Lady-in-Waiting No More!

Nola had her babies yesterday.
I had fed her and the other goats an hour before. My son went out and watered everybody.
I checked on all the goats, especially Nola and everyone was fine. Nola showed no signs at all of kidding.
About 30 minutes after I checked, my son took his dog out for a walk...and came right back in:
"Mom, Nola had her babies!"
No warning, no fussing, just went ahead and did her business!
One boy, one girl. We named them Nip and Nora.

Nora resting while Nip gets a bath from Mom

Hey, Mom, look, I can walk!

Nip taking a nap in the sunshine

Nora stretching her legs

Baby checking out the new kids

Baby and Nip getting acquainted

Nola had her little ones out in the yard, but after everyone was a bit settled, we moved them into a pen.
So....we have 10 kids!

Another Goat Heard From...

Lilac surprised us all last night! We had moved her into a temporary pen *just in case*, although we didn't expect her to kid for a day or two yet.
She was checked on every hour, and showed no signs of being about to kid.
Then, without any fanfare or fussing...she kidded!
By the time we got to see the kids, she had already cleaned them up and the wee ones were on their feet!

Another set of boy twins. We named them Lenny and Lester. Lenny is the black and white one, Lester the solid white. Healthy and strong. In fact, by this morning, both were bouncing around the little pen and jumping at their mama.
So, the tally sits at 6 boys, 2 girls. So far. We still have Nola as our *lady-in-waiting*.
We only keep the girls to add to our little herd, so what to do with the boys?
Well, we have worked out a deal with a Greek restaurant in town.
But...I am thinking of keeping one male (intact) as a future herd sire. Just....which one?
Lester and Lenny are strong little ones...and that means Lily's bloodline would continue in our herd.
Gabby's twins, Gary and Gerry are simply adorable...and strong, and that would continue Gabby's bloodline. Especially if we decided to not breed her again. She IS getting up there in age and I don't want to risk her health. She is an excellent herd matriarch, so even if she is not being milked and is not producing kids, she is still a valuable goat to have.
And Gabby's boys are soooo cute!

Look at those ears!

Delivery Number Two! Champagne is a Champ!

Champagne kidded today!
First was Charlie, then Clover, THEN Clyde AND THEN Clarabelle!
Yup...QUADRUPLETS!!!

Way to go, Champagne!!!

New Kids On The Block!

Gabby was the first one to deliver.
FINALLY!
 After weeks of waiting...following my goats around peering at their nether regions, going out in the middle of the night to check them...hell, even ASKING them every morning "Any of you girls gonna kid today"...the reply was always "N-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-h"...Gabby had her kids today!
The first one slid out easily, the second one required my assistance, he was so big!
Both boys, unfortunately. But both cute as can be!
Pictures...some birthing grossness--if you are not used to it--plenty of baby goat adorableness!

Working on Kid #1

Here he comes!

Mama cleaning her new baby

A few last licks to get him clean...

Trying out those new legs

Look, Mama! I can walk!

#2 starting out

Mama, pay attention to me!

Mama still working at #2

#1 still getting Mama's attention

Mama multi-tasking...labor and cleaning first baby.

Now get out of the way, mama's busy!

#2 working his way out

THERE he is!

Mama Gabby cleans up #2

A few pics didn't make it onto here as they were out of focus, or I was blocking the camera, as I had to assist and pull #2. He was a big boy! We named #1 Garrett (Garry) and #2 Gerald (Gerry). Both are sweetly asleep with their Mama now.

 

Goaterade Recipe

I mentioned in a previous post that I give my does "Goaterade" soon after kidding...
Here's the recipe:
1 gallon warmish (not hot) water
1/2 cup molasses (I use the brand Brer Rabbit Molasses)
1 scant teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons baking soda
Mix everything well and then offer to doe after kidding (within 1 hour, sooner if you can)

I know other people have their own recipes and some people may say my Goaterade isn't "right", but I have used it for the whole time I have had goats. I got the recipe from an elderly lady that has raised goats for 30+ years. Never knew her to lose a doe after kidding, so I figured it was a good recipe!
Most of my girls will suck down the entire gallon when it is offered! Hey, kidding is hard work for them!
Also, when one of my does is having tummy troubles (usually brought about when they overeat grain...which can kill a goat) I  increase the baking soda to a full cup and offer it to the ailing doe. It really helps!

Also, my girls LOVE the taste of that molasses!

Remember Sweet Little Nola?

Our sweetie pie of a doeling...well, not much of a doeling now.
Here is how Nola used to be:

D'awwwwwwwww....how cute!

Nola is all grown up and today....

A boy and a girl! We named the boy Nate and the girl is Nikki.
Nola did well for her first kidding. I had to help Nate a bit, but Nikki slid out  with hardly a push from Mama Nola. Nate is a bit bigger.
The funny thing is, we were uber careful not to let Bruno, the Boer that Roy put in with our older does, get within 50 feet of our two younger does, Nola and Lilac...yet both got pregnant!
How did this happen?
Well, on the other side of the fence lived a small dwarf buck named Paul....the markings on Nola's kids look exactly like Paul. The only thing we can figure out is Paul managed to accomplish this feat through a chain link fence. (of course, Nola HAD to cooperate!)
Talk about determination!
I am thankful that the kids are smallish, as Nola is a small doe and we were worried about how she would handle kidding. She did just fine and seems to be delighted with her new babies.
Lilac looks like she will go into labor within 24 hours. As do Lily and Gabby....
Busy week!
(sorry about the crappy pics...The Boy took them with a camera he got for a present from the Darlin' Man for Christmas. It's one of those "Go Pro" cameras that do videos and stills. I do NOT recommend them)

Fast and Furious on the Farm!

Yes....things are arriving fast and furious here!
First, the Darlin' Man achieved one of his dreams....he was able to get a Belgian Malinois!
We named her Tabitha, Tabby for short:

 And then, today, another surprise arrived....actually, TWO surprises! We were not even sure Champagne was pregnant. But then, today.....

We named them Yin and Yang. Yin being the black one and Yang being the white one. Just seemed natural!
I made Champagne her *Goaterade* and she slurped it down eagerly. (Tepid/warmish water, molasses, a bit of baking soda and a bit of salt)
She and her little ones are resting comfortably...okay, the little ones are nursing on Champagne, but Champagne looks happy. though a little tired, lol!

Odds and Ends and Pieces

Lily still hasn't kidded. She seems to be in some sort of  "holding pattern" waiting for the most perfect moment to kid.
No doubt it will be at THE most inconvenient moment possible. Driving rain storm or a sandstorm most likely.
Still, she is enjoying the extra attention. I check on her several times a day and make sure to scratch her right behind the ears. I go out at night and make sure all is well. I have even sat in her pen at night and given her ear scratching and tummy rubs until she falls asleep...with her head in my lap.
Not spoiled much, is she?
So, still waiting on her.
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The Boy and the Girl have each had horrendous colds in the past couple of weeks.
I finally got it and it blossomed into a Class 4 sinus infection.
I have been combating it with lots of hot tea with lemon and honey, hot, HOT baths with lavender soap and bath oil and Halls Menthol-Lyptus cough drops.
The first hour I am up I am miserable...after that I am more or less okay.
Just takes two of three cups of tea.
The kids recovered nicely, the Darlin' Man hasn't caught it and my son hasn't caught it.
I should be okay by the end of the week, I hope!
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Today I go to the dentist to get a recheck on the extraction that was done.
While I am out, I plan to stop by the feed store as we need some sweet feed.
I think I will stay glued to the Darlin' Mans side the whole time we are there!
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 Weirdness abounds in recent news stories..
The Russians grew an extinct plant from a 30,000 year old seed.
Good thing or bad thing?
I dunno, but I have seen Jurassic Park enough times to be nervous about any extinct species being resurrected. They say the Japanese are hoping to resurrect the Mammoth from frozen specimens found in the tundra in Siberia.
Is that really wise? I mean...what bacteria did those animals carry in their digestive tracts?
That's just one thing that worries me.
Also, meat grown from stem cells?
I see all kinds of problems cropping up from that!
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Well, time to hang up the laundry and then I think a shower for me. Lots and lots of lavender scented bubbles!

Playing the Waiting Game...Again

So, I have two more goats that are pregnant. Lily and her best buddy, Nina.
We bought them at the same time, brought them home at the same time and Wang, the buck we had, had access to them at the same time.
However, Nina played "hard to get", so she was bred about a week later than Lily.
By my count (remember, I am terrible at math!), Lily should be due the first week in March, and Nina the second week of March.
Lily apparently is going to jump the gun by a few days....maybe.
Yesterday, Lily let out a horrendous squawk/ screech/bleat that sounded like she was being tortured to death! I ran outside, convinced she had gotten her head stuck in the gate or perhaps a coyote had gotten in the yard and ripped off one of her legs! It sounded that bad!
Nope, she was just standing there in her pen, looking a bit distressed, but all in one piece.
I got in the pen to check on her and noticed she was bagging up.
Nina, jealous that I was petting Lily, starting head butting poor Lily.
So, Nina was transferred to the nursery pen with the younglings.
Now, when I got the girls, their udders were :high and tight" as neither had ever been bred/kidded.
Look at Lily this morning!

Yup, definitely bagging up!

"Excuse me!? This is NOT my best angle!"

 So, on kidding watch again!
Meanwhile, Lily continues to bleat in the most pitiful manner every time she thinks she feels a contraction, I swear!
The neighbors keep coming out to check on her...I think to make sure she isn't being tortured!
Like my friend over at Krazo Acres was about her Nettie goat, I am anxious about this goat Lily. It is her first kidding. She was bred to the same buck as the rest of them, and all of the others had twins!
So, besides keeping an eye on Lilys' hindmost parts today until whenever she kids, I have a full plate today.
But a break to watch Mollys' little boys cheered up my morning!

"Oh...Max is still sleeping!"

"GOTCHA!!!"

"WHAT!? Sneak attacks are legal! I'm a GOAT!"