Babies and Bust Ups

Yesterday, while I was having a perfectly lovely time, watching the arrival of Paris' daughter, things went awry in the next paddock.  Basil and Totem hate each other with a passion, and spend long periods of the day running the fence line squealing and screeching at each other.  To my horror, yesterday, as I waited for Paris to deliver the afterbirth Totem crawled through a roo hole in the bottom of the mesh fence and got in the same paddock as Basil.  All hell broke loose!!  They were at it hammer and tongs as I scrambled to get all the girls back into the yards, so I had a back up paddock and somewhere to put one of the combatants!!

Finally achieved the set up, grabbed the bike and tried to separate 2 very very cranky, very large boys!!  Didn't take long to work out this was not a job for one person.  Race up to the house phone a neighbour, no one home, phone the next neighbour, also not home, phone Gayle and Laurie down the road, yep, home and able to help - YAYYYY

Once all three of us are in the paddock it becomes plain that Totem is well beaten and wants to leave... he's trying to get out the same way he got in, but can't find the roo hole and is shoving his head through the barbed wire fence at random points in his efforts to escape.  We manage to get him separated and down the end where the gate leads back into his own paddock, I chase Basil away with the bike while Laurie lets Totem through!!  That was the last we saw of Totem for a while, he took off like he had a real bee in his bonnet!!  Managed to get a lead and halter on Basil and lead him up to the yards for treatment of his wounds, although he 'won', his wounds were much greater than Totem's.  Cleaned him up and put him in the drive way - out of harm's way!!  I could do with less excitement in my life!!

Fence repairs and paddock shuffles on the agenda this weekend!!

OK, back to the good bit... Paris gave birth to what looks to be a stunning female cria that we've named Petit Choux.  Coated her last night as it was forecast to be cold, sure enough it got down to 4.8  She has one ear flipped back but I hope this will right itself soon :)

New cria and Updates

Jemima had a rough start, but after 3 days she was able to stand, albeit shakily, and after 4 days of force feeding she finally developed a suck reflex and began walking and to try running!!  At 5 days old she discovered the milk bar and has been independent of us ever since!!  She is now thriving and we are thrilled to bits :)

Second time mum Joeley has been brilliant and endlessly patient (with me and my attempts to help Jemima latch on) throughout.

Late on Friday afternoon I helped Fresian deliver her first daughter, a gorgeous black girl with a white T-bar and chin, we've named her Fifi.  She's small but perfectly formed, and a little power house, she's already joined the evening running games!!

Orchid's New Cria and Updates on Yesterday's Girls

Jemima made it through the night on 2 hourly feeds.  She is still not sucking and still not able to stand.  Have put her on a course of Vit B1 shots and am hoping for a miracle!!  

Meantime Chiara is chuffing along under her own steam and doing nicely:

This morning's routine was disrupted by the arrival of Orchid's cria.  Once again she has given birth to a large strapping male baby.  This is a repeat of the mating that produced Lucien last year, but the colouring this time is completely different and very unusual.  Welcome to the world Odysseus (Odi for short!)

Fresian is very taken with him, her cria is due tomorrow!

The Garden, My Birthday, Crias and Sunday with Scarlett

I spent Sunday afternoon with Scarlett Rose, she had just had a bath and was in her robe when I arrived, then she had a yummy lunch of meatballs and then some play time.

I HAD one lovely red nerine in the garden... Ruby fixed that for me only minutes after this photo was taken!!

Cushla helped my birthday along by giving birth to a black female cria that I have named Rosamund.

Later we had a lovely dinner at the Bowning Hotel :)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Nicholai is growing well:

And so too is Yvette, who is a quiet little soul, and not nearly as boisterous as Nicholai.

An early start this morning, Joeley was in labour but with a malpresented cria, left leg bent back at the shoulder and right leg bent back at the knee.... beyond my skill set to fix that, call for the vet, muscle relaxants and major manoeuvring, then presto, she's here, a little medium grey female cria.  Its been a tough start, her head and neck were very swollen after all Joeley's straining to push her out.  She's recovering slowly, but not able to stand yet.  Think good thoughts for Jemima, she's not out of the woods yet.

Collette was hanging tight with Joeley all morning, despite vets, cars and me also being in close proximity.  After the vets left I helped Collette deliver an enormous (9.46kg) grey female cria, Chiara.  She is a pretty little thing and is doing very well.

Nicholai and Portia are best buds, here hanging out with Pearl, but mostly off on their own.

Portia is beginning to realise that you should be careful what you wish for.  She was at Nicholai from the time he was born to hurry up and get into play mode... now.... Portia has to find her mum Pearl to hide behind because Nicholai wants to play  ALL the time!!  LOL!!

Portia, Nicholai and Yvette

Portia has been a lone cria for 3 weeks, she is very keen for Nicholai to get with the program and start with the cria games!!

Yolanda is a proud mumma, and Yvette is doing very well I'm pleased to say :)

Spaghetti is Serious Stuff and New Arrivals

Yesterday when I arrived to visit Scarlett she was getting ready to eat lunch, a delicious meal of spaghetti and meatballs, which requires good fork skills and a steady hand to eat!

Scarlett decided the flash on the camera was pretty funny this week, and responded with a 'hands up, in the air' pose for each effort  :)

The family cat, Ninja, is a source of great interest, mostly she is pretty good about being gentle, but sometimes the balance skills are a bit lacking and Ninja gets a bit squished!!

I had planned to be a bit earlier arriving to visit, but before I left the farm we had two new arrivals, a light brown female cria for Yolanda and a gorgeous dark grey male cria for Narcissus.

I knew Narcissus was in labour when she left the yards after brekkie, and was watching her with binoculars from the kitchen when I noticed that Yolanda was also in labour, and had a head start on Narcissus.  When I arrived with my birthing kit things were well started.

A little assistance and we had our baby!  Good size, 7.6kg, by my new baby scales.  Very pleased with this baby as it is Yolanda's first ever daughter :)

Yolanda's cria was a bit spluttery so I held upside down for a bit for her lungs to drain.  I went to change my shirt and when I got back, Narcissus' boy was already born.  Also a bit spluttery, so some upside down time for him too ... and another clean shirt for me!!

Nicholai was also a very good sized cria, 8.1kg, obviously so keen to get a good pic of him that I chopped mum's head off!!