The Fab Four!

Ambrose looking good!

June with Ambrose and Archie.

Juliet cuddled up to Aggie and Annabel.

Its good news, all four kids have survived the first 24 hours and all have I promise you already grown! The Fab Four are bouncing around the stable as I type. June, the hornless version of The Old English Goat has got over her fright at having two kids fall out of her backside and now stands still to accommodate their feeding. Yesterday was a different matter when she turned around or walked off every time the two lads tried to feed.

We had seen this before, last year a Ryeland ewe we have called Easter gave birth to twins in the early hours. Unfortunately I went to bed after making sure they had arrived safely, I was dog tired. What I should have done was make sure that they had fed, if they don't eat in the first hour they tend to die. This is exactly what happened, after six hours following the teat the poor lambs collapsed exhausted. We managed to get colostrum, a very special milk mix full of anti bodies down their necks but one of them, Primrose, died late in the evening.

Daffodil on the other hand thrived and is our fattest ever lamb and despite protestations she has avoided becoming lamb chops and is now a pet. As you can see she has learned a lot from last weeks escapade when she got herself stuck in the fence, this time she has got herself tangled in some wire that I meant to clear up but didn't. This was soon remedied and a reminder that I should keep the yard tidy.

Back to the goats, Ambrose, they all have names now, well he couldn't get to feed as June was all over the place so we had to milk her and get him to eat. This was not an easy or stress free operation but we managed to get a plastic tube down him and put 250ml of colostrum milk into him in two feeds without him drowning. He fell asleep but it didn't look too hopeful.

4am he was bouncing around.

7am he was feeding from his Mum.

Its great when you can give nature a helping hand.