Latest Farm Journal: An Exciting Goat Edition
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It is finally spring on the farm! We’ve had a couple of freak snow storms, hard frosts (finally) but now it is officially spring, and really it’s summer as the temperature went from freezing to the 90s in under a week. You gotta love Colorado and its crazy weather!
Last year we purchased two goat mamas in full milk for dairy intolerant kids. They have been wonderful pets and fantastic producers. Hazel and Heather are a mix of Nigerian dwarf and Nubian breeds and they are the best goats we’ve had. They have the smaller size of the Nigerian dwarfs but the good temperament of the Nubians, making them the perfect goats (almost, they do still destroy fences!). BEtween the two of them they produced a gallon of milk a day from May until we stopped milking them in November, but they would have kept going. In December, we took them to meet Mr. Billy at a friends’ farm where they vacationed for a week.
Tuesday Morning
And now, we are being kept on our toes waiting for babies to literally show their noses. We have made them a comfortable birthing shed, all the supplies are ready, the midwives and doulas have reviewed their procedures and now we wait. The waiting is the worst. I will keep you posted on the happenings.
And we waited, and waited all day long…
Wednesday morning
At 1:30am a goat check revealed that Hazel was in full labor! Two little ones were already born and a third was on the way! Not really taking the time to get dressed the midwives/doulas quickly went out to assist mama if need be. Within an hour all 4 babies were out and about, frisking and trying to nurse. Baby goats are such a wonder! They get on their legs so very quickly and just figure things out. Mama has been very protective of them and a really good mama from the start. The two white ones are twin girls and the two black ones are twin boys, lol! So funny how that worked out!
Will we name the babies?
Yes! But it is still undecided as to what their names will be. So far the boy names in the running are Hercules, Hector and Achilles. And for the girls, well Rose and Lily, Hortensia, Helen and Hermione are all in the running, we shall see what happens once Heather has her babies, which might end up being the deciding factor. I am all about the Iliad theme, personally and keeping the Hs.
Thursday morning
Heather is still pregnant, and is disappointed by the lack of attention she has been receiving… The babies have really stolen the limelight. She is growing increasingly cranky and does not want anyone around her. Her utters are very swollen, her tail can hardly stay up and her ligaments have softened, a good sign that we might have babies in the next 24 hours or so. The midwives and doulas would appreciate a day time birth, lol.
Still no definite names for anyone.
Friday morning
Still waiting…
Friday night
And waiting…
4:30 Saturday morning
Finally! Heather gave birth to two healthy and strong twin boys: Houdini and Fugitive! Funnily enough they look way more like Mom than Dad, unlike Hazel’s little ones.
We have firm names for Hazel’s babies as well: Hercules and Achilles for the boys and Sadie and Problema for the girls. Sadie is all white and Problema has black eyebrows. Problema had a back leg whose tendon was stuck for a little while, hence call to the vet and trying to figure things out: how she came by her name, lol. Creating problems right from the get go, lol! She is totally fine now, things limbered up and she’s got her springs on as the kids say.
Stick to @adailypicturebook on Instagram for regular picture updates!
Love,
Mattie
