Getting caught up. When you live on a ranch with critters there are few slack times. For instance, I just got in from feeding everyone hay when I noticed that my favorite male goat, Lester, wasn’t eating. That is sooooo not normal for him. I knew immediately that something was not right.

Upon closer inspection I noticed how pale his eye membranes were. THAT’s not good, either. Pale eye membranes mean internal parasites and way too many. I finished feeding everyone else then went back to care of Lester.

I put him in the barn, weighted with with my goat weight tape. He’s light. Usually he’s about 180 in the summer but he’s at 160 today. I have noticed that his ribs were showing but thought it was because of the summer months. Apparently not.

I still had to chase him to medicate him; that’s good. At least he’s feisty enough to say no. Once I trapped him, I tied him to the wall then dewormed him with Cydectin and  gave him 6 cc of Red Cell to increase his iron deficiency. I put out some alfalfa cubes and grain with decoquinate in it (it’s used for coccidiia, a protozoa) both of which can be deadly. The problem with putting food out for him is that he’s not eating.

That’s is soooo not a problem. I’ve been holding him down since he was born in 2003. Lester may weigh more than I do but I’m an expert when it comes to holding down billy goats and I have the bruises to prove it. But before I do that I’ve got to get his feed ready. I put about a cup of grain in enough water to make it mushy. It should be through soaking in a few minutes. Once it’s at the right consistency I’ll use a feeding tube to get it in his mouth. A cup ought be enough for tonight and about the same two or three times tomorrow and until he gets to where he’ll eat himself.

By the way, the first picture is of Lester and his Mama Minnie on the day he was born, April 10, 2003. He was the first born goat here at the Sleeping Dog Ranch. We didn’t now Minnie was pregnant; but then again, neither did she. She looked at him as if to say’ what is that? and where did it come from?”. Since then she’s given us several perfectly adorable babies. I digress … .

Needless to say, I’ll be watching over this guy very carefully until he’s back up to 180 pounds or more.

When did I make the comment that I had nothing to write about? Silly me. I’ll keep you posted on his progress.

UPDATE

Lester recovered from this illness and lived for several weeks. Sadly he passed away July 13, 2013. An end of an era. Life out here will forever be different — he is in our hearts now. Rest in peace my dear friend. You will always be remembered and forever loved.