Pearce Pastures
Barn Babe
What a night. I came down with some stomach bug halfway through work today and was just holding it together until I could get home. I crawled into my car and the phone rang--mom could see on her barn cam that one of her does had blood on her side and she was going to be a little bit before she could go home.
So I trucked home, wanting to just crawl into bed, and instead threw on my coveralls and ran over to her place.
Ruthie had kidded and left them to freeze in a corner. Didn't clean them off, and seemed confused by what had happened. I shook one kid and he was ice and not moving, the other one moving a little. Yelling at Ruthie for being a bad momma, I scooped both, and ran to the house and stuck them in a very warm tub of water, holding their little heads above the water for about a half hour, rubbing them down roughly, encouraging them to stay with me. Little guy did not seem like he was going to make it and both had icy cold mouths. But then they both started to perk up, try to stand, even sucking at my fingers.
Mom arrived and we hit them with a blow dryer until they were completely dried, then took them back out to see if we could get Ruthie to nurse. It took hours and she is not exactly the in love momma most of our goats are but she is standing for them to nurse and they are doing well. Little guy has a weak leg that may have been injured in birth or it could be some sort of deficiency but we will see.
Why do these goats do this to us. Pick the coldest day we have had when we are sick to abandon their kids. Boy is Ruthie lucky she is pretty.
So I trucked home, wanting to just crawl into bed, and instead threw on my coveralls and ran over to her place.
Ruthie had kidded and left them to freeze in a corner. Didn't clean them off, and seemed confused by what had happened. I shook one kid and he was ice and not moving, the other one moving a little. Yelling at Ruthie for being a bad momma, I scooped both, and ran to the house and stuck them in a very warm tub of water, holding their little heads above the water for about a half hour, rubbing them down roughly, encouraging them to stay with me. Little guy did not seem like he was going to make it and both had icy cold mouths. But then they both started to perk up, try to stand, even sucking at my fingers.
Mom arrived and we hit them with a blow dryer until they were completely dried, then took them back out to see if we could get Ruthie to nurse. It took hours and she is not exactly the in love momma most of our goats are but she is standing for them to nurse and they are doing well. Little guy has a weak leg that may have been injured in birth or it could be some sort of deficiency but we will see.
Why do these goats do this to us. Pick the coldest day we have had when we are sick to abandon their kids. Boy is Ruthie lucky she is pretty.
Are they both bucklings?
Rotten ruthie 
