Good news and very bad news

Good News - website seems to be funtioning normally again.

I went to a Grandparents afternoon at Tara's school yesterday and stayed overnight to look after the children so David and Jane could go out for the evening.  Had a lovely time and left for home at about 9.30 a.m.

In the meantime Mike went to a dog show as arranged and when I got home at about 11 a.m. I fed the goats, chickens and chicks, collected the eggs and took the dogs round the farm for a walk, checking the drinking troughs as we went round as the water goes down quickly in this hot weather.  In the lower winter paddock where the main herd are grazing at the moment I spotted a wet looking dark brown cria which was a surprise as none were due from the girls down there.   As I got closer it became apparent that it was with Sunstone and older female who we have been treating for mites for ages with no success.  

I thought we had decided not to mate her last year to try and give her body more fight against the parasites whilst we continued various treatment.    My computer software for herd records allows me to "close" a mating which, unfortunately makes all records of the mating disappear.  I must have done this mistakenly in Sunstone's case so I am not even sure of the sire, but think it most likely to be Pedro.

Both she and the cria were soaking wet so I think they either both went in the water hole created by our spring or maybe Sunstone had a soak and the cria fell in.   Anyway both seem to be doing well.

I decided I would have to take the dogs back to the house and collect the umbilical spray to treat and  check the cria.  On my return I noticed that Isobella, one of my favourites, a very pretty maiden, was walking around with some afterbirth hanging out.  She is not due to give birth until mid August and would have been brought up to the top paddock this week.  I could find no trace of a foetus or the rest of the afterbirth so I moved the whole herd up to the catch pens, haltered Iso and gave her an internal examination which revealed that there was no cria or it was extremely small, so presume she must have aborted for some reason.  I gave her an injection of oxytocin to bring down the afterbirth and as a precaution called the vet.  JJ came out and agreed with my diagnosis.  He washed her out with some antibiotic and gave her an antibiotic injection which I will have to repeat every day for six days.     

So all my plans for the afternoon have been knocked for six, once again.    There is always something!!

It is my turn to go to the dog show tomorrow, so Mike has probably gone on the right day for him.