Adventures with Madi at Blue Mountain Farms: Sometimes You Just Shouldn’t Quit

Hello everyone, with all the negative currently surrounding us all in the news, I thought you might enjoy a heartfelt story that surely should brighten your day. Did you ever have one of those times that you just thought, hmmm, maybe, just maybe, I ought to give this a chance? Well, recently that happened for me. The result was a wonderful surprise, I affectionately call Lil’ Nugget. You see, I raise Angoras, all four breeds. As many of you may or may not know, Giant Angoras aren’t always the best mothers; however, I had one last year that I bred, she kindled, and believe it or not, all kits were in the nest box! Whew, I couldn’t believe it. I should have continued to hold my breath because on day 5, the doe kicked one of the kits out of the box. I found the little kit the next morning, cold, dehydrated, and well, not looking so good.

I’m a sucker for the runt. Always have been! So, I decided to give it a chance; of course, the odds were slim to none. I took the little kit inside, warmed it up, and, since I raise dairy goats, warmed up some milk. Once it pinked up a bit, I offered it a bit of the milk. Ever so carefully, I managed to squeeze several drops into the dehydrated kit. A few hours later, I repeated this process. In fact, I repeated this four times a day for weeks. After a few weeks, the kit actually helped me hold a small bottle I had made for it! By week four, the kit actually passed the size of its siblings and I was able to tell that it was a doe I named Lil’ Nugget!

Lil’ Nugget and I have been on several adventures. She joined me at our local extension office for a summer camp, several shows including my county 4-H fair, and yes, even ARBA Nationals this year in San Diego. I proudly brought Lil’ Nugget with me to show her. I was also quite proud of the fact that at 9 months old, she weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds 11 ounces! Even after her long trip to San Diego, she remained in a beautiful show coat and went on to win a few Best in Shows and Reserve in Shows in my area. I recently clipped her down and am looking forward to breeding her. I’m thinking she might be a great mom! If not, I’ll be there to help her, bottle and all. So, the moral to my story, is just sometimes, we should give a chance to the little guy, they might just surprise you.