Special

This has been an eventful week at Zentopia Acres.  On Wednesday our senior doe Gerie went into what we thought was labor.  She showed every sign: bagged up, tail wagging, leaking mucous, colostrum upon expression, biting her sides and being all sorts of restless and laying down, getting up, laying down and pressing her sides on the ground or the wall of her birthing stall, and our slightly stand-offish girl wanted affection.  The other goats didn't want to leave her side, especially Balvenie - our other pregnant doe.  

We took off work, because she is too early at this point and if the babies came they would need special care.  And we waited. And we watched. And we waited. And she contracted, and she rested, and she contracted. This went on for several hours.  Goats pant when they are in labor, just as if they had taken a Lamaze class. Anyway, we had the camera ready so that when she had babies we could document the occasion and share it with everyone, if everyone survived in the end.  

Meanwhile, we locked the other animals out in the pasture and put water out for them. After they all drank their fill and we refilled it a couple of times, Lulu (mama donkey) decided to dump it over and walk off.  (If there was no hard action happening with Gerie, then we may as well take photos of something right?)

Penny (daughter donkey - now 2 years old!) wanted to toss the bucket around a couple of times, then walk away as if she was not involved.  Last though... last came our buck.  

Neville is cute and really affectionate, but perhaps not the sharpest tool in the shed.  

You can almost hear the "What can I do with THIS?!" going on in his little goat head.  At this point, we just knew what was coming - it was only a matter of time.

Smells like water...  Will I fit in there?... What would that feel like?!

Lulu looked away... she knew what was coming too and couldn't stand to watch.  

He continued... and it finally started to happen.  No, he wasn't going to play King of the Hill.  He had ...  A HAT.

  Senor Bucket Head.

I think the donkeys were asking us silently to please not post these pictures.  Ha! As if that was even a remote possibility!

That's our special boy - Neville. 

Meanwhile, Gerie is still pregnant but holding on.  Though false labor in senior does is rare, it apparently really can happen.  Can't take a chance though - if she did deliver, those babies would need special care right away.  We have our goat birthing kit, and we will do whatever we are able to do to help her and her babies when it is their time to appear.