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A dark fuzzy picture of a dark fuzzy chick!

3 years ago we lost 2 foals shortly after their birthings. I’ve been watching Rawnie Spangle for weeks & checking her every morning as laqst time she foaled over night, This year I was so lucky to be able to be present & watch the process. The vet was not quite so happy as I kept ringing up for reassurance. They were so patient with me & understood my paranoia.

IMGP0163 Rawnie Spangle giving Birth

These pictures will need clicking on to enlarge them as my telephoto lens is still packed. Here the foal is just starting to emerge. This point lasted, to me, a very long time, so I went into the field & Rawnie Spangle pulled the foal back inside, refusing to proceed. I left the field & rang the vet!

IMGP0164 Rawnie Spangle giving Birth
IMGP0165 Rawnie Spangle giving Birth

Rawnie Spangle seemed happier lying down for a while, changing position occasionally

IMGP0166 Rawnie Spangle giving Birth

The head & front legs emerge, still in the sac

IMGP0167 Rawnie Spangle giving Birth

Once they are out

IMGP0170 Rawnie Spangle giving Birth

Rawnie Spangle stands up & spends what seems to me ages walking around with her baby half inside & half outside, fore legs “walking” with Mumma

IMGP0171 Hens & Chicks

I left Rawnie Spangle alone for a while to watch some other babies. The 1 & only incubator hatched egg this year gave us a chick who had no friends. After a few lonely days under a heat lamp, Mumma hen took pity on it & added it to her brood. The tiny brown fluff is the incubator chick.

Zorba inspects the new additions to the flock.
IMGP0172 Hens & Chicks
IMGP0173 Rawnie Spangle giving Birth

More foal comes out, watched by Mumma

IMGP0174 Rawnie Spangle giving Birth

Nearly fully born

IMGP0175 Foal just birthed

Foal born, licked & upright on her own 4 legs.

IMGP0176 Skoryy Lovok

Another baby arrived this day: meet Skoryy Lovok. He’s 4 months old & is a Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya (Russian dogs are generically female) or more commonly known as a Borzoi. His full breed title means “Russian Longhaired Sighthound”, just “Sighthound” in the more common English usage. He’s already the height of a Whippet & has 16 more growing months…
IMGP0177 Skoryy Lovok
He has only his puppy coat at present ~ his breeder thinks that the colour will change, the white & beige being his undercoat & he’ll have a white & blue top coat as the 2 coats develop

IMGP0179 Skoryy Lovok
He’s having to get used to his new home & to being an inside dog, not a yard dog

IMGP0180 Skoryy Lovok

IMGP0181 Skoryy Lovok
I think he’s started to feel a little relaxed with me

IMGP0110 Hen and Chick

This is 1 of yesterday’s Murderous Mothers with 1 of the chicks ~ the other is hiding under her skirts. The photo’s so dark because I took it quickly & forgot the flash.