Not dead until warm and dead.

Panasonic, who until now hasn’t been much of a mother, did pull fur and kindle a nest today. She has one last chance to prove she can raise a litter, and we’re hoping she steps up.

We did have two kits found cold at the edge of the nest box. No blood in the nails , so both were taken immediately for rewarming.

First step was skin-to-skin contact—straight onto a human body. Farm moms know this drill; babies in bras save lives. This is a prefered way to rewarm becuse skin to skin contact helps stimulate the cold kits, and it’s fast when time matters. Once inside, they were wrapped and placed next to me under a heated blanket to bring temperature up gradually.

One kit began squeaking early and responded well.

The second was badly bruised, with blood pooled in the soft tissues (not the nails). After warming, it remained deflated and unresponsive. At that point, it was called deceased. It won’t be wasted and will be used appropriately to feed my senior dog.

The surviving kit is now warm, active, and wiggly and has been returned to the nest with its siblings. From here on out, it’s on Panasonic to do her job.

This is livestock reality. Quick assessment, fast intervention, and honest outcomes.

I’d love to hear from other farm folks:

What emergencies have you dealt with? What saved a life—or didn’t? What tricks have worked for you when things went sideways?

Real stories help everyone learn.

2:24

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