Goat Fund Me
Donation protected
Meet Persephone. Daughter of Fauna and sister to Athena. Persephone is the lone kid survivor of our kidding season, named for her miraculous life amidst tremendous loss and suffering. Born on unceded land of the Kumeyaay, as stewarded by the people of Wild Willow Farm on July 29, 2019.
Persephone is the joy and love that warms my heart. She is what I start and end my day with to remind myself of the curious nature of new life. She gives me hope amidst my responsibility to see life through to the end. I am here to play my humble role in the cycles of life and death at the farm. And I am here to ask you to support me in this role.
At a time when I thought I'd be covered in baby goats, I am actually negotiating vet bills, calling laboratories, coordinating helpers, researching illnesses, and doctoring gruesome injuries. We have experienced an outbreak on the farm, and we need to understand what caused it. Will you help cover our costs? We have vet bills, medication bills, and necropsy tests to run. While I know what I need to do and am moving forward the best I know how, I simply don't have the funds to personally cover these expenses and the farm is not in a position to either.
Anything you give will reimburse me for what I've payed out of pocket for medications, vet visits, and lab tests. Any extra I get will go towards the greater good of the goats at Wild Willow Farm. We need additional shade and play structures for the goats, and a new feed shed would be appreciated. Even a share, thought or well wish to the goats and their caretakers is appreciated too <3.
Many thanks to those already indebted to the support of our goat herd:
Jac, Jaron, Damiana, Lorien, Jonathan, Jackie, Jairlyn and family, Mel, Lindsay, Alaina, Julia, Sarah, Cooper, Betty, Onnalee, Maria, Dr. Amaral, WADDL, the San Diego Goat Group (on FB) and many, many more people in times of past and names I may have missed. <3
--~~~~~~~~--
If you'd like to learn more about our experience, please read on below. **Warning** Graphic Photos Below
--~~~~~~~~--
It Started with Amber...
Our kidding season started late June, with Amber. Amber was the first goat born on Wild Willow Farm 6 years ago and it was fitting that she was the first goat due this time around. We were all so excited to welcome her little ones to the farm. Giggles would often interrupt productive conversations as passing thoughts of baby goat, ninja kicks crossed our minds.
However, three days before her due date, Amber began aborting her babies. Concerning discharges of blood and other secretions began dripping out of her and over the next several days we waited until Amber finally began birthing her stillborn babies.
The first kid presented butt first (the last way you want a kid to present), but with the help of our local goat friend, Lorien, she was able to reposition and remove the little boy to be buried in the Gerson Orchard.
Upon the advice of our vet, we let her rest overnight.
The next day, we gloved up and went back in since there was most likely a second baby. The second baby was poorly positioned again, and stuck inside Amber. We had little choice, we needed to remove the dead baby from inside her. We tried and tried to reposition the babies feet, but to no avail. After 30 minutes, we tired out our hands and called in the vet. It was a team effort, requiring Damiana's small hands and our vet's brutal optimism, but we removed the stillborn baby and laid her alongside her brother in the Gerson Orchard.
At the end of the day it took 4 people to pull the baby out of Amber, and in the process, we tore her badly. She seemed unrepairable, we didn't know what was what and got numerous opinions, most of them wrong. We felt lost with only each other to help us get through each day. Give another shot. Wash her yet again. Clean her urine from her legs. Calm her and love her.
**Graphic Photo**
Recovery was slow and painful. Daily, we applied a healing balm from medicinal plants on the farm and fed her tree branches. Amber lost a lot of weight and was given 3 rounds of antibiotics to fight off infection. We reached out to the community and your love came pouring in. Without the hope, love, thoughts and prayers, I know she wouldn't be here today.
Today, Amber is back with the herd and eating normally. Her wound is still healing, but has drastically improved.
And then Athena...
Amidst all our care and concern for Amber, we were caught up speculating what went wrong. Maybe because Amber is overweight? Maybe Amber experienced physical trauma in the days before? We didn't know and were trying everything to understand, until just a few days later, Athena began discharging the same concerning bloody goop from her vulva...only this time there were tiny bones in one of the goops.
After just a day, Athena returned to her normal bossy self and the discharge stopped. With still over 6 weeks until her due date, it couldn't possibly be connected, could it?
We reached out to 3 vets in Southern California and posted in our goat related Facebook groups. I scoured the internet and called labs. No definitive answer could be given unless we had a specimen, a fresh specimen, and we missed our opportunity to collect. With the support of Jairlyn and her mom, our vet came in and ultrasounded all the goats...Amber didn't have any more kids, Athena was a mystery, and Fauna and Coco were confirmed pregnant. Two weeks later...
Fauna
We remained hopeful when Fauna's pregnancy progressed normally, but had an awareness of the truth of the matter. Our herd likely had an outbreak and being vigilant with Fauna's birth was important, we needed to collect a specimen for laboratory analysis.
