Day 150, post breeding, was Valentines Day. I watched Annie trash her stall all day on my camera. When I got home, Annie still didn’t look too serious so Emma and I did chores. After finishing up in the barn, we went to check Annie. It was clear things got serious very quickly. I ran inside to get the kidding bag. By the time I returned, the first kid was nearly out. She was breech, but small and easily delivered. I cleared her face, wrapped her in a towel, and handed her to Emma to dry just in time to assist the much larger buck kid. The buck kid was up and noisy almost immediately. The small doe was already chilled despite a warm garage and being dried immediately. Guess we have another ‘house goat’.
2/14/20 - Renegade North Rose warming on a heating pad.
I watched Annie and the buck kid on the camera. He was doing a good job figuring out where and how to nurse. Annie groomed the buck kid and encouraged him to nurse but occasionally pawed and laid down. Within a half hour she passed the placenta. She continued up paw with slight contractions visible as I watched her flank on the camera .
Watching Annie and her buck kid on camera as the doe kid warms.
I’ve made this mistake before.
I went outside and bumped Annie… nothing… but I’ve never been good at bumping Nigerians (Alpines are easier, bigger kids). I went back inside. The doe kid was now up and hungry. We fed her some colostrum and continued to watch Annie… nope, something not right.
‘Not pint sized, TWO pint sized’
~ Barb Adams - MeadowWild Farm
I went back out, gloved up and started rooting around. This is always a difficult decision. The delivery was easy, palpating externally, I didn’t feel any more kids… what if I cause damage for NOTHING more than an uncomfortable goat? I’ve made this mistake before…
At the very bottom of the left horn, I found something, no bigger than a golf ball. In hind sight, the fluid, which I immediately scooped out of the stall, was milky pink in color, similar in color to the decomposing skull and attached slime. Would this tiny skull have killed Annie? Probably not, but she may never had settled again with that in there.
Tiny, flattened skull. No other bones found.
Since I had already invaded poor Annie, I checked the both uterine horns again and deposited a uterine bolus.
Annie’s pawing stopped a short while later. She laid down and rested comfortably, getting up when the buck kid prompted her to.
2/14/20 - Renegade North Valentino refuses to lay down and nap.
Come morning, the buck kid’s belly is full, Annie seems good, and the doe kid strong. I will continue to monitor Annie but am glad I trusted my gut that something wasn’t right. Having to her back through a closing cervix hours later is much more stressful.
I bought Annie back last fall. Renegade North Annie is littermate sister to SG Renegade North Hope (VEEV 89 @ 04-09 & VEVE 89 @ 03-07). Annie was bred to Zanzabeez BLU It Takes Two “Cheater” (++V 84 @ 01-03, which is great score for a yearling!). Thanks to Jessica Ohman at Wind N Woods Acres for use of your boy, picking up Annie for me, breeding her, and boarding her until I could come get her.
Update: At the 24 hour mark, Annie seemed a bit uncomfortable. I noted a lack of poo in her stall. I gave a dose of banamine before chores. When I checked on her after chores, she was much more comfortable and crapped a few large logs… poor thing… her junk probably hurt enough that she didn’t want to go. I’ve had this happen before when getting ‘invasive’ on a doe. The banamine really helps them, usually only need one dose.