April Fools Surprise....

If you are a regular reader of FairWinds, you will remember that Luna goat (my favorite, but please don't tell the other kids!) has had a difficult pregnancy. I've had weeks of feeding her multiple small meals a day, cajoling her to eat, giving her minerals and vitamins and treats and anything I can think of that would help her feel better. According to my schedule she was due to give birth 10 days from today. This morning she was anxious for breakfast, a good sign, but hardly ate anything. After I fed her she hot-footed it back to the goat palace, instead of following her normal routine of eating hay with the rest of the herd. I took hay out to her and she was nibbling at it when I headed back to the house.

Around noon I had a break between grooms, and went out to see if I could get her to eat a little lunch. The other two goats and the horse were eating hay in the pasture. I headed back to the goat palace, carrying some fresh spinach and other goodies. As I rounded the corner I saw something that made me gasp. On the straw, white fur coated with blood. I thought Luna had died. My heart sank. I forced myself forward and found, to my delight, that Luna was up and bright eyed, tucking in a mouthful of hay. The white fur with blood? A brand new, just-born kid. And a few feet away was another kid, wet and messy, but very much alive.

I hustled back in the house and got my daughter. We carried out warm water with electrolytes, some dry towels and other kidding necessities. Luna happily sucked down every drop of the water. Rachel and I helped dry the twins, and in mere moments they were up, wobbling on long legs and trying to figure out where the milk bar was.



A boy and a girl. And Mama Luna seems well and fit. The kids have nursed several times and last time I checked they were snuggled together in the deep bedding, clean, dry and well fed, next to their mama. New life at FairWinds. A lovely surprise.