2 became 20

The weekend kidding bonanza is over! Everyone survived, us included. We managed to get the milking machine up and running and disbudded our first 2 batches of kids. Now the pasteurizer is buzzing away and the bottles are washed and ready to refill. We're dam raising most of this years buck kids- they will then be sold as 4H projects, pack wethers or used for meat. 

                                    

Isadora kicked things off with triplets. A sundgau buck, a sundgau doe and a belted sundgau buck. The boys are nursing off of mom and the cute little doe has moved in with the "big kids". 

   

   

   

Chicory had twins, a large sundgau doe and a pied(?) buckling who is split right down the middle- black front half, white rear half. The doe kid will probably be staying put here at Capra Lane, the buckling is staying on mom.

   

                                   

Sofia thankfully did not give a repeat performance of last years disastrous birth- she easily delivered a giant hulk of a chamoise buckling followed by a more petite chamoisee doeling who will be retained as well.

                                     

He really is big- as large as our 2 week old togg kids, in this picture there is a normal size doeling completely hiding behind him.

     

Charlotte had the weirdest and slo-o-o-w-e-s-t birth of the day- and when all was said and done she had a large single sundgau buckling who will be a future pack goat. Hopefully her milk production will be as high as ever despite having a single kid.

Can-Can-Carolina did a super fast stop drop roll and deliver and had 2 sundgau kids, one buck, one doe who we are planning to retain. Charlotte's boy pictured in the middle. I guess this means our sundgau herd is growing?!?

  

Rounding out the weekend was Gemma, who was bred to a togg for convenience since the only accessible saanen buck here is her sire. She kept things fair and had 2 bucks, one of each type.

                                         

Everyone is settled in and enjoying this spring-like weather. The girls would like a chance to show off their slimmed down figures.

                                     

Elliott is still crazy. She limped for a few days after removing the cast and splint, her hock (back knee joint) was quite weak after being immobilized for so long. I was secