I meandered down to the barn this morning to feed bottle babies. Linnea, my biggest alpine doe was in labor. I found this a bit unexpected because she had very little milk and she is normally a gallon + each day. I fed the babies and kept a check on her. Finally I saw her kid begin to make an appearance. Or so I thought. Turned out to be a foot. ONE foot. Not two and a nose. ONE FREAKING FOOT! Oh pu-leeeze.
I washed my hands and grabbed towels. Sound familiar? She was most uncooperative and poor thing, I had to end up tying her to keep her still enough to investigate. I finally got the baby pulled, he was fine and she got busy taking care of him.
I went about chores and waited for baby # 2. I waited and waited. Second kid was not arriving and she seemed to be getting a bit tired. I washed my hand and got towels. Baby # 2 was in correct position but was HUGE. A slight assist and she was born. Linnea still had no milk to speak of so I gave the kids a supplemental colostrum. They are up and attempting to nurse. We will see.
I emailed a friend that has a goat dairy and who mentors me when I have "issues". She regularly has 50 + kids a year. She said in a normal year she may have one doe that needs assistance. This year she is already had more backward, strange positions and assists than in all her previous years. Very strange!
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