Being the total farming newbies we are, we were not quite sure if the goats had actually gotten bred. We know there had been some significant trying going on, but it wasn’t clear if the buck’s equipment would be in proper working order quite so early, and the goats weren’t looking all that fat. I’ll tell you, halfway through my pregnancy, I am looking a whole lot fatter than the goats were on Friday (which would have been approaching term for them, if they’d been bred).
Well, it turns out, they were. We were in town for a coffee with my father yesterday, and did not get home until just after dark. We pulled the car up near the barn, so Hubby could see to do the evening chores – I’ll admit, I stayed in the car where it was warm. Hubby was having trouble rounding everyone up, though, so I got out to help a bit. It was about then that we realized there were extra bodies in the pen. Very teeny bodies – two of them. Missy and Saffron were the two that should have been bred for sure, and were also the two who would not go in; upon closer examination, it was Missy who was covered in gore, so at least we knew who the little guys belonged to.
Missy is a first-time mom, and it shows. She had the babies in a snowbank outside, instead of on the nice clean straw in the barn, and it looks like she had them and just kind of walked away. They were still wet when we found them, shivering in the snow, and their little ears were frozen stiff. They did not look like they’d managed to stand yet, and they were both looking pretty weak. We scooped them up in some towels and took them inside to warm them up and dry them off. I put a panicked message in to a homesteading board I frequent, and got immediate advice – get those little guys warm and dry, and go out and milk some colostrum from the mom to get into them, stat. Without it, the babies would probably die.
So, back out to the barn we went, to milk a skittish first-time mom while kneeling in the snow, pregnant and tired. That didn’t go so well. I checked Saffron, and discovered she is ‘bagging up’ – she’s starting to produce colostrum, too – she will probably have babies soon, herself. Well, we took some colostrum from Saff, who stood pretty quietly and saved a great deal more frustration and swearing, and went back in to feed the babies. That went over well, and eventually they were warmed and fed enough to put back out with their mom. At about midnight.
This morning, we found both babies doing okay, but not as perky as I’d like, especially the girl, who seems to be the weaker of the pair. It wasn’t clear if Missy was letting them nurse, so we tried putting them on her. They nosed around, but ended up sucking on her elbow, or her fur – if this is how instinct operates, I have to admit, I’m not impressed. Unfortunately, the couple of times the babies did get close, Missy walked away. We decided to give her a couple more hours before interfering any further. I was afraid I was going to have to try to hand milk her again, but at lunchtime, we went out, put Missy on the milking stand, and got the babies to latch on. Missy did not look too impressed, but she stood still for it…more or less. We’ll follow up by doing that a couple more times, but the babies are looking stronger, so they may be able to manage it on their own, now, especially if Missy has finally gotten the idea of what she’s supposed to be doing. We’ll see, tonight.
In the meantime, some gratuitous cute kid pictures:
The doeling
The buckling
Both kids together
jj
Awwwww…..Congrats on the adorable kids. ALL first-time moms sometimes need counsel and some friendly persuasion. No baby comes with a manual and if the hormone levels aren’t quite right, what we commonly consider to be “instinct” can be missing as well. Good Job, you two.
That little girl looks like a little dejected and her back is a bit hunched. Keep an eye on that and on her stool. Kids can often get coccidia and the hunched back is one sign, though it could just mean she’s cold too, which is fine. Another sign of coccidia is having pale gums. They should be a nice healthy pink. If she still isn’t eating vigorously and is standing around hunched often, you may want to talk to your vet about it. Also, some farmland can be deficient in selenium, and we always gave our does and kids a shot of it at birthing to make up for it, which you may want to look into. Might be a good idea to start training that other doe to let you touch her udder now, as well. Every time you bring them in, just gently touch her udder, progressing to holding her teats like you would to milk her. It will make her a lot easier to milk to train her before you need to milk her, and you’ll have a better sense of when she’s about to pop by the tension in her udder. Watch for her going a while between chewing cud, looking focused, nesting in a safe spot, or acting unusually scared of cats/dogs. Within a few hours of all that, she’ll probably be in labor. Cute little togs! Have fun!
I’ll keep an eye on the girl, for sure.
The other doe (Saffron) was hand milked all last summer, so she’s fine. It’s the current mom who’s being a pain about it…
They’re adorable. Such cute markings. It’s very stressful and exciting to have the little ones. I worry all the time until they are all born and show me they understand the fence situation. The first two days are rough…
Of course I have cows, not goats, but I’m always careful to watch moms who are low ranking & be sure they have a safe protected space. Their need to be away from the rest of the herd will be greater than remembering to bring the baby to the warm straw which is probably where the rest of the herd is hanging out.
Congratulations, they are beautiful and look very healthy.
How are they doing today?
They seem to be okay. The boy is still stronger and more adventurous than the girl, but they’re both up and about and being nuisances
Saffron gave us a big buck kid tonight, no issues (though it sounded like it hurt like heck), and is a much better mom, so we’re pleased with that, too.
That’s great : )
Had the first spring kid two days ago. No surprise – mom’s udders had swelled and anytime I see a change in udder size I do the daily feel around where the tail meets the backbone. Sure fire way to know if birthing is close. Once that tailbone arches and “separates”? the goats get locked up in the barn with the nice straw at night or when I am gone. And put on the barnyard paddock restriction.
Stupid goats – never kid on a bright sunny day – always wait for thunderstorms or ice and snow. We’re farmin’ now!
Nothing is cuter than a baby goat so it all works out. Just make sure once the colostrum is milked out you drink the first glass straight out milking bucket…
Heh, comrade, we’re farming now, indeed. I thought horses had cornered the market on that skittish sort of stupidity, but apparently I had it wrong. I agree those baby goats are unspeakably cute, though
Oh my goodness, they are so darn cute! I can’t wait to keep up with your blog – just found it.
Thank you, Christie! Hope you enjoy
Oh jj, the are cute. Congratulations. They look so … snuggley.
More bouncy than snuggly, but certainly cute