Quads Born June 2008    Dam; Mountcross Lyra Sire; Marshview Hero

The first kid born was head first (front legs back) This is usual for this nanny and I always have to help her. However this male kid (blue and white) was pretty small so she managed ok. The next kid was a miniscule female (weight about 700g) so thin and emaciated and breech and not much sign of life. A good dry towelling and a trip indoors to dry her off with a hair dryer!! she was breathing and fairly alert ... but soooo small!!! I did not hold out much hope for her to be honest. Next was a standard size male kid head first (front legs back) but delivered ok. Thought that must be it but 10 mins later all action again for a big male tri colour kid. Head first (front legs back) and quite a bit of help required by me to deliver.

Spent four days getting head butted by nanny... who has horns... whilst i milked off tiny quantities to syringe into mouth of tiny girl. She could not walk for two days and also had to wear a little fleece jacket ... made by me (modelled on my miniature ponies rugs). I started mixing mums milk with goat milk from Budgens on the second day and her feeds were replaced totally by shop whole goat milk by the fourth day. She was now up and about and trying to feed from mum but mum not so keen on her as her lusty sons and kept moving away... more injuries to me as I forceably held mum so little girl could feed four times a day, suplemented with shop goat milk.

No lamb feeder teat was small enough for her tiny mouth so I had a puppy/kitten feeder and used that. I have now (day six) ... removed two big male kids from mum for 3 hours early in the morning and two hours around lunch time and three hours in the evening and put them in adjacent pen. I am feeding them with ewe milk replacer with a standard lamb bottle and teat. They seem happy enough with this and can see mum. They spend all night all together. Little girls tummy looks round and full and she can skip and play now. Removing the big boys allows the little girl and smaller boy to feed uninterupted and mum accepts the little girl feeding now... thankfully!! as my leg is black and blue. I am quite hopefull that she will make it now... she weighs nearly 1kg today.

I will have to judge how to feed them all in the future, the nanny is coping well at the moment by I am unsure how she will manage as they all get bigger and milk demand goes up. May separate the big boys completely in a week or two. Will start offering lamb creep pellets in a few days. Mum is getting as much corn as she wants and branches and grass cut. I would normally have let her out with her kids but don't want her to wonder off with the big boys until I know the smaller ones can keep up. I have never heard of a sheep or goat having four lambs/kids before and I shall be chuffed to bits if they all make it. ..... wish there had been more girls though, three boys!! not fair!!!
Heather McBreen
 This is the little girl, smallest of the quads.
 All filling out nicely.