The miracle of birth truly is one of the most beautiful things about life. Human or animal, the fact that a new life is coming into the world is an amazing thing.

What’s arguably even more of a miracle than birth itself is the birth of something pretty unique. Something that survived against all the odds.

Meet Janus, a two-headed goat born in Nueske farm in Wittenberg, Wisconsin on April 5, 2020.
The Nueske family have had over 1,000 goats born on their farm, but none have been quite as unique as this little guy.

Amazingly, Janus was born through a natural birth, though according to the owner, “He needed some help coming out after his brother who was perfectly normal.’

The mama goat went into labor and was having trouble delivering, so when farmer Jocelyn Nueske inspected what was going on, she discovered that the baby had two heads.

The family immediately took Janus in to look after him, feeding him from a bottle and giving him ‘physical therapy’ to encourage him to strengthen his neck and his legs.

The family made sure that the name they chose for this little guy had a special meaning. Owner Jocelyn said,

“We have decided to name him Janus (jay-nes) after the Greek god of beginnings, transitions, time, duality, and endings.”

They said that there’s only a 50/50 chance of their miracle surviving, but if he does they would love to keep him as a pet.

It’s unknown what caused this, but the goat is just as energetic and playful as any other normal goat.
At the vet, they learned that Janus’ right mouth has a cleft palate, which can be corrected with surgery in the future. His outer eyes have sight, but it’s unknown right now if his inner eyes do.

He also has two fully formed craniums/frontal bones of his skull that are fused at the sides, which means he basically has two brains in the front that connect together in the back of his skull.

Each head also has its own spinal cord that fuses with the spine, but he only has one stomach and singular major organs.

The family are posting daily updates of the little guy, and it’s amazing how much he’s come along so far!

One of our favorite videos has to be this one that the farm shared showing Janus learning how to stand. They devised a little makeshift sling to keep him more comfortable as he learns how to use his wobbly legs.

His little tail is wagging and he seems to be having the time of his life! So far, things seem to be moving in a positive direction. Jocelyn told Facebook:

“He is starting to eat better and more. He’s getting restless and wants to get up and run around.”

Janus has gained a whole host of fans on Facebook as people eagerly await updates to see how this special guy is developing.
But sadly, there are also some doubters. A few people believe that Janus should not have survived, that he is in pain and the owners are delaying the inevitable. So what does Jocelyn have to say to those people?

A recent post shared onto Facebook by the family says:

“We understand and respect that people may have different opinions about our little Janus. We made the decision care for this unique baby and are willing to share this rare and special experience with others and welcome positive comments. We may need to block comments that we find too negative or offensive to keep this a positive environment for us and all those who believe in giving Janus a chance to live. For all those who give caring and positive comments, thank you!”

Well said! We send all of our prayers to Janus and hope that he continues to defy all odds and get better and better.