Living out on the prairie, it is easy to forget you have neighbors. I know for some people the idea of living out so remotely is scary, for others it is a dream. I love living out here, and I like not having CLOSE neighbors, but neighbors can still be a wonderful thing (mostly). Out in the country most everyone is willing to help if asked, and it's nice. For instance, if a neighbor has cows loose in the road, passers by all stop and block the road with their trucks, and herd the cattle back where they should be. And the local taco hut will let you bring the money back if you discover you have left your wallet at home, after ordering your meal. After all, we all live in this small community, and need to trust each other on some level.
On occasion we have rescued horses, and twice our old donkey Jack got out, and we had to chase him about a mile before someone came by and stopped to help.
What I have learned is that it pays to be helpful, to accept help, and to learn how to care for your animals medical emergencies if there isn't help around.
Recently, we have had a spell of animal deaths. Our beloved dairy goat Dolly was kicked by a horse, resulting in a broken leg. We tried to see if she could recover, but it was a no go. What a sad day. Then Olympia our young Boer goat was kicked too. She had a hurt leg, but it wasn't as bad, and after a couple of days she was out with the herd limping around. Then came the day for her to kid. She struggled from the beginning and ultimately she and her baby buckling died.
What I learned this time is how to turn a kid. When I arrived home that evening, I could see she hadn't progressed. The kid's feet were in the same position. I figured the baby was dead after being stuck for so long. I examined her, and noticed it was only one foot out, I cautiously stuck my hand inside the birth canal and discovered the other foot bent backwards at the "wrist". I fixed that, and still nothing happened. I disinfected my hand, and inserted my hand, to discover the baby's head was bent backward touching the neck. Once I straightened that, I was able to pull him out entirely. My mentor, good friend, and local vet "Doc" talked me through checking for a second kid the next day, when she appeared to still be laboring. The first kid I had to cut the umbilical cord, don't forget to tie it off with string about three inches from the navel before cutting. Then disinfect the stump all the way to the navel.
Olympia (mama goat) never recovered from the birth. She would eat if handed the hay, and would drink water if we held the bucket to her mouth, but she couldn't stand. Doc said she was suffering from pregnancy induced toxemia (http://www.goatworld.com/articles/pregnancy/pregnancytoxemia.shtml) and suggested I give her Karo syrup. The link I have included has some great information that I followed, but I think I did so too late. Next time I will give the mama's something immediately after delivery to make sure they have an extra boost (maybe molasses or just Vitamin B Complex). This being my first experience with this type of event left me feeling very inadequate, but I have now updated my Vet manual with the symptoms, signs, and treatment for what we experienced. I've also made a list to restock my animal first aid kit that I keep in a 5 gallon bucket in the barn. With prayer and God's support I hope we don't experience this again.
I have five goat books, but the best one for information was Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats. Even if you have a meat goat, this book will be helpful, because other than the milking aspect of the book, the rest of the information can apply to all goats.
Recipe for "Magic"
1 part Molasses
2 parts Corn Syrup (Karo)
1 part Corn Oil
Give about 20 ccs followed by the same amount of water. Use a large syringe (these can be found at feed stores) about 2 inches in diameter. Even a turkey baster would work in a pinch. Place in the corner of the goat's mouth, as far back as possible, and slowly give the mixture/water.
Place the goat in a shed or barn, something with shelter from the elements. I recommend lying the goat flat, with the head slightly elevated to aid in the mixture sliding down, if they won't swallow much on their own. We kept a "hay diaper" (PD word) under her. This is just a padding of hay that we removed when it is soiled, and then replaced with fresh hay. Nothing worse than lying there in your own waste, so we tried to make the goat as comfortable as possible. Even covering her with hay in the evening when we went to bed, to keep her warm.
When doing a vaginal exam of the goat. Wash your hands, and if on hand, use iodine to disinfect your hands and the vaginal opening of the goat. Doc told me in an emergency use corn oil as a lubricant, or Dish Soap (Dawn is good). Dish soap works great from my perspective, not sure how the goat felt, but since she was in pain already, it was probably only a minor irritant. Upon examinng the mama goat, if she has already had one kid, and you are checking for another, if once inside if the walls of the birth canal close around your arm, and it doesn't feel like a cave, then there isn't another baby. I had my hand in up to my elbow, and could go no further. All I felt was smoothness and warmth, so no other baby.
Other tips: Living off-grid or with limited electricity can be difficult at times, especially when trying to doctor a goat in the middle of the night. Taking a kerosene lamp/lantern into the barn can be done, but care must of course be taken to prevent fire. We have several large battery operated lanterns, but as any one knows with children, these things tend to find legs. I had a hard time locating my lantern when I needed to doctor the goat. Very frustrating (this inspired another round of lectures to the Prairie Children in our household about respecting property). So, having several of these battery operated lamps in the barn already would be very helpful. I'd love to get one of those small solar panels for RVs, just for the barn. Only thing is I never remember until I actually need light, then I remember, Oh yeah, I was going to get one....
I'd also suggest running hoses to the barn for water, as it gets OLD dragging heavy buckets around, even in a wagon.
On my agenda now is to buy several longer hoses to make it to the barn, and several more extension cords so I can use a light OR get the RV solar panel next time I am at Northern Tool or Harbor Freight.
Well, this is what I learned, and as my Prairie Mama used to say "You learn something new every day, no matter how hard you try not to."
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