Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Zaide and Malik


I seriously cannot remember WHEN but here's the SHORT version of Zaide and Malik's story:

Buttercup gave birth to two baby boy goats, but didn't know exactly what to do with them. She licked them a little bit, and stayed with them, but really didn't know what to do beyond that. Well, they were both still in the sac, and Zaide wasn't really doing well. Malik was on his feet like a normal kid, but they were both very weak - too weak to nurse even. Zaide would lay there with his head bent back (just like our other goat kid Ginger before we had to put her down), looking dead other than him breathing. Mom said we might oughta just leave them, but I couldn't! It made me cry they were just so small and pitiful. So I milked Buttercup and fed them. Zaide wouldn't suck the bottle, he was probably close to death; Malik sucked greedily. Well, the SECOND time I fed them, Zaide finally was sucking the bottle!

To sum it up, they're both alive and healthy. Another baby, Sugar, (whose mother neglected her and her brother, so they were adopted by Piper who had one boy) was starving to death literally. Those two male kids were sucking Piper dry so there wasn't anything for Sugar. So now we put Buttercup up three times a day in the milking stand so Sugar can nurse. Zaide also nurses on her (then I feed him because he doesn't get enough), but Malik is totally dependent on a bottle (and us!). They follow me around EVERYWHERE, especially Malik. He's discovered how to get out of the gate and will follow me into the house! They're so darlin'!
(top one is Malik, second one is Zaide--they were about to follow me out the gate!)

1 comment:

Sarah said...

Mrrh! I didn't know you had a blog, the goats are SO cute how fun having them follow you around! Those are some crazy names though.. I'm so happy you saved them!