Just a brief update tonight on the kids. Annie had a buckling last week that we named Popcorn. Agnes had a doeling last week that we named Cupcake. Cupcake was born with trouble in the tendons in her front legs, making her unable to stand. It has improved slightly, but she has a ways to go. She'll get better according to everything we read. For now we hare helping her so that she is able to nurse on Agnes. That is going well. We think that she's even finding it on her own now. Tricia goes out several times a day to make sure Cupcake is getting what she needs to grow and get stronger.
Popcorn is another story. That little dude is the picture of health. We named him popcorn because he jumps around like a popcorn kernel in hot oil. The trouble is with his Momma, Annie. Annie is a big, beautiful goat (as goats go), but over the years her bag has degraded with mastitis to the point at which this year, no milk comes out. Her bag is enormous, but there must be lots of scar tissue or things messed up inside that makes it impossible for Popcorn to nurse.
So Popcorn must be bottle fed. Fortunately, we have a pretty good bit of cow colostrum and milk frozen expressly for this purpose. Tricia makes up bottles every day, several times a day to feed Popcorn. Here's her baby:
As a result of not getting a lot of nurturing from Annie, Popcorn has gotten very attached to us. When he sees us, he knows he'll get milk. He was sucking on Russ' finger in this one.
I even join in on the action at night sometimes. Popcorn makes that bottle disappear!
If we can get Cupcake healed up, it would certainly make things a lot easier in the barn.
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