When HoofsnHorns Farm Sanctuary took in a sick goat named Daisy, they knew she was pregnant.
But they never thought sheβd give birth to five babies just days later.
HoofsnHorns co-owner Shelby Brawley was told the chances of a goat having five babies are very slim.
βWe were all just freaking out β we were laughing so hard,β she says. βWe were just grateful and just feeling very blessed.β
HoofsnHorns rescued Daisy β who had a prolapsed uterus and cervix β on Friday, Jan. 22, when learning that Daisyβs family couldnβt afford to get her the care that she needed.
βShe was in search of help,β Brawley says of Daisyβs owner. βI donβt know who told who about us, but I always joke that our names are on the bathroom wall of some feed store.β
Brawley, who started HoofsnHorns with her mom Sidney Smith many years ago, took Daisy to Adobe Veterinary Center to get her checked out, then took her home.
No one knew of Daisyβs due date, but she was scheduled for a C-section the following Tuesday.
βOf course itβs a rainy, cold weekend and sheβs miserable,β Brawley says. βI just lay out there with her and tell her everythingβs going to be fine.β
By Sunday night, Brawley felt like Daisy was starting to have contractions. And just her luck β Daisy's veterinarian, Dr. ChristineΒ Staten, was scheduled to be at an outdoor sanctuary all day Monday, but the outing was canceled due to the weather.
βShe called and said, βGuess what? My schedule for tomorrow is crazy free,ββ Brawley recalls. βAnd I said, βPraise the Lord, because I really feel like sheβs in labor.ββ
First thing Monday morning, Brawley took Daisy to Adobe.
βThe doctor came flying out when she heard Daisy was in labor,β Brawley says. βIt was better than any Chicago Med or anything youβve ever seen on TV.β
The center took care of Daisy and sent Brawley home to feed the rest of the HoofsnHorns animals.
Then Brawley got the call β one healthy baby girl had been delivered.
A couple hours later β two more baby girls.
Brawley decided to head back to the vet to meet the three babies, who needed to be bottle-fed due to Daisy having mastitis. Since Daisy hadnβt yet passed her after-birth, Staten decided to check her one more time before sending Brawley home.
βShe comes flying out the door and says, βGuess what? One more!ββ Brawley says.
And yet one more check later β Staten confirmed the birth of the last baby girl, totaling five babies weighing under 3.2 pounds each.
Despite the joy of welcoming five baby goats into the world, Daisy died the following day.
βShe passed in my arms before noon,β Brawley says. βItβs been very sad. She was very sweet and she fought long and hard and wouldβve been an awesome mama. There was no reason she should have passed β we did not expect this at all.β
With no mama and the cold weather outside, Brawley has been keeping the babies inside her home. Itβs also easier for Brawley to keep them close since she has to feed them around the clock.
The babies are now known as Daisyβs Wildflowers β Heather, Iris, Zinnia, Azalea and Sunflower.
βI said we really should name them after their mama somehow,β Brawley says. βWe just spent the first night looking at them and looking at flowers and they just kinda fell into place.β
βTheyβre absolutely perfect,β Brawley says.
Brawley intends to keep all five of the babies and eventually build them their own space at the sanctuary. HoofsnHorns also has pigs, sheep, horses, cows, donkeys, chickens and ducks.
To help cover Daisyβs medical expenses, visit the HoofsnHorns Facebook page or the sanctuary's PayPal account.