02/14/2026
We have a Valentine kid this morning born on our farm, a doeling. Our girls named her *Valentine💕
It was 3am and cold outside, Vla decided to kid and clean her first born, and proceeded to push her second kid. She has successfully kidded 3 last year but something wasn’t right this time.
I am typically very hands off and close by. But she already had a leg out, and I decided to use l**e and feel for another hoof to get 2 legs out. I went in 1 hand deep and couldn’t figure out what was going on. Could not find the other leg anywhere..
I realized that we are now trying to do what we can for mom, it has already been too long and the kid is stuck behind her pelvis. I called the vet, she directed me to push the kid back in to go find the other leg. I tried again, and after another 30 minutes decided to drive her to the vet.
It was so cold that my farm car wouldn’t start so in my suv we went, 35 min drive to Charlotte Hall. Dr. K worked 30 minutes trying as gently as she could get the other leg and head out. The kid was folded back, with 1 front leg forward, 2nd leg all the way back, and her head all the way folden back towards her tail. What I felt were her front shoulders. The Dr was so deep with with her arm in to her elbow and I don’t think I would have ever had the courage to do that!
I am so grateful for her help, and for my friends willing to help! at 3.30 am I was texting my friends and in the end it was a good call to drive Vla out to the vet.
Our homestead has had 2 kidding seasons, this is our 3rd. We are still so new at this. Having a community of farm friends to call or a vet can be lifesaving. This was a first for us and thought I’d share a piece of a reality of homesteading. *Valentine 💕
