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 :)