Saturday morning, The Bibbed wonder woke me at 5:30 to tell me Red, our sneaky, pregnant mama goat, had delivered quadruplets through the night. On Friday, I went to the barn and was astonished to see my lovable red goat's belly touching the ground. She has always gotten very large with pregnancy, but this was huge, even for her. Her udder was swollen, and her tail was lax, a telltale sign she would deliver soon. When Eric did his nightly barn check, all was well, and she showed no signs of labor. When he entered the barn early Saturday morning, he heard the distinct cry of newborn baby goats.
Red had delivered four little ones, one girl and three boys. All but one are covered in moon spots, a coat pattern assigned to goats. They are all healthy, strong, and adorable. Red is the best mama we have, in my opinion. She had the babies dried off, nursing, and cuddled next to her. She was looking a little starry-eyed and dazed. Often when the girls deliver multiple babies, they go into ketosis. The best way I can explain ketosis is all the mother's energy goes into making milk, and they go into sugar shock, where their blood sugar drops dangerously low. If not addressed right away, this can kill them very quickly. Eric gave her a drench or force-feeding of propylene glycol, giving a fast surge of sugar to quickly raise her sugar level. She also received electrolytes, and a drench of Power Punch, a concentrate of vitamins and minerals. She was gently escorted into a private stall where she received a large grain and good hay ration.
I am pleased to report all are doing well and adjusting to their life as a family. Red is a high yield milk maker. So, she has more than enough milk to feed all four babies. This is the best scenario possible for a delivery. We are thrilled to have her deliver on her own and have all babies strong and healthy. Eric posted pictures on multiple Facebook pages, and we have had multiple inquiries for the little girl and the spotted boys. Red delivers the most beautiful babies. Often, they are multi-colored and covered in spots that are very popular with breeders and pet-lovers alike. At this point, it is hard to think about parting with the little loves. However, by the time baby season is over, we will have possibly 40+ goats. It is good to have options for good homes.
We consider this a perfect early Christmas present, and it has done wonders to boost our morale and Christmas spirit. We also decorated our tree and hung our stockings. It has been a productive weekend here at the farm, and we are in good spirits. In honor of years gone by and the Christmas season, we have deemed the little boys Hard Rock, Cocoa, and Joe. The little girl is named Suzy Snowflake. If you are old enough to remember the stop-animation seasonal gems, you understand our name choices.
The Bean reminds me daily of the Christmas countdown. With only four days to go until the big day, stay safe, stay smart, may your Christmas be filled with blessings, and wash your hands.