It's been a busy morning here on the farm. Eric went to the barn this morning to find Little Mouse, a first-time mama, had given birth to twins. As it seems par for the course this year, she had one baby cleaned off and nursing, and she had dropped and walked away from the second. Eric thought the second one was dead, but when he picked him up, he squeaked. He brought him to the house, and Jordan and I have spent the morning trying to get him warmed up and stabilized.
We have never had to warm a baby goat before, so this is new territory for us. As I have said before, every year presents a new problem and learning experience. I do know, I am completely over the cold weather, and I am ready for spring. Winter is hard on everyone; whether one has two legs or four, cold temperatures make everything more challenging. We did a quick search on the internet to find out the best way to warm a baby goat. Placing the baby goat in a plastic bag, with his head sticking out and submerging him in warm water, is the most recommended method. The mama's scent is removed from the baby using this method, and the baby will be guaranteed a bottle baby. We are hoping Little Mouse will accept him once he is up and moving. However, I believe we already know the outcome; we can hold hope regardless.
We opted for the second most recommended method, using hairdryers and heating pads to warm him up. It took a few hours, but he is sitting up on his own. His internal body temperature needs to be at least 100 degrees for him to take in any milk. A hypothermic belly cannot process milk. This will cause the baby goat to have tummy issues and more than likely die. I have been using a baby thermometer to rectally take his temperature, which is not fun for the baby goat or me. We are getting close to the desired temperature. He is beginning to look for something to nurse from on his own, which is an excellent sign. Hopefully, he will perk up once he has taken a bit of colostrum from a baby bottle. Jordan is still holding him, wrapped in a heating pad and snuggling on the couch. She is a very attentive nursemaid.
This little guy is very handsome. He is mostly white with black and brown spots. I have decided to call him Finn. Jordan wanted to name him Bob. Bob is just too common of a name for this handsome little fellow, who I am sure will turn into a special project, which will turn into a tiring search to find the perfect home, which will, in turn, make me sad when he has to go to the perfect home. Sigh...being a farmer is hard sometimes. If you think of it, send some good vibes our way. Working to save baby goats is hard work and often doesn't go how we wish it will go, so good vibes are appreciated. I have already posted a picture of Jordan on the couch with Finn. If things go the way we hope, we will be posting more pictures of this handsome little fellow. Unfortunately, my bibbed-wearing genius could not get the photos to load onto the computer due to our poor service. Please don't fret, dear reader; I am certain this is not my last story about little Finn.
On this cold, windy Thursday, please stay safe, stay smart, stay warm, and keep washing your hands.