Technically Spirit goat was due to deliver yesterday, but she wasn't showing any of the typical signs, so I thought it might be a few more days. This morning she was a little restless, and was "chuckling." This means she was uttering a special little call to her unborn kid or kids and it is a sure sign that labor will begin soon. We decided we had time to grab breakfast out, and did so. I have a camera in the goat cozy, so I was able to peek in at her while we were gone. Just about the time we got home she started to push. To my horror, a little goat head came out, without the prerequisite two little goat feet that should have come first. I had a reach in and there were no feet to be found. This was an emergency I was not experienced enough to deal with, so I sent Chris packing up the street to see if the nice people at the goat dairy would come help. Then I called farmer neighbor Cheryl, and she happened to be driving nearby and came right over. Poor Spirit was in obvious pain, and it was upsetting for me to see her and be unable to help. Cheryl jumped right in and in a few minutes had retrieved one front hoof.
The other leg was out of reach. I called the vet, she was far away, but gave instructions to tie baling twine around the foot we had, and then push the kid back in and try to get the other hoof. I went to the house to get some things Cheryl needed, and when I got back she had somehow managed to deliver the kid, a boy, and alive. I was elated. Just then Chris returned with Morgan from the goat dairy, and Cheryl's friend Moe, who has lots of experience delivering sheep and other hoof-stock arrived, too, along with Mike. We had a crowd in our little cozy. Spirit was cleaning her kid and talking to him. Morgan reached in and found a second kid, but there were no contractions and we decided to let mother and baby bond and rest and wait a bit to see what happened.
Cheryl and her wonderful entourage headed to her place when she said, "I made a pot of chili, lets go eat lunch!" I stayed here, helping dry the kid. Chris rigged up a heat lamp and fetched towels and supplies for me, making countless trips to the house. After about 40 minutes the whole group of helpful farmers returned. The buckling didn't seem to have any idea how to nurse, so we got some milk from Spirits bountiful udder and Moe gave the little guy his first meal from a bottle.
Morgan gloved up again and reached in to check progress with the second kid. I took my eyes off her for an instant and when I looked back there was second kid on the shavings. She was covered in meconium, a sign that she was in distress. We started drying her, then handed her over to her mama, who took over to polish her up. She got a little taste of milk from the bottle, too. The wonderful helpers all headed back to whatever it was they were were doing before they dropped everything to assist us. I cleaned up the soiled shavings and put a fresh bale down, put up a partition to separate the goat cozy into two "rooms," so the new family could have privacy, and brought Spirit a bucket of warm water with electrolytes in it. She drank it down, sampled some hay, then went back to cleaning and admiring her beautiful twins. I left them alone to rest and came in to get supper started. After about an hour I went back out and plunked down in the shavings with the new family. Spirit, in "cleaning" overdrive, licked my face and hands and chuckled at me. I helped each kid latch on to one of her teats and watched, in grateful awe, as they filled their bellies with warm milk. Their little tails began to wag and their patient mama licked first one, then the other, then me. Late afternoon sun slanted in, the air smelled of clean pine shavings and fresh hay. It was quiet and peaceful. I sat there a long time, until the kids, full and tired, cuddled up under the heat lamp. Spirit carefully laid down beside them. I slipped her a few special cookies.
Now there are two new faces at FairWinds. A boy and a girl, small and perfect and full of life. It took a village to get them here, some people I barely know, and some I'd never met, but all of them came instantly, without question, to help a lady goat in trouble. Today was filled with blessings, and baby goats. I'm going to call it a
very good day.
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