Tail Wagging Farm

PraiseFest is tonight.  Brother Lance & Sister Deborah get this organized with churches all over the community.  It is a time of praise and worship.   Last year was so incredible that we decided last year that we would be going this year!   Charles & Robert are not going to be able to make it.    The other kids and I are going though...

I have not been keeping up with the website very well.  I am going to try harder now! 

Lots of love,

Melissa

Today Special K had 2 beautiful babies.  She had 1 boy & 1 girl.   I am trying to post pictures to update the photo gallery.  The little girl seems to have a problem with her back leg(s) that we believe will correct with time.  I mean, really!  God healed Powder Puff and she is running around like she never had a problem.  We gave her a shot of Bo-Se and we have seen first hand how wonderful and QUICK that stuff works! 

 I am going to add a page on the site with the shot and feeding schedules for babies.  I have fine and high hopes for a website that will have a wealth of information for goat owners and goat lovers alike. 

Have a blessed day! 

Wow, April has been so crazy here!  I have hardly been home this month.  On the first, Powder died and we had a sick baby goat we were watching.  Someone was literally up in the living room all night with her, feeding her every time she woke up.  It took a couple of days but she finally started to catch on to the whole "eating from a bottle" concept.  We made a spreadsheet and logged her feedings to make sure she was getting enough milk each day.

  Immediately as this crisis was resolving, my dad was informed on Monday the 5th he would need to be at the VA for aortic valve replacement on Wednesday the 7th!  We spent that Wednesday night in the ICU waiting room.  (By the way, the carpeted floor of the VA is not a nice place to sleep.) Thursday I went home.  He just did not seem to be getting better as the week passed.  Then the following Wednesday the doctors realized that he had fluid around his heart in excess.  So...back in for another surgery on Thursday!  I had convinced my mom to come home on the 15th to sleep and shower.  We went back up on the 16th just as visiting hours opened.  While my mom and I were standing there, he went into respiratory distress and they called a code blue.  I can honestly say that I have never been so scared in my life.  We were shoved out of ICU by a tiny little nurse.  I honestly would not have thought she had that much strength!  Obviously, the ending was okay or my story would have a different line!   So back on the VA floor, with my brothers popping into Texas for love and support.  We took turns sleeping up there again.  We were on the 5th floor and looking out at the night lights of Houston lighting the skyline!  On Tuesday the 20th, my mom sent me home to sleep.  And I did!  She suggested that I take Wednesday off too, to go to Church and spend time with my family and buy goat feed!  My son R called into the house on Wednesday the 21st saying "Serrano had a baby...you might want to come outside!"

  I went outside and Serrano was in labor with another baby.  After all that happened with Powder, I was feeling very ill prepared.  I felt though, and found the baby had a PERFECT presentation.  Serrano gave a couple of pushes and then decided to stand.  When she did, the baby slid back inside and the head fell back.  I tried to get the presentation back but could not.  I called the Fs and they came over.  L tried and could not do it either so off we went.  B called Texas A&M Large  Animal Clinic and told them we were on the way.  My brother rode in the back of the van with Serrano who had baby feet sticking out of her!  I rode with my sister-in-love feeling sick all the way.  It was so much like what happened with Powder, it was scary.  We got there and 2 vets tried and were unable to maneuver the baby.  Dr. Mulon had to do a C-section.  I had read nothing that gave me any hope that a c-section would be successful.  I was scared.  The baby died but Serrano was okay.  I sat outside crying because I was worried for Serrano yet sad that I had not realized it could be successful for Powder's sake.  I also felt so guilty because, while I was glad Serrano was okay, I wished in my heart that it was Powder who was okay.  All this was Wednesday.  I did not get home in time for church.  (And just to see a funny side of something, when I got to A&M we gave them the wrong goat's name.  Her previous owner had mixed Serrano and Pequinn's names up. So we called her Pequinn (Pe-ken-yah) for about 5 months.  I happened to look closely at their certificates one day and realized the truth.  I called the Fs who were the original owners to get clarification.  So while she was laying on the gurney I called her Serrano and Pequinn alternately.  The tech looked at me funny.) 

Thursday I went and stayed the night at the VA.  Dad was in Step down by this time and so I got to sleep on a couch/chair/cot.  I woke up Friday morning and my daughter S called and  told me that Pequinn (Serrano's sister) had 3 babies overnight!  Her one girl looks just like her sister's girl.

Saturday,  we went to pick up Serrano.  She is doing wonderful.  All the baby goats are doing well.

Sunday was uneventful.

Monday my dad came home.   

I hope things get on a more even keel now.  I have a K, Sylvy and Glory who may kid any day now.  I will post pictures of the new babies as soon as I can. 

On March 31, 2010, my  favorite goat, Powder, went into labor.  After several hours of light labor and heavy petting, her water broke.  She kept trying to push out a black legged baby whose feet wanted out but whose head did not.  It was stuck.  We pushed the baby back in a couple of times and tried to reposition her.  It was all very traumatic to Powder (and me).  We finally delivered a white baby alive, after 6 hours of struggling to be born.  The black and white doeling was not so fortunate;  she died being born.   The new baby could not walk;  her right front foot just dangled.  She also would not eat well.  We got Powder medicated and cleaned and settled for the night.

