Oopsy

So, last year I got a Nigerian buckling in trade for a doeling the previous year. He was a little dude, so was put out with the Nigerian herd after quarantine. Once I had a buckling pen ready, I moved him in with the 3 other Nigerian bucklings.

So, one of my best does didn't come in heat this fall. I didn't think anything of it, because I had put her and 3 others out with my Senior buck for a week, and then sporadically after that when I noticed one in heat.

Then, about 2 weeks ago I noticed her udder starting to grow. Hmmm...I thought to myself......this is interesting. Then I checked her ligaments. Uh, oh, barely there. I raised the alarm to keep a close eye on Jas, just in case I was reading her right.

I was. This morning when I got home from work and started chores, I noticed that Jas had some heavy mucus stuck to her tail. And, her belly had dropped over night. And...her ligs were gone. I told my son to watch her closely today, as I thought she would be delivering soon. She ate her breakfast grain and hay, but then she is one of those who would be delivering kids while munching on hay.

Yeah...soon was an understatement. As I was starting morning milking, she popped her head over the stall door and was blatting. She has a deep, raspy, loud blat. I finished up milking my Obermancha and went to check on Jas. She was pawing a nest in the corner of the stall. Then she laid down and pushed. Fortunately Nutmeg is a slow eater, so she stood on the milk stand munching away. I got the standard dry does, who were tied to their spots eating their breakfast grain, back in their pen while keeping an eye on Jas.

So fast forward another few minutes. She gave out a couple of really loud blats. I checked and she was pushing. And pushing. And Pushing. Yeah, things were not progressing normally. Finally, just as I was ready to do an internal, I see wet fur. Unfortunately, it was a tail and a little wet rump. I got little one #1 pulled out while calling to my son to get a towel.

Did I mention it was 6 degrees, breezy and my barn was not winter proofed yet, as the horses had torn their outside stall doors off the hinges.

I got the little one cleaned off. It was a heavily spotted doeling. YEAH! My daughter in law took her up to the house to blow dry and warm up.

I got Jas out of her pen and onto some clean dry hay in the barn walkway. She started pushing again. And screaming. Kid #2 was coming out back feet first. I helped deliver #2, a little buckskin. I checked as I was drying it off....of looked like black, slimy fur covered testes. A buck!

I let her clean him off while I was making a temp nursery for her. She was acting done, so I left her to get her son up and eating.

Nope, she started pushing again. She finally laid down and started pushing. And pushing...and pushing. Just as I was ready to do an internal (sounds familiar?) she gave a mighty push and out pops a head. No legs, just a big ole head. I couldn't get my big arthritic hands in to pull the legs forward, as they were back quite a ways, so I had to help pull. Got baby #3 out- a buckskin with lots of splashy white. A quick look showed a pair of baby testes.

As soon as babies would be dried off, Momma would get them soaked again by licking them. Everything was turning to ice, including the afterbirth hanging from Jas. The babies were shivering and not interested in eating. It was not going to work, being so cold, so I decided to bottle raise the kids. It is supposed to be well below 0 this coming week, so bottle babies for these 3.

I finished up milking chores and went up to the house. My DIL advised me that baby #2 was actually a doeling and was spotted as well. So, 2 doelings and a buckling!

So, all 3 are in the house, warm, fed and already passed their meconium! Mom passed her afterbirth and is eating her hay just fine.

Now, hoping no one else decides to have been bred early and delivers during out minus 0 temps this week.