Balli, our 4 year old Nubian dairy goat, finally died yesterday. We've been trying to nurse her back to health for the past two weeks. With the weather sooooo cold last week and the week before, and a change in diet, she came down with some sort of cold or pneumonia... We couldn't figure it out exactly. We didn't know if she was pregnant at the time, but a few days later she miscarried twin kids (that's baby goats for you non-farmers) and she kept going downhill from then on. I've read that a goat, after losing it's babies, can have the same depression problems as humans and just sort of give up. Even before her miscarriage, she was too weak to stand up by herself, so Paul and I have been going out at least twice a day to help her up and walk her around so she could keep the blood circulating to her legs. In the mean time, I had been giving her various shots prescribed by the "goat people" to help boost her immune system and appetite. We would practically have to hand feed and water her. Even cooking oatmeal with raisins and molasses just so she'd eat. At one point I was forcing Ensure into her mouth with a syringe for the nutrients... We've realized that you have to be somewhat hard-hearted when dealing with animals, because if it's a functioning farm, you are part of many animals deaths, whether intended or unintended. But when it's an animal you intend to keep and interact with individually on a daily basis, you learn it's personality and get more attached.
Finally, a few days ago, she started refusing food or water and we knew it wouldn't be long. To be honest, it was time. She was skin and bones from eating so little and the extra work was wearing on us. It was obvious she was suffering, so in the end, it was good to see her go.
On a positive note, she was a good momma and she gave us a cute black doe last winter that should be expecting another kid later this spring. In fact, if all goes well, we should have 3 does kidding this spring!
No comments:
Post a Comment