We have a new goat born to us today but as per the goat scene it didn't go smoothly. This was the first for this particular goat but we have watched many of the goats being born so we knew, kind of, what to expect and how things go more a less. She start baying so we knew her time had come. When I got down there the action had started but I saw something that wasn't like the ones before. She started giving birth before the sack had broken. So she was giving birth to a water balloon that had two little feet in it. Since this was her first she was a bit panicked, and seemed to be in a bit of pain. Goats will get up and down during the birth process and I have seen a couple born while the mom was standing up. So as this new mother was getting up and down finding another position with a couple of hoofs sticking out I was only partially concern. But the problem came when she laid down again and it was on a slope of a hill. The kid was making progress coming out but it was very slow going, we could now see up to it's ankles and the sack still had not burst. The mother went to get up again but because she was on a slop and her legs were pointing up hill, simple physics and law of gravity would not let her get up, and she was panicking and kicking, struggling to get up. I was afraid of the kid was going to be injured and or mother in her kicking and panicked state would do a roly-poly down the hill, so I decided to try and help her up. As I got close to her this pushed her 'over the edge'. The kid popped out and mom bolted. She then knew something had happened and started baying instinctively and the kid was baying as well. But it seems my interference didn't allow for that bond or train of instinctive thought of what to do next to kick in. After much bribery with bananas, bread and what not it became obvious that mom was not going to take the kid nor come near it. The kid at this point was doing it's normal trying out it's legs and all-- knew something else should be there. I had heard that if you want a mother to adopt a kid that you get a warm rag and wipe it on the mothers utter and then wipe that on the kid and she will take it. So decided to give it a shot.

Now mom really wasn't having a good day up to this point and she really wasn't in the mood.

We had to catch her again, I had one arm around her neck and shoulders as in the photo and the other hand with a wet 'warm' rag I rubbed her utters- she freaked and I felt like a pervert. We were both glad when that was over with. I then gave the kid a less personal massage with the rag. It didn't work with the mom accepting the kid, but the kid would follow that rag anywhere. We used it to get him to come up to the utter and start milking and eventually most everyone was sorted. The mother will let the kid milk after we catch her and hold her, but not of her will. We put them in a separate closed place where the mother couldn't flee from the kid for the night hoping they would work out their issues during the night. The kid didn't make a sound all night so I was hopeful. When we let them out the next day the mother didn't stay nor show interest in the kid. We have to hold her again and let the kid suckle, she just wasn't interested. The boys have been very into all of this and are really enjoying the whole thing. They like to catch the mom and have the kid suckle. I think given all the people that like to help this kid it will be better fed then any other I have seen, just hope mom doesn't run dry in the mean time. I call this photo the interested and the disinterested.


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