CUTE!

I almost hate to admit this but I think piglets might even be cuter than baby goats.  Believe me, that's tough to top.  Roxie delivered 12 babies last night, all different colors and all adorable. 

July 4th was her due date and she didn't make me wait another day.  James and I went kayaking with some friends and I was sure she wouldn't have them then because she was acting perfectly normal, as far as I could see.  Around dinner time she began nesting.  I had already given her hay in her house to make a nest but she must have thought she needed more because she would pull grass up and carry it back to her house, little by little.  She did this for a good while. 

I knew babies would arrive that night.  I sat in a chair and watched and waited.  I know what it's like to wait for goats to kid so I figured it could be awhile.  I decided to milk the goats quickly then go back to watch some more.  I thought I'd be staying up all night sitting in the field but instead Roxie decided to have 8 or 9 babies while I was milking.  They must have flown out of there because I was gone no more than 45 minutes.  I was there for the last 3 or 4 but I couldn't really see them entering the world because her butt was toward the back of her house.  She really didn't show any signs of pushing.  She was always grunting so that was no indication.  It seemed like all of a sudden a wet baby would appear from behind her and walk very easily to a teat and begin nursing like it had done it its whole life.  Piglets are the most coordinated newborns I've ever seen.  Their eyes are open and they don't even stumble except when tripping over the others to get food.  They nursed for an hour or 2 and then I left them in the dark. 

This morning I went out to feed Roxie and check on the babies and I saw one off by itself.  I thought it was dead.  I've been worried about her squishing them.  I picked it up and discovered its intestines were sticking out its side and it was open in the groin area.

I brought it in the house, cleaned it with peroxide, put some oregano oil and grapefruit seed extract on a bandage and taped it up.

She's still alive but I'm pretty sure she won't survive.  She's taken an ounce or 2 of goat's milk but she's not terribly enthusiastic about it.  I don't know if it's a boy or girl.  I need to study a few of them to see what a male and female pig look like underneath:)  I think she's a girl though.  She's the only one I've handled.
The others seem very energetic.  One of them had a bloody front foot and was limping but I think it'll be ok.

Come see them.  You'll want one.

Edit:  Ok, Unless I miscounted, It looks like we have 7 boys and 5 girls.  The one that's not doing well is a girl.

Edit:  The little girl died at 10 PM tonight, just 24 hours after she was born.