I've Gone Country A blog about a city girl learning a whole new world

It has been a wild and crazy week.

I’ve been checking on our goat Pearl.  She is notorious for getting her head stuck in the fence.  About the time we think she has learned her lesson and has stopped, she pulls another one of her tricks.  Billy and I both have had to dislodge her several times recently.  We try to keep it from happening, but that is easier said than done.

Pearl was also expecting babies so we really were watching her closely.

I went to the pasture about this time last week and noticed she was up to something.  I thought she might be in labor.  She didn’t really want me watching her so she stood up and started walking off.  It appeared from the looks of things that maybe she had already given birth.  I attempted to scan the pasture.  It was about that time that I heard a faint little noise and saw some movement.

I made my way closer…..

Yep…two of the cutest little girls I’ve seen….well, since our last batch of cuties were born.

Jack and Moses were also curious…

This little white cutie wasn’t intimidated by their size whatsoever.

I had to snicker when she gave a big cry and the donkey’s gave a startled jump.

Pearl was watching from a short distance but made no attempt to come closer.  I could tell she wasn’t acting herself.  Then again she had given birth recently so…that pretty well explains things.

I shooed the boys on and took a closer look at the babies.

They appeared healthy.  The reddish brown girl was smaller, but having one smaller than the other is not unusual, she was still a good size.

I backed away and watched.  They were not crying like they were hungry so I felt like Pearl was taking care of them.  It is always so hard for me to leave the babies where I can’t see them because I am constantly wondering if Mama is tending to them or not.  After all we are still having a lot of cold weather and….well you can see I play all the scenarios in my head.

The next day I went to check in on everyone.  I saw the white baby in about the same spot I had seen them both the day before.  But I couldn’t see the reddish goat.  As you can tell in the other pictures she really blends in with the surroundings this time of year, so I began to look more closely.

There she was…..laying on her side.  My heart sank, she looked dead.  I ran to her and picked her up.  She gave a little cry and opened her eyes.

Mama was a good way off in the tree line and the white baby goat was a short distance from this one.  She was standing and seemed perfectly fine.

Quickly I placed the reddish one in my jacket and started running.  I’ve learned that you have to really rub an animal to stimulate them when they are found like this.  Heat and stimulation is critical.

My heart was sick….but I had hope.

Thankfully, I have learned through trial and error to have an emergency kit on hand.  I whipped out the heating pad I have set aside just for animal use.   I’ve also found that blow dryers are a great source of quick heat too.

Once I was able to raise her core body temp a little I attempted to hydrate her with an electrolyte.  If they are too cold they can’t swallow.  It is a slow tedious process.  They look so pitiful though that you just keep trying everything possible.

We were scheduled to be at my grand daughter’s birthday party within an hour.  I was a little frantic.  A friend stopped by the house and once he saw my predicament he offered to take care of her for us.  What a blessing!  I loaded him up with a bottle, heating pad and instructions a mile long like a mother of a first born baby.  Bless his heart.

After the party we called to tell him we were on our way.  I was almost afraid we would hear bad news.  BUT instead he had taken great care of her and also had another helping hand.  A sweet lady that volunteers  her time helping with odd jobs at the Vision cuddled her in her lap.  They were sitting in the warm sunshine when we arrived.    I was amazed at her recovery, she was holding her little head up by herself.  She was also obviously loving every moment of snuggle time.

She was in absolute heaven.

Although still weak she was much…..MUCH…. better.

I checked in on the other baby in the pasture.  She was fine.

Mama was taking good care of her…..

What a beautiful picture of a Mother’s love.

I left not understanding why one was in such bad shape and the other doing fine, but was happy that these two were good.

Meanwhile, here on the home front we continued to nurse baby girl back to health.

She was babied and cared for the rest of the night.

We placed a dog cage near the wood stove in the sun room and she settled down for a good nights sleep.

Matter of fact we all slept real well that night.  🙂