On July 28th, Fauna went into early labor. She had done this a few times before and is healthy and strong. On July 29th at about 6pm, Fauna gave birth to Persephone.
Jac and Jaron greeted Persephone and helped her get the essential colostrum she needed to be strong and vibrant. Our hopes were lifted until Fauna gave birth to two stillborns shortly after Persephone came to us. As Jac wrote so well, "In the midst of all of the late nights, eager waiting turned anxious waiting, stillbirths, mourning mammas, sick goats and the heavy question of what the heck is causing all of this, it's been hard for me to properly hold space for the joy that is this new life"
At least this time we were prepared. We sent one of the stillborns to WADDL in Washington, overnight, for testing. Dr. Fisk has been kind and helpful, we expect results by the end of the week.
Coco
Monday Fauna, Saturday Coco. Proud, strong, determined, loving, aloof Coco. The queen of our herd. My hope was high, but my heart knew. And in the moment that I saw her daughter's little nose poking out, I was certain that we had lost her too. It happened so slowly and so quickly at the same time.
As I waited for the placenta or other kids, I putzed around the barn cleaning, sending work emails, singing songs to Coco, feeding her willow to help with swelling and mugwort to calm her nerves. I fell into the moment when mechanical time no longer matters and all that is is the moment, mother earth time, in which life is ever present all around.
It is in these moments I know that all parts of me are okay to be here, be present. I can be strong, yet tender and caring at the same time. I allowed myself space to cry and space to move forward. As I left the farm Saturday night, I gathered my belongings and walked down goji berry lane. What I saw stopped me in my tracks. A bobcat. Brother bobcat strolled in front of the bathrooms and into our covered community barn. As I slowly walked to the gate and closed it behind me, I spotted bobcat walking to the fire pit. At that moment I knew this was a time for ceremony. I walked to the fire pit and there he was, calm, strong, and knowing, just 10 feet away from me. We stared into each others eyes and I felt his strengthen within me, I felt the knowing of the universe inside me. As I set my bag down, he scurried away and the rest was left for me. Piles of white sage cuttings went to the fire. Song, prayers, gratitudes to the land and its ancestors, to condor, snake, bear and bobcat. Mother Earth time flowed through me and around me, the spirits of the land stood in watch as I blessed those that came before, those that still walk this earth and those that have yet to come.
In that moment I felt complete, felt connected, felt humbled to our lives that bring us to death and then back again.
~~In gratitude to each of you for reading this far, for our shared respect for life, and for the light that shines within~~
Persephone is the joy and love that warms my heart. She is what I start and end my day with to remind myself of the curious nature of new life. She gives me hope amidst my responsibility to see life through to the end. I am here to play my humble role in the cycles of life and death at the farm. And I am here to ask you to support me in this role.
At a time when I thought I'd be covered in baby goats, I am actually negotiating vet bills, calling laboratories, coordinating helpers, researching illnesses, and doctoring gruesome injuries. We have experienced an outbreak on the farm, and we need to understand what caused it. Will you help cover our costs? We have vet bills, medication bills, and necropsy tests to run. While I know what I need to do and am moving forward the best I know how, I simply don't have the funds to personally cover these expenses and the farm is not in a position to either.
Anything you give will reimburse me for what I've payed out of pocket for medications, vet visits, and lab tests. Any extra I get will go towards the greater good of the goats at Wild Willow Farm. We need additional shade and play structures for the goats, and a new feed shed would be appreciated. Even a share, thought or well wish to the goats and their caretakers is appreciated too <3.
Many thanks to those already indebted to the support of our goat herd:
Jac, Jaron, Damiana, Lorien, Jonathan, Jackie, Jairlyn and family, Mel, Lindsay, Alaina, Julia, Sarah, Cooper, Betty, Onnalee, Maria, Dr. Amaral, WADDL, the San Diego Goat Group (on FB) and many, many more people in times of past and names I may have missed. <3
--~~~~~~~~--
If you'd like to learn more about our experience, please read on below. **Warning** Graphic Photos Below
--~~~~~~~~--
It Started with Amber...
Our kidding season started late June, with Amber. Amber was the first goat born on Wild Willow Farm 6 years ago and it was fitting that she was the first goat due this time around. We were all so excited to welcome her little ones to the farm. Giggles would often interrupt productive conversations as passing thoughts of baby goat, ninja kicks crossed our minds.
However, three days before her due date, Amber began aborting her babies. Concerning discharges of blood and other secretions began dripping out of her and over the next several days we waited until Amber finally began birthing her stillborn babies.
The first kid presented butt first (the last way you want a kid to present), but with the help of our local goat friend, Lorien, she was able to reposition and remove the little boy to be buried in the Gerson Orchard.
Upon the advice of our vet, we let her rest overnight.
