Through the Tunnel of Life

While I was doing chores last night I heard a goat scream, a very distinctive sound of pain. What's going on? I followed the sound to the way back of the barn and found a black doe with a little bubble sticking out the back of her. Okay, I thought, I will wait and let nature take it's course. Now goats will give out a big scream when a baby pops out, but this doe kept screaming. Very disconcerting. One leg was out but that's all. Goat kids and lambs should come out with two hoofs on either side of their snouts, kind of like Superman. Something was wrong. I found Matt and asked him to hold mom while I took a look. I got scrubbed up and examined mom to find one leg back and something hooked on a bone. It's not easy to feel around inside a little goat mother. Sheep are much bigger and accommodate my big Swedish hands better. I could barely move my fingers around inside the birth canal. I found all the parts in the warm mush and felt the little teeth inside the baby's mouth. I got the rear leg forward, and cupped my hand over the head and shoulders and slowly pulled. The wet, black, slimy torpodoe slid out. Was it alive? Had it been pounding against the vaginal wall so long it was dead? It was still attached with the cord, but I managed to tilt it's head downward and clear the mouth. I rubbed and rubbed the body while taking a quick peek to see if there was a sack underneath. It's a girl! I heard a little noise. She's alive! Mom was lying flat and exhausted. I cut the cord and laid the little bundle next to mom's head. Her tongue came out to lick her baby. Whew! What a relief. As luck would have it, I turned around to see a black ewe tumble down on her side, legs kicking, her belly horribly distended. Bloat! This lush grass can be deadly. This ewe had chowed down until she blew up like a balloon. I had hay out for the sheep all day before I let the sheep out in the field to avoid this situation, but it didn't work for this poor ewe. I ran into the house to find a large syringe and needle to poke a hold in her abdomen and drain out the gas, but when I got back she was dead. You can't make this stuff up! Here I have a dramatic life and death scenario going on simultaneously within ten feet of each other. I have a lovely little black doe, but I loved that ewe. She has two ram lambs, who thankfully are eating grass, and who sniffed at their mother wondering why she was lying there like that. I hate to loose an animal. It's unavoidable, and it happens. Things are much more uneventful tonight and I like it that way.