Like buses ...

So there I was, all ready to entertain you with a selection of piccies from the past (busy) week, when we were suddenly overtaken by the sad events of today.  And although I know that a blog should be entertaining for the reader with lots of photos and little videos to amuse, I also know that we must aim to be truthful and to paint a realistic picture of what life is like for us all here at Ellie's Dairy.  Most of the time it is a very busy, happy place but sometimes life can turn sour very suddenly.

Farming is not just a cosy, pretty way of life.  It is very hard work, relentless and unforgiving.  And sometimes, like today, it is raw and cuts you to the bone.

Today I loaded up the trailer and went off to see our lovely vet Peter with 4 of our goaties.  I returned home with only 2.  Deaths are like buses ... you wait ages for one and then several come along all at the same time.  Seems only a few days ago that we lost our beloved Klarah and Beamish ..

We had to say goodbye to our beautiful shaggy Dipsy goat who had serious issues with her breathing.  A thorough examination with an endoscope up her nostril showed that there was some kind of huge blockage which could not be dealt with.  Nothing could be done for her and so I had to take that tough decision.

She was a pretty and well-behaved girl who never caused any trouble.  She has given us a few lovely daughters over the years and so her shaggy looks live on in the herd .  Incidentally, her mum Tammy is our oldest goat at over 12 years of age!

Next up was Handsome Humps.  He had started to look uncomfortable last night and seemed to be having problems with his waterworks ... can be quite a common problem in castrated male goats but usually can be sorted with medication or even surgery.

But as soon as I walked him out of the trailer, Peter frowned and said that he was concerned about the shape of Humphrey's underbelly.. Yes, it is rather large!  No, said Peter .. it looks all wrong.

So, into the exam room for Humps .. a little shave and a wash and then an ultrasound scan.  Looking at the screen, I could just see a patch of dark ... nothing else.  Was this normal?  What should I be able to see?  Peter coached me through the various bits and pieces on the screen.  We should be able to see the intestines and the bladder .. he would have expected it to be huge and distended.  But there was nothing at all there.  The dark patch was fluid of some sort .. Peter was concerned that it was urine.  A needle in to release some of the fluid confirmed his worst fears .. Humps had a ruptured bladder and we had caught it in the very early stages.  A few more hours and he would be crying in pain as the poisons built up in his system.

Poor Humps .. tragic and totally unexpected.  I held my big handsome boy as he fell asleep for the last time.

Milking tonight was just not the same without Humps barging his way through to get to the wheelbarrow.  He had a good life and never quite made it to the butcher!  He had an important job to do looking after disabled mum Valerie who will be missing her little Humps tonight.

Here's a few pics to remind you: