DISASTER!

Some days....Last night there was a power outage. The incubator is FULL of eggs at various stages of development, including some in the process of hatching. After much worry and some help from the wood stove, I believe THAT crisis has been averted. The power is back, the temperature regulated and I have new Light Brahmas and one last duckling.

Now for the bad news.

Last night I had some concerns over the younger litter of rabbit kits. They just didn't seem 'comfortable'. This morning things seemed worse, some of them have diarrhea and are not their normal pudgy selves. So I load up a syringe with Lactated Ringer solution and dissolved some Imodium in another and headed back down to the barn. As I am trying to administer sub-cutaneous fluids, oral Imodium and adjust a heat lamp while inflicting the least amount of stress, the damn barn cat jumped into the pen, grabbed the biggest, healthiest baby of the bunch and ran off with it! :-( I'm so angry with myself for being so absorbed in the task at hand that it never occurred to me that he would do that! I don't blame him one bit, I'm happy that he hunts wild bunnies and minimizes the damage they do to the garden. I'm afraid that this litter may be a total loss. I very worried that Mama will end up so stressed that she abandons them. Is it too early for a glass of wine?