay Jorge, chill!” I cleaned and dried her, then started on her brother.
Things that have to happen: The babies need to be dried an made warm. Check.
The Mom needs some molasses water( sugar?) I put the babes in the babe tub and collected some molasses water for April. Check
The babes need to be fed colostrum. I milked April into a bottle and the kids were good about there first meal. Check.
I was siting on the floor in the kidding shed feeding the boy when Hazel walked in and said something like “All done? Great!”
April was doing fine all day, I looked in on her at eight and she acted fine. At nine Robin's cute kids needed to be fed and I checked her again - her udder was starting to come in, but not exceptional. A quick walk about at eleven and she was laying down relaxing. At one o`clock it was time to feed Robins kids again-very cute creatures those baby goats. Aprils udder didn`t seem any different. At about two I washed the bottle and milk containers then went out to buck some hay.
A brief moment here to touch on bucking hay. It means moving bales of hay from one place to another-in this instance from a tarp wrapped stack to a covered area that is a more accessible and maybe fifteen feet away. The three string bales a are little weighty and we do use a backhoe to help us move them sometimes, but I was feeling antsy and some physical work could relax me so I moved a few bales.
After bucking hay I washed my hands, changed my t-shirt and drank a glass of water. Time to check on April. At the door I received a text message from Wendy- “I have not heard from Hazel. All okay?” I replied “She should be driving right now. “ I walked out to the kidding shed, heard my text alert, but was suddenly to busy to check it.
April was pawing at the ground and two slime bundles were laying in the dirt. One was rolling about-maybe trying to right itself and the other was just lying there not moving most likely dead for days already! The one rolling about in distress seemed to be calling for attention but I grabbed a blanket out of the kidding shed and started drying, cleaning, rubbing, sticking my finger down its throat to clear goop on the dead thing first. She seemed to wake up and say “Maaaaa! It's okay Jorge, chill!” I cleaned and dried her, then started on her brother.
Things that have to happen: The babies need to be dried an made warm. Check.
The Mom needs some molasses water( sugar?) I put the babes in the babe tub and collected some molasses water for April. Check
The babes need to be fed colostrum. I milked April into a bottle and the kids were good about there first meal. Check.
I was siting on the floor in the kidding shed feeding the boy when Hazel walked in and said something like “All done? Great!”