TRIPLETS

Since there is never a dull moment  at Calico Acres Farm, today was as good a day as any  for my prize Alpine doe ,  Satsuma  to go into labor. Since goats are pretty predictable and carry for 150 days, I thought today would be the day. Well, almost. Goats do NOT labor for more than an hour or so. SIX+ hours is dangerous. Tonight  was  beyond dangerous.  At 5,  I was excited for new babies. At 6,  I was anticipating.  I knew at 7 we had potential trouble. At 8,  I was quite certain. At 9:30, I knew it was time to call my very goat-experienced friend Julie, who was more than likely in her own goat barn when I called.That meant it was time to call our  vet  out for a farm call . Beloved vet  didn't answer for 35 minutes. Someone else's emergency was already going on so I knew I would wait at least an hour for Lisa to get out here. Got out the meds, gave Satsuma a good injected dose of Calcium Gluconate for muscle tone, stayed with her, and waited.There comes a point at which a goat is laboring and you have to glove up and go in.  I assessed:  NOT a nose, not feet, not going to be a normal birth...............Satsuma and I had a long talk. It was simply a  long hard night. There  was a lot of praying and common sense thinking and visualizing going on. There was strategy going on in my mind. IF  this part, then ............do this. IF THAT PART, do that. IF this..............................PLEASE LISA JUST GET HERE!!!!!   At about 12;15 AM,  but no longer the day I anticipated as birth day, Satsuma and I had another  talk and then we teamed up to get that stuck  baby born. Face- first with two little paws, body slides out right  after   is "normal" ,and usually poses no problem. Think  this shape  (      and   a banana sliding out of a     (    banana- shaped tube. THIS baby........frank breech and upside down. That means butt first and   )  shaped  coming down the   ( shaped tube. THIS means the midwife does mental geometry and knows that the only way OUT  is a cork screw sort of maneuver to turn the baby back to face down to get all those legs out!
TWO MINUTES AFTER  Satsuma and I got her baby girl born,  AND the second baby, a right side- down   (  (  breech boy,   Lisa the vet  showed up. Just in time to help catch #3 as I was cleaning up the first two.
  Satsuma was wonderful!! She was so tired, but took immeditate great care of the babies  and was so attentive to them! Lisa left after looking everybody over and congratulating me,  I cleaned everything up, took some photos which are not very good because of the infra red heat lamp in the pen, but we have beautiful triplets , all healthy and  scampering around already, and TWO DOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great end to a day with no heat, no plumbing , backed up tubs and shower stalls, NO plumberreturnng calls for a bidded job,  propane which didn't arrive till 5:30, and more bailing of shower  stall  and bathtubs!  So its now March 2. We have hot water, I have heat upstairs, I cooked dinner  for the chldren  and two  extra friends before I spent the next  7 hours with Satsuma. The babies  are great,  (did I mention)  I HAVE TWO DOES!!  and I got  a few photos too.  I can honestly tell you  that the goats on Calico Acres Farm are almost as prayed over as the children! Adrenalin is still pumping so I know I won't get much sleep tonight. SO thankful that God gave me the insight to know how to help  Satsuma  and that our babies are fine and healthy! Last year I lost a very valueable doe in labor  with FOUR babies the night we returned from Liberia. The year before  I lost a doe and three babies during  a prolonged labor. This was a breeding I have been working toward for 4 generations so it was particlarly an important kidding. Satsuma is such a GREAT milk doe  besides, we really depend on her. I will take more photos in the morning. Now I am going to try  to read a bit and go to sleep!!