On April 1, I decided to take the new baby to A&M to be checked out.  The vet also wanted to see Powder.  When we went to get Powder, she refused to walk.  We had to make-shift a sling to carry her.  As we were driving there, Powder started to act distressed.  When we got to A&M, the vets were outside waiting for us and sprang into action.  They whisked us in and started working on Powder.  Then, some whipped around the corner and whisked baby to the connecting room.  Momma and Charles were really in attendence for Puff while I was mostly trying to comfort Powder.  It was really so sweet.  She was up on a gurney with a tech petting her.  The tech moved over so I could pet her.  I leaned over and put my head next to hers.  She leaned onto me and just pressed in.

  The vet determined that Puff has some nerve damage, probably from the kidding.  He said that if the nerves were severed, she would not be able to walk on it.  If they were bruised, she would heal in a couple of days and would start using her leg.  They tubed her to feed her.

   They decided that Powder needed to stay and be monitered.  They started treating her for hypocalcemia but honestly said that there was probably more than that wrong.  We went to see her before we left for the night;  she rubbed my hand with her head.  The doctor said she would call later with the blood results and to discuss treatment options.  I asked if we needed to consider putting her down to keep her from suffering.  The doctor said no. That poor doctor had to call us a couple of hours later to tell us that Powder did not make it.  My beautiful sweet pet, whom I loved so much, is gone.  I cried so much my heart hurt.  I came out of my bedroom from crying in time to see little Puff walking a little on her 3 good legs! 

April 2, 2010  Thank you to Daddy & Momma for helping so much.  Thank you to the Y. family for dropping everything and rushing over when I called to say that Powder needed you.  Thank you to Lenny & Barb for blessing me with Powder in the first place.  I can say that she was mine.  It may not mean anything to anyone else, but I loved her and she loved me.  No one else ever could have loved her like I did.

Necropsy results show that there was a tear in the uterine wall on top behind the cervix which allowed birthing fluid into the abdominal cavity. 

Powder Puff took a step today and moved her bad leg under to steady herself.  She is still having a hard time sucking the bottle, but she did get about 10 oz in by bottle this afternoon.  We should be able to stop syringing her milk into her now.  I bought 2 herbal supplements for trauma and nerve regeneration that I will give her for awhile.  I anointed her with oil and have prayed over her alot the past two days.  Charles told me I can grieve over losing Powder, but I have to remember that I have to take care of the "Powder" that I have left.  She is the first "Tail Wagging" baby that I have here, the one that is the foundation for "MY" herd.  I could not have asked for more, unless it was having Powder too.

  My Powder Puff will be a very special goat to me, I am sure.  I already love her.  Next week, I will surely be grateful that I have her, a small piece of her mother, since Powder is gone.  I will be glad that Puff is here because Powder was old and this would have been her last kidding;  I have this beautiful  girl of hers instead of nothing.

This week,  I know that Puff is a very expensive goat.  She cost me alot.

We went to visit some friends that we have not seen  in some time. They own a local rabbitry. ( I forgot to get permission, but when I do, I will put a link to their website on our links page.) They have a landscaper's dream come true!  They bought their property years ago, when their older kids were little.  They cleared and built it up and have never stopped improving the place since then!  They have a gorgeous paved walkway leading to their bbq gazebo, pond pier and water fountain as well as their house!  WOW! It looks great.  They have the piece of property that people look at and say "Wow, I wish that my place looked like that!"  I am feeling inspired to get out and start working on our place.  My mom and I have most of the stuff to make our greenhouse...we just have to get it set up.  With my dad having a VA appointment on Monday with the heart surgical team, we have not really made it a priority to get it up.  After Monday, we will know more about what the near future holds.  We will be deciding what seeds get started in the house, what waits for the greenhouse, and what waits for the raised beds!  I am hoping to get more produce from the garden than the squirrels do this year. 

Well, phase one of our kidding season did not go as planned.  Of the four goats we had bred for winter kidding, only one had kids. Now, she did have 4 live bucklings, 1 dead buckling and 1 doeling. Yes, she had 6 babies in one birth!  The other goats just pretended that they were going to have babies, keeping me up late nights going out to and check on them.   Soooo... now we wait for the next kidding which is going to be Powder in the beginning of March.  (OH MY!  THAT IS ALMOST NOW!)  I am waiting with baited breath for my sweet girl to have a couple of sweet little girls.  The next set of does after that will be in April.  I will post an update when Powder kids!

On a different note, my middle daughter S has started her own herd.  She bought her first doeling this week.  Her goat is named Findley Follies Tiger Lily.  We are going to register the baby under my dd's herd name with Miniature Dairy Goat Association as soon as she decides on a herd name.  She may be starting her own website as well!  How exciting!

I am working on getting good pictures of all the big girls posted.  The 2008 babies will also be in the big girl album 'cause they aren't babies anymore.  I am also going to have a "forever boys" album.  LOL  I also have Jenn's babies in an album for her and I will add the big goats she is getting also.  I will change the title to her herdname when she picks it out! HINT HINT JENNY!!! 

Welcome to our website!  We are still constructing the site so please be patient!