Sad News and Good News

First, the Sad News

Cupcake delivered four adorable babies on Saturday, February 15. Two boys and two girls. Two days later, on Monday, I went to do the chores in the barn, and one of the tri-color girls, lay limp, with her neck arched way behind her in an awkward position. Right away, I knew that Cupcake (like a Ding-dong cupcake) lay on her baby for many hours during the night. I guess she couldn’t keep track of them. We were all very sad and tried to save her. I gave her Banamine, a pain-reducer and swelling reducer, but it was no-go. She lived a couple of hours and then passed away, and Mr. M buried her. AW! Ranch Life!

Here is Cupcake, happy as can be, a few hours after delivering her four babies. The little tri-color girl is front and center, lying down, perfectly healthy and normal. One boy is standing up against the wall (a gorgeous tri-color), and the other boy is black with white spots. A black and brown girl is lying under him, stuffed. You can see her if you look closely.

Here is Kristi holding tri-color girl and hoping she will pull through. She has such a sweet face!

Now, the Good News

A week ago, Sprinkles suprised us all, and thank goodness it was 94 outside! With Kristel and Sean gone to CA for a business trip, I was enjoying the hot weather and what did I see? Sprinkles standing still under an oak tree with what looked like a thick branch with limbs behind her. It was a surprise baby girl, whom I named Lucky. She was up, dried off, and nursing. Now that is the best way to have baby goats, let me tell you. Here is Susie holding her for her first pictures. She is happy, and now she is happier still to not be an only any longer, since Cupcake still has three babies left, and they are all starting to play.

And on Wednesday morning (2/19), we found this gorgeous little purebred buckling (he can be registered). He was born during the cold Arctic blast in Texas, with wind chills -3. But with two propane heaters blasting, the temperature got to the low 40s inside the pole barn. And we have heat lamps too, so he survived once he got some warm milk in his tummy (he was pretty cold and hadn’t yet eaten, and we didn’t know how long he’d already been born before Kristel saw him on the tablet camera). Here is a closeup and video (his mama is the brown goat, and the grandma is the black goat). Kristel loves spots, especially moon spots, as they are highly valued. She hopes to get a good price as a bottle buckling.