The next day, we gloved up and went back in since there was most likely a second baby. The second baby was poorly positioned again, and stuck inside Amber. We had little choice, we needed to remove the dead baby from inside her. We tried and tried to reposition the babies feet, but to no avail. After 30 minutes, we tired out our hands and called in the vet. It was a team effort, requiring Damiana's small hands and our vet's brutal optimism, but we removed the stillborn baby and laid her alongside her brother in the Gerson Orchard.
At the end of the day it took 4 people to pull the baby out of Amber, and in the process, we tore her badly. She seemed unrepairable, we didn't know what was what and got numerous opinions, most of them wrong. We felt lost with only each other to help us get through each day. Give another shot. Wash her yet again. Clean her urine from her legs. Calm her and love her.
**Graphic Photo**
Recovery was slow and painful. Daily, we applied a healing balm from medicinal plants on the farm and fed her tree branches. Amber lost a lot of weight and was given 3 rounds of antibiotics to fight off infection. We reached out to the community and your love came pouring in. Without the hope, love, thoughts and prayers, I know she wouldn't be here today.
Today, Amber is back with the herd and eating normally. Her wound is still healing, but has drastically improved.
And then Athena...
Amidst all our care and concern for Amber, we were caught up speculating what went wrong. Maybe because Amber is overweight? Maybe Amber experienced physical trauma in the days before? We didn't know and were trying everything to understand, until just a few days later, Athena began discharging the same concerning bloody goop from her vulva...only this time there were tiny bones in one of the goops.
After just a day, Athena returned to her normal bossy self and the discharge stopped. With still over 6 weeks until her due date, it couldn't possibly be connected, could it?
We reached out to 3 vets in Southern California and posted in our goat related Facebook groups. I scoured the internet and called labs. No definitive answer could be given unless we had a specimen, a fresh specimen, and we missed our opportunity to collect. With the support of Jairlyn and her mom, our vet came in and ultrasounded all the goats...Amber didn't have any more kids, Athena was a mystery, and Fauna and Coco were confirmed pregnant. Two weeks later...
Fauna
We remained hopeful when Fauna's pregnancy progressed normally, but had an awareness of the truth of the matter. Our herd likely had an outbreak and being vigilant with Fauna's birth was important, we needed to collect a specimen for laboratory analysis.
On July 28th, Fauna went into early labor. She had done this a few times before and is healthy and strong. On July 29th at about 6pm, Fauna gave birth to Persephone.
Jac and Jaron greeted Persephone and helped her get the essential colostrum she needed to be strong and vibrant. Our hopes were lifted until Fauna gave birth to two stillborns shortly after Persephone came to us. As Jac wrote so well, "In the midst of all of the late nights, eager waiting turned anxious waiting, stillbirths, mourning mammas, sick goats and the heavy question of what the heck is causing all of this, it's been hard for me to properly hold space for the joy that is this new life"
At least this time we were prepared. We sent one of the stillborns to WADDL in Washington, overnight, for testing. Dr. Fisk has been kind and helpful, we expect results by the end of the week.
Coco
Monday Fauna, Saturday Coco. Proud, strong, determined, loving, aloof Coco. The queen of our herd. My hope was high, but my heart knew. And in the moment that I saw her daughter's little nose poking out, I was certain that we had lost her too. It happened so slowly and so quickly at the same time.
As I waited for the placenta or other kids, I putzed around the barn cleaning, sending work emails, singing songs to Coco, feeding her willow to help with swelling and mugwort to calm her nerves. I fell into the moment when mechanical time no longer matters and all that is is the moment, mother earth time, in which life is ever present all around.
It is in these moments I know that all parts of me are okay to be here, be present. I can be strong, yet tender and caring at the same time. I allowed myself space to cry and space to move forward. As I left the farm Saturday night, I gathered my belongings and walked down goji berry lane. What I saw stopped me in my tracks. A bobcat. Brother bobcat strolled in front of the bathrooms and into our covered community barn. As I slowly walked to the gate and closed it behind me, I spotted bobcat walking to the fire pit. At that moment I knew this was a time for ceremony. I walked to the fire pit and there he was, calm, strong, and knowing, just 10 feet away from me. We stared into each others eyes and I felt his strengthen within me, I felt the knowing of the universe inside me. As I set my bag down, he scurried away and the rest was left for me. Piles of white sage cuttings went to the fire. Song, prayers, gratitudes to the land and its ancestors, to condor, snake, bear and bobcat. Mother Earth time flowed through me and around me, the spirits of the land stood in watch as I blessed those that came before, those that still walk this earth and those that have yet to come.
In that moment I felt complete, felt connected, felt humbled to our lives that bring us to death and then back again.
~~In gratitude to each of you for reading this far, for our shared respect for life, and for the light that shines within~~
Organizer
Cathryn Henning
Organizer
San Diego, CA