I spent most of the day feeling totally sorry for myself...in fact, I still am! I feel cruddy to the max, but I've had moments today where I didn't feel quite so bad so I made use of those times. First and best thing - I found some Dayquil and availed myself of some. It does help abate the symptoms somewhat.
I went out to feed this morning, several hours late. It wore me out so I came in and took a nap. However, when I was out there I noticed that the Nigie doe's udder had reached a newer level of full so I made a mental note to watch her. But, my mental note disappeared during my nap!
I did get up and decide to not totally waste the day so I started emptying my overloaded refrigerator of all old, overdue science experiments - yuck. Then I decided to go ahead and shell all the red rippers I had stashed in there. Got a nice batch for cooking and a nice batch of seeds for next year.
Rested some more on the sofa while watching some of the "Planet Earth" installments. Love, love, love those programs! Decided to cook up some of the last of the pig trimmings with some store bought sauce and a nice mess o'peas to go with. Smells good, but my appetite isn't exactly stellar right now.
I've decided I'll get up and go to work in the morning even if I don't make the whole day. I need to go see dad...but a bit hesitant lest I spread some of this crap around. Not sure if I caught it from the co-worker or just succumbed to the dust/pollen/summer cold germs floating around.
Oh....went out to start feeding a couple hours ago and noticed the Nigie doe laying around in the "position"... leg extended and starting to push. I didn't notice any goopy discharge so I left her for awhile while I moved the pigs. Decided that keeping them either in or out of the pen is an exercise in futility so I kicked them all out. Of course - five minutes later one was back in - ARGH!
I go back and the doe hasn't progressed so I went exploring. Found a foot and brought it up...it looked like a front foot so I went fishing again...found another foot. Ya know - I been doing this for nigh on to 30ish years so sometimes I am vain enough to think I know what I'm doing. And as soon as I think that something happens to prove me wrong. I could NOT find that baby's head to save my life. I started doubting myself and thinking they were back legs - but they didn't bend the right direction for back legs....so I go fishing for the head again. I couldn't find that head...and I tried and tried. The baby felt swollen so I knew I was dealing with a badness. The legs were tiny so I finally decided to just pull. I got the baby out and it's head had been tucked totally down under and between it's front legs. Only because it was so tiny that I was able to get it out that way and it was obvious that it had been dead for awhile. Eyeballs were sunken in and the body was swollen and mushy (it was a buckling) total yuckiness. I went to move it way from the doe and turned around and dang if she hadn't plopped another baby out. I ran back to that one and it was alive - and a doeling! Yippie - my first one this year. It was full of a lot of mucus so I took it to the house to clean it up. Took it back out to the doe and laid it down for her to clean up. Moved on to more chores and the next time I looked over at the doe she'd had a third baby! Another buckling and it was alive and well also. Constantly amazed at the resilience of these critters.
I need to find some wine... best medicine ever!
I called in sick... It's not often that I do that. My head is thinking of about a zillion things I could do with the extra day off - but my body is just not willing. Still need to get out and feed - can't get out of that one. Gotta get it done before it gets any hotter.
