Heritage Hill Homestead

Down Day

Today has been one of those days. Dh came in this morning and stated that we had a goat down.  It is the doe that kidded yesterday morning.  She was fine last evening at feeding time, and when I checked everyone early this morning I didn't notice anything wrong. She was weak and had a sub normal temp, so I decided she had Milk Fever.  Made a couple of calls to vets and got some meds for her. We have treated her but really doubt that she will pull through. She is in a kidding pen with a heat lamp on her, don't know what else we can do for her.  This is not the way I would hope our kidding season would have started off.......

I of course do know that the Lord works in mysterious ways and his plan is much better than mine!  I also remember during down times how many people have much worse troubles than me!

Since we were busy with the doe at lunch time we had leftovers.  Dh fixed a great supper while I was out this evening. I am so thankful for him!  We had a bad kidding season last spring and lost quite a few babies.  He kept saying since then that if we didn't have a better time this year we would have to sell the goats......now these are my babies he is talking about.  I know he is right, we can not afford to keep feeding them all if they do not produce!  So I have been reading and really trying to provide everything they would need to have healthy strong marketable babies this year.  Then when this happened today, I was in tears.  He asked what I was so upset about, and after telling him that I was trying so hard to manage them to the best I could and was so discouraged, he said........I am not going to make you sell all of your goats!  He also told me though he hated to admit it to me, that he likes them about as much as I do!  He really is coming around..........bless his heart!

God's blessings on you, yours and the work of your hands.

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Awwww,

{ 01:46, Friday, February 2, 2007 } { Posted by mulberrylane }

Dh is so sweet... Funny how these men can make such decisions without getting feelings mixed in the way, but us... we're emotional wrecks! It's good to know they do have soft sides, too. I hope things go better for your kidding season. It is a hard way to start out.
Dh was quite upset with our beginning and was ready to drive the mommas down to the sale barn with the two having mastitis. We really have not had to deal with Mastitis at all until the last two years and this was buying some good quality ewes, too. Just aggravating, yet we want them all to have a good life as well... hate to just ship them off for a problem, but then problems can be genetic... so hard when dh really works hard to build up the flock and has great numbers and stats and then plop all these problems to start out the year... He was fit to be tied. But calmed down the last two days and has decided that he will make the decision later when he is calmer, not now when he's upset.
Well, better run,
Warmly, ~Melissa