Life and Death

There were three things I wanted to name this blog:
1. I'm done
2. Just my luck
3. What else

But I decided on this title after all my chores were done.

After my last post, I went outside to do evening chores. With my dad going from work right to bowling, I was in charge of all evening chores. What started out as routine ended in death.

Forty five minutes after I had last checked the goats in the barn I went in to give them their daily 'ration' of their feed/mineral. I noticed Krista had a head of a baby goat dangling from her behind. Upon further examination it had expired and was unable to get out due to both front feet being back, making natural kidding a big problem. Now Krista is an experience mom. She'd kidded 4 other years before kidding here. She's an old pro. Why this? Why now?

I called vet #1. Remember he's the one that doesn't return my calls. Figures he didn't answer, his wife did. I told her who i was and the situation ( i couldn't get my hands in to grab the leg) and her reply was ' well he's on another emergency call actually'. THAT WAS IT. I asked her 'well where? and how long will it be? who else can I call?" She didn't have answers. I nearly called her a name I only use in dog showing.

I called vet #2. He'd be right out (thank God!) What seemed like 72 hours later he appears, positions her back end up in the air, reaches in, grabs the legs and pulls the buckling out. He's not oversized, just a poor presentation. Another caramel, but a medium color, and another boy. I'm 0-2 on boys this year. I told him he had the hands of God. I sure couldn't get mine in there and he's about the same size as me!

After a long discussion with the vet over all my trials and tribulations with the goats, I thanked him and he thanked me (he should have for the 65 dollar emergency call plus 35 farm visit plus whatever it costs to pull the goat out in 7 seconds).

Now with a steaming head and mind, I walk out to feed the pregnant cows. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out in the calving pasture is our eldest cow and matriarch of the herd (she's only eight) with a solid red heifer calf. Our first for the year!! And its my DAD's....guess I'll keep waiting.