Cherokee was a Registered Toggenburg that I had bought last fall. She had won several ribbions and was an excellent producer. This spring in March, I noticed that she had her hair fluffed out. There was snow on the ground and I thought that she was just cold. Then a few days later, her milk production dropped drastically. She had a very high fever & when I went to give her penicillian, my very first shot, I found to my dismay, that she was covered in lice. Actually they looked more like fleas, but I have heard that goats can't get fleas. I called all the goat people that I thougth would know something about lice & sprinkled Diatematious Earth on all their bedding, walkways, directly on the goats, and in my milk barn. Then because Cherokee had them so bad, Mom picked up some 'real' flea killer & I then sprinkled that on all the goats. When I though that I was done for a while, I also had to syringe fluids down Cherokee quite often and give her shots and make sure she was warm enough, Grommette's udder was getting full. I am always happy when a goat is ready to give birth, but this time with poisenous flea powder sprinkled everywhere and knowing that Cherokee might die anytime, and Diatematious Earth sprinkled in the Birthing stall, I was overwhelmed. After a quick shower, my spirits revived & I was able to carry on my nursing...

Velvet had her babies two weeks late in January. I read aloud to Kayla while I kept an eye on Velvet. Velvet wasn't very comfortable. She kept walking around in the birthing stall and laying down then standing up again. Whem Mom called us in to eat, I stood up to go, but then decided against eating right then, for Velvet was having a big contraction. Kayla ran inside and let Mom know what was happening. Velvet didn't have any more contractions even though her baby's head had slipped out. Mom came inside the barn then and thought that the baby was sucking in fluids. We had to get the baby out immediatly if it was getting fluids in it's lungs. I slipped my hands inside Velvet. I didn't know what I was feeling. I said a quick prayer and immediatly God let me know what I was feeling. The baby's front legs were alongside it's belly instead of along it's nose like they should be. I brought the legs forward and pulled her out. I named her Hope, because I had hope that I could get her out. We weren't sure if she was okay at first, but she did survive, for which we are very thankful. 1 1/2 later, Mom left, but she was going to be back in 5 minutes. I told her that she may miss it & she did! She had no sooner stepped inside the house, when I called her on the cell phone saying that the baby was coming! She turned around and came right back but it was already born. All this happened in about 2-3 minutes!! I named this one Blessing, because she was a blessing to her mom to be so fast and easily born. About 15 minutes after Blessing was born, Velvet began to push again. There was no progress, so I put on gloves and slipped my hand inside. This time the baby was breach (bottom first)! I gently pulled the legs back and he was born rapidly. This little boy was always tripping on his sisters or stepping on them. I named him Brother, because I was constantly saying "Brother, watch out for your sisters!" "Brother, be nice!" "Brother, be a gentleman, do NOT step on your sisters!" His full name is 'Bothersome Brother', as a joke, because I know that some people think that brothers are a bother, but my brothers are far from being a bother to me!