The Kid Didn't Make It

The surviving kid from the twins that were born on Wednesday didn't survive the first twenty-four hours. The one twin had been stillborn. Some time between the 10PM and midnight feeding, the other twin died.

In my previous post, I mentioned that because the doe walked away, we would have to feed this one every two hours. One of the reasons she walked away was that the kid was weak and did not stand almost immediately. Usually, a newborn kid is standing within half an hour. Sometimes it takes longer, but the kid will survive with lots of help and encourgement. Not being able to stand is still a very bad sign. This kid had been trying to stand all afternoon and evening, but just didn't have enough strength and couldn't find her balance. Right after feeding her, she would make some gallant attempts and then give up for a while. We tried a one hour feeding schedule, but she actively resisted it. In my opinion, her digestive system was not quite mature enough to provide her with the nourshment she needed from the milk she took in.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...

The first thing this morning, we took the kid out to the east pasture and disposed of it. This caused us to leave a little late for school. When asked why my son was late, I told the attendance clerk that we had to dispose of a dead kid. The initial look on her face was priceless, then she remembered that we raise goats. She listed the tardy as excused due to a "livestock problem." I wish my wife was there to see this clerk's face...