Major bummers at the Dennison Farm tonight....
We were sitting in the living room, watching TV, and heard the donkeys going off out in the field. If it had been just TeaCake I probably would have ignored it, since he goes off at almost nothing. But it was Michelle, Mama and Butters and Nibs... so we went to investigate.
Now, Michelle and Maggie were both pregnant, and Michelle has had full teats for three days... and Maggie hasn't had and is not as far along as Michelle is.... but Michelle didn't have her baby tonight, Maggie did - way too early. It looked fully formed, except it's hooves were still not totally right, so I'm thinking it was probably 80% of the way to being full term. It was a beautiful pure black little male.
He was still warm by the time we got out there, but not out of the sack at all, and not moving, so I tore the sack and tried to give mouth to mouth (or mouth to baby donkey face, I guess) and it didn't help. Pushed his lungs and they sounded wet and full of water, so he didn't even have those emptied of fluids yet.
Good news is that she appeared to have passed everything, and got up, peed and walked over to join her buddies. Maggie appears to be ok, after it all, so that is good. Too bad about the baby, though, he was so pretty.
I believe he was a stillborn, and that could be why he was born early - probably died in the womb before labor even started. I doubt he could have lived being born so early and probably didn't have a chance to begin with. This is her first time having a baby, so hopefully next time will go ok for her.
So, keep poor Maggie in your thoughts, so she recovers ok and doesn't get an infection (I'll be keeping a close eye on her). I may have to call Jr. Walker tomorrow, and have him come have a look at her.
Meri
I have tons of quail available, buttons and coturnix, and 3 bobwhites (shhhh....don't tell
