It appears that Dixie had rejected her baby. Chocolate Chip, aka CC, is not doing well. We are able to milk her mother Dixie and bottle feed CC. Regardless CC continues on a downhill slide. Each new day we are surprised when CC is still with us. He is a strong little critter so we won't give up hope yet. Perhaps the children played with him too much or TK, our billy, does not want Dixie to have anything to do with the kid. There could be a million reasons and we will never know why CC went from a joyful, active baby goat to such a frail little creature.
Read my follow-up comments if you want to know the rest of the story:(
Chocolate Chip's (CC's) Tombstone
It sounds like CC has a big will so perhaps there is hope. Will is a powerful thing. Here is hoping for the best.
ReplyDeleteStella -- Thank you for your good wishes and for visiting my blog. Hope you wll post soon and I will comment.
ReplyDeleteDon't know what to say.. I know my husband messed with a baby goat for weeks and he never got on his feet. We lose some unexpected every now and then. I hope CC hangs in...
ReplyDeleteI hope things turn around tonight.
ReplyDeleteAwww, the poor sweet babe! I hope CC pulls through, Annie. If not, it won't be for a lack of love and caring.
ReplyDeletePoor CC! Lucky to have you. The animal kingdom can be a nasty place.
ReplyDeleteI am convinced now that CC has sustained an injury. He got on his feet a little and we attempted to reintroduce him to his mother and close the two of them in the hen house. Suddenly the other goats rushed in and Polly (Cole's mother) went straight to CC and hooked her horns under the kid and tossed that frail baby into the air. I am pretty sure that Dixie wasn't rejecting her baby. She was accepting the inevitable loss long before we did. We left them together in the hen house last night and soon we know what we are bound to find. At least CC will be with his mama. When I checked last night Dixie was cuddled as close to CC as she could get.
ReplyDeleteYour last comment made me cry! Poor CC. (Yes ... I am the person that put off finishing the siding on the front of her house & risking a building permit fine because I wanted to wait until the baby birds in the nest could fly before we had to remove it.)
ReplyDeleteAm glad that she is with her momma until the end. Things like this happen but it doesn't make it easy.
ReplyDeleteBonnie (BorninaZoo) -- I am sad to have upset you. Nature is beautiful and sad at the same time.
ReplyDeleteChanges in the wind -- The baby goat is gone and it was easier knowing she was with her mama.
I was wrong to assume the girls or TK were responsible or to think Dixie rejected her baby. All along it was Polly, a jealous mother getting rid of the competition, I guess. Injury was the only way CC could have gone from a bouncing, running, playing goat to such a sick baby so fast.
So very sad....
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for the little CC and for you as you love the little ones so much.
ReplyDeleteLucy -- Oh yes,so very sad.
ReplyDeleteHolland -- I just hate getting so connected to our livestock. Obviously I was a city girl. Hope you and The Hitman are doing well.
Nothing wrong with being a city girl... I am... lol
ReplyDeleteThank you, yes we are and the Hitman is getting better with each day. We both stopped smoking and we both watch the food (all fresh and no more processed).
And how are you?
Annie, I have seen this happen with goats before. It's best to keep very young kids isolated from all except their mothers. A billy will also kill kids. So sorry to hear of your loss. Nature is beautiful but sometimes it can also bring a tear to your eye. The Circle of Life.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Mary
Sorry to hear of the CC loss, n strange herd member attack on him. Hard to know what will happen in a rambunctious group, but that's terrible! He was so cute too-
ReplyDeleteI'd talk to some more goat farmers n see what they do with new kids if they have a method which works well, ie: separate mother n kid for a certain amount of time, or such.
Holland -- Good for you guys. My daughter and Son-in-law have made it 8 months since they stopped smoking. I have made it 8 YEARS! It's all good. Ron starts a new kind of chemo today along with radiation.
ReplyDeleteMary -- We kept our mama goat and baby in separate pen last year but Polly and Cole did so well that we thought Dixie and CC would too. Ron couldn't build me a second pen like he did last year and I was lousy in my efforts. Soon Elizabeth will have her baby or babies and we'll try to separate her and hers from the herd if we can. CC was just doing so well one day as you can see from the little videos I posted, then suddenly down the next.
Snaggle Tooth -- Yes,if you can learn anything from goat owners please do. I don't have anyone around her to check with and none of our vets in the area treat goats. I guess that's why goat owners are few and far between around here. I use the internet a lot but pygmy goats seem to have different requirements than other breeds. We've been sailing smoothly with the goats we have for over a year and I guess it was just our turn. Little Cole and strong and healthy so we can be thankful for that.
Very nice, thanks for sharing. rental mobil elf
ReplyDeleteI don't have words for you except thanks for caring for the little one so well.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad, Annie. I came here to check on CC's progress. How heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteIs there any way Dixie knew that CC was sick and that's why she rejected her?
ReplyDelete