[Caileigh Jane Smith]

No babies yet. I was able to find ligs again. So she's definitely gearing up for birth, but I think not quite there yet. She's got a big belly, so I think the babies are really making her uncomfortable when she lies down, and that's where a lot of her 'labor' signs are stemming from. I'm hoping for twins or triplets, not just one huge kid.
I'm tired, she's tired...I think we're all going to nap this afternoon.

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

Well, Sil is running a temperature tonight. It dawned on me yesterday that some of the 'labor' signs I was seeing could actually be the start of a respiratory infection of some kind. I started monitoring her temp., and feeding her garlic and some herbs to help with respiratory issues. Tonight, I'm starting her on penicillin, since that's what I have on hand, and I have a call in to the vet. They're supposed to call me back tomorrow.
She likes fig newtons, so I've been hiding her garlic in those. She is still eating, peeing, pooping, so I'm hoping she will bounce back quickly. Tomorrow is her due date.

 

[MadHouse]

I hope she recovers quickly! Maybe it was the move...

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

I hope she recovers quickly! Maybe it was the move...

Thanks! I hope so, too. I hate hauling goats, it is so stressful for them...and for me. I am hoping for doelings this year so I don't have to buy any more goats for a good long time...til it's time to buy a new buck.

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

Well, the vet came out and confirmed that Sil is dealing with a respiratory issue. She could hear noise in Sil's lungs, but I'm hoping we've caught it quickly enough that she can bounce back before too long. She's getting Nuflor, Banamine, B complex, and Magic drench, since with all the other stress going on, it looked to me that she might have been starting to get toxemia symptoms today. She figured out how to separate her fig newtons from the garlic cloves, so now I'm chopping the garlic up really small and mashing it in with the fig newtons to make a paste. It looks revolting, but she loves it.
Still no babies, no discharge, no nothing. She is looking brighter tonight, though, and actually seemed enthusiastic about her hay. I was so delighted, I just sat there and watched her eat, and took pictures.

And this is her pal, who I've decided to call Myrtle, staring off into the middle distance, probably thinking about how she never gets the attention she deserves.

 

[MadHouse]

So good to hear you figured out the issues and she is perking up!

 

[Moers kiko boars]

So glad the vet confirmed what is going on with her. Now she can heal and be better! Yay!

 

[toth boer goats]

Glad the vet treated her and she is on the mend.

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

Thanks, guys! She has been pretty uncomfortable the last few days, but this morning, she had eaten some of the chopped alfalfa I had put out for her, and looked a little more normal, lying there, chewing her cud. Her kids have dropped even more, and her tail head is hollowing out...I'm hoping she goes soon!
When I let her out of the kidding stall in the morning, she meanders slowly around the yard, usually eats a few oak leaves...and sometimes visits the cows. Sassafras (the cow) has been sick, too, so maybe they are comiserating.

This was my 'goat basket' last night. Such an odd jumble of things I laughed and took a picture. I always put all my meds, etc. in here so I can lug them around more easily. The green stains on the handle are Kopertox, of course.

My mom was given a Jane Austen tea for her birthday by one of my other siblings. It was delicious, and in with the tea things there were these cute little jars of jam. I took one look at them, and said, "hey! I can use those to dip umbilical cords!" So I've now got a jam jar in my birthing kit. Hope I get to try it out SOON!

 

[MadHouse]

Very nice basket!
I hope Sil and Sassafras will be back to normal very soon!
Good to hear Sil was acting like she feels better.
Love the cord dipping jam jar!

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

@MadHouse thank you! Sassafras is doing better. She's my sister's cow.
We induced Sil tonight. She is just so uncomfortable and not yet eating as she should. I am hoping she will get some relief once she kids. The respiratory symptoms are subsiding, though, which is good!

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

My quarantine pen is quite small, so I try to let Myrtle and Sil out as much as possible. They seem to enjoy wandering the yard, though Sil wanders very, very slowly. Myrtle is deeply intrigued by the trampoline.
I hope that the next photos I post here will be of Sil's kidding!

 

[GoofyGoat]

What a cute pair! I hope Syl has an easy time of it and we get to see the little ones soon!

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

We got a buckling and a doeling! I'll post pics and more info soon.

 

[MadHouse]

Yay! Congratulations!!! Can’t wait to see pics!

 

[toth boer goats]

Congrats.

 

[GoofyGoat]

Yay! How’s Syl doing?

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

It's been an interesting day. I've never had to go in and assist a kidding before, but I honestly don't think Sil and the kids would have made it if I hadn't done so this morning. The kids were stacked on top of each other, and I am pretty sure I had the doeling's nose and the buckling's hoof trying to come out together at first, though the doeling may have just had one leg back. It was so tight in there that I was really struggling to figure out what I was feeling. When we finally got the doeling out, the buckling tried to come with both front legs back. The doeling (lighter color) weighs 9 lbs., and the buckling (darker) 9.4. There was a point where I was kneeling there, holding the doeling's front legs as I waited for another contraction, and thinking, 'she is never going to fit'.
The vet and an experienced goat friend were both unavailable, so my heroic parents came out and helped. It was really a three person job. I don't know that my dad has ever delivered a goat kid in his life, but he stood there and very calmly told me what to do. I was so tired and flustered I was thankful for the reminders.
The kids are gorgeous. They have both been active and taking their bottles really well. The doeling has one of the cutest faces I've ever seen. I'm calling her Sunday, Sunny for short. The buckling has one swollen eye. I think I must have accidentally poked my finger into it as I was easing him back to get his sister out. He's a trooper, though.
Poor Sil was very sore after my clumsy efforts, but I gave her some banamine and preparation h, and she perked up pretty quickly. She is still not eating like I want to see, but at least she nibbles on all the delicacies I keep offering her. Her placenta was finally starting to let loose when I came in a little bit ago. I have been milking her to stimulate contractions, then pasteurizing the colostrum for the kids. I think it's very unlikely Sil has CAE, but I'm raising her kids as bottle babies, just in case. I'll be testing her as soon as she's recovered from this whole ordeal. The kids are in a little pen where she can see them and talk to them, and I think they are helping her to stay perky. She even took a short stroll around the yard this afternoon, once the painkillers had kicked in.
We've still got a long road to go, but I'm hoping that now Sil can focus on getting better and rebuilding her body after all this rough stuff. And of course, we are all enjoying the kids!

 

[GoofyGoat]

Aw, great pictures of the snuggle goats. Everyone looks great. The little buckling is a handsome little dude and Sunday’s a sweetie, great job! Congratulations

 

[MadHouse]

I am so glad you got them both out alove and well, and Sil is ok!
That must have been hard. I am glad you had support! What a great team with 3 generations of human helpers there!
The kids are both gorgeous! :inlove::inlove: