There can be no smallholding sound more pitiful and heart-breaking than a new mum, calling for its new-born baby, the same new-born baby that you have just helped her give birth to, premature, still-born and (almost) perfectly formed.
Sorrel, on the right (Coriander, her daughter from three years ago on the left), went into labour this morning. It was day 129 and so we knew from the outset this was almost definitely 'not' going to be a happy outcome. The chances of survival at that stage (goats usually give birth between day 145 and day 155) are massively slim as the lungs just aren't sufficiently developed to do their job.
Dear Sorrel made the situation a little easier for herself and for us by doing a great deal of the hard work herself. The kid presented ear first (a new one for us) and she managed to virtually push the head out. No sign of any feet though so we intervened, pushed back a bit and then pulled and out she came: a beautiful girl, with a dark brown head, a few patches of white and a not quite formed vulva (not sure if this was normal or not!).
A quick check convinced us there probably wasn't a second kid (thank goodness) - as well as checking internally, the vet also advised us to do the 'fist' check where we pushed our fist as hard as we could in the area immediately behind her udder and to both sides. If we felt a hard lump, that would probably have been indicative of a second kid. If the whole area was soft and squidgy, then not!
We have no idea why Sorrel aborted and without tests, never will do. There are countless reasons why goats abort. Something as 'simple' as being stressed by the weather changing can do it. Our only other experience was our very first ever kidding 12 years ago where we lost twins at a similar age thanks to tick-borne fever, which itself covers a multitude of sins.
We are keeping a very close eye on our other 3 nannies as if we get a second abortion, then we are in trouble and will have something unpleasant on our holding that will need dealing with!!
Sorrel is still crying this evening. When we go to her she cries even louder, comes over for a cuddle, stops crying and then as soon as we leave her, she starts again.
Our hope is that when the others give birth in three/ four weeks time that she will become a surrogate mum to one of more of those kids. It's not uncommon in a goat herd, especially if there are sets of triplets and/or the goats are very closed bonded, as is the case here with Sorrel and Coriander. Two years ago when Coriander kidded, she had triplets. It was her first time and she was, to put it mildly, rather shell-shocked. Sorrel helped then by feeding the smaller of the three, as well as her own two.
It's all very horrid and not the best of starts to our lambing and kidding this year. BUT physically Sorrel seems fine; touch wood, the rest also seem fine at the moment; and life will go on - just not for Sorrel's offspring this year!!!