We have been hit by a big ice storm here in the south. Yesterday morning before daybreak we had sleet and snow. It wasn't too bad at that time because it was more snow then sleet and it wasn't sticking to the roads. We fed and watered the animals and all was well. For the most part, the only major concern was keeping the snow from building up too much on the animal and chicken roofs and making sure everyone had water that didn't freeze before they got a good drink.
Today, on the other hand, was a different matter. While it had snowed off and on the day before and all through the night, overnight it changed completely to sleet and freezing rain. At 3:00 this morning it began pounding us and hasn't stopped all day. It is still sleeting while I write this and its 7:00 pm. Even so that wouldn't be such a big deal except for the goats. We are right smack dab in the middle of kidding season and the ice is not kid friendly. We raise our goats for milk and meat and they are an important part of our survival plan. Making sure that kidding season goes well and the goats are taken care of is important for those plans.
I knew it was time for the goats to start kidding but they all seemed calm and quiet so I thought that perhaps they would hold off until the ice melted and it warmed up. Of course, I was wrong. The kids are ready and no mere snow storm will hold them back.
Knowing the goats are ready to kid means extra trips out to their houses to check on them. Even during the night I have to go check on them. Its not fun when its cold out or late at night but I try to make sure none of the goats have problems delivering. Usually, they do fine without any help at all but on that rare occasion when a kid needs turning or multiple kids get tangled up it prevents losing the mother or the kids if someone is there to help.
So today with a sheet of ice on the ground, I checked on the goats and everyone was fine. I trudged back inside and made sandwiches for an early supper and had just sat down to eat by the window. I glanced up the hill and saw a tiny goat walk out of the goat house doorway! Egads, Babies!! After scarfing down our sandwiches, we got up and got bundled up in coats and boots then headed out to check the goats.....again.
First, we checked the house where I saw the kid standing in the doorway. There was Maisy with twins. Both beautiful, one girl and one boy. Maisy did fine without our help. If we had been with her we would have helped make sure the amniotic sack was removed and their nose and mouth were cleared of fluid then let the mother finish cleaning the kids if she can. If its very cold sometimes its important to get the kids dried quickly and a wipe down with a clean rag would be something we would have done to help. This time Maisy did it all. She didn't eat the afterbirth like some of them do so we disposed of that for her.
The little girl had a long umbilical cord still attached which could get stepped on or tangled so we tied it about 2 inches long with a clean cotton string then cut off the excess. Then we dipped both their navels in iodine to prevent bacteria. Maisy was offered a long drink of fresh water which she was happy to get. We spread a clean bed of hay and checked to make sure Maisy had plenty of milk. After making sure both kids got their first drink we left them alone with Maisy for a while.
Last year Maisy had a bad injury to her udder because she or another goat stepped on it and cut one side. It was stitched up and we gave her antibiotics but she lost the ability to produce milk on that side. Many people would have put her down and used her for meat but she is beautiful and always has great kids. We wanted to give her a chance to survive the injury. She has always had just a single large healthy kid which would have been ok with only one side of her udder. This year for the first time she had two. For now she has plenty of milk for the newborns because they won't drink as much at first. She is a heavy milker so she should still produce a good amount of milk. If we see that one or both kids don't get enough milk then we can supplement them both or just take one and bottle feed it after the first few days. It is always better for them to stay with their mother in my opinion because they build relationships with her and within the herd. They gain natural antibodies through her milk and being around the other kids. They have an entirely different personality when they are in with the other kids. So for now we will leave them with Maisy but we will keep a close watch on all three of them.
After tending to Maisy and the new kids, we checked on the rest of the goats. Sassy is talking to her side so her kids are almost ready. She may deliver tonight or in the morning. Cleo's milk is full and she keeps laying down and standing up. She's not much of a talker so she won't talk to her kids yet. She's definitely going to have kids any minute now. Cleo's sister Zoe has a distinct waddle and she looks like she has more then two. She may wait a day or two though. Chloe is the mother of Cleo and Zoe and she seems anxious but her bag is not full. Perhaps she is just a nervous grandma. Everyone else seems like they have some time before they kid but they can always surprise me.
I just went back out to check on the goats and the ground is a solid sheet of ice over four inches thick. I stomped up the hill following my footprints from earlier. All the goats are fine so far but I'm afraid that one will kid in the ice. Its dangerous out there on the ice and no kid can survive it. On top of that the limbs are beginning to get heavy with ice and fall all around. I slipped and slid back to our porch and came inside to shower. We will take turns throughout the night checking but its going to be a long, cold night.
Southern Wood Elf