My friend has two of my cashmere females and a male. On Wednesday evening one kidded out in the field in an exposed situation in the teeth of a freezing wind and produced two of the tiniest little cashmere kids imaginable!

I went to help and was not optimistic when I saw them. The whole family rushed to help with hurdles, heat lamps, straw, boxes, hot water bottles and finally the children stuffed one kid each up their jumpers next to their bare skin and sat cooking next to the radiator just to try and get the little things warm! They were absolutely stone cold although still alive – just.

I milked out the mother and managed, after they had warmed a little, to tube feed them some colostrum – not an easy job with tiny little throats and huge plastic tubes meant for big lambs!

I left them all coping magnificently but being very sensible about the likely outcome.

In the morning the inevitable had happened and the little female had died. The boy however, the smaller and weaker of the two was alive.

Today I popped round to see him and was amazed to find this little creature, half the size of a pet rabbit, standing under the heat lamp next to mum in the pen. He still can’t suckle because he can’t reach – he really is that small!

I am so pleased. I lost a pair of twins of exactly the same size. It gives me hope that if it happens again I can possibly save them. Of course, the chances are that this little chap will come to nothing much. He’s unlikely to grow well because of his poor start but you never know! We didn’t expect him to survive so he might surprise us yet!

I shall try to post a picture of him if I can remember to take my camera!