More trouble

This weekend definitely did not go to plan.   We had another set of twin kids born on Friday morning and one of them was very small and just once he had got to his feet did nothing but stand and look lost.  The bigger twin seemed to be quite normal.  Although I kept a close eye on them only one twin suckled from her Mum and  I could not get the weaker one to get interested at all so eventually I milked the mother and we tube fed the kid.  He was very shaky and Tessa, the vet, came at lunch time to check the pre movement TB test which we had on some alpacas we have sold.   She had a look at him and thought he would be OK if we could get him to feed. He had a slight temperature. 

I thought the goathouse seemed quite cosy and so was devasted when I went to check early on Saturday morning and found the bigger kid lying apparently dead from hyperthermia.  I picked her up and found that there was a thread of life and rushed her in to the kitchen and put the oven on to warm her up.   I lay her on the oven door whilst I prepared the cat basket with a towel and switched the gas fire on full.  I rubbed her with a towel and Mike went to get her twin.   We put them both in the bed and I stayed with them whilst Mike set up another pen and heat lamp in the barn and the rest of weekend was spent supporting them.  They seem to be holding their own now, although the boy is tiny and  still has to be encouraged to suckle.

We are now inundated with eggs as the hens have decided to all come back in to lay at once.   Hopefully with the better weather we will start to get a few more customers in the shop to buy them. 

I am a bit worried about Charlie as he has been limping for a week or so now.   I have been lead walking him but every now and again when he is in the garden or in the yard and I don't keep an eye on him he runs and then starts hopping and alternately moving normally.  I cannot see anything wrong with his pads and when I manipulate his leg he shows no  sign of pain so I am at a loss.  I suppose the next step is to take him to the vet but I bet they say lead walk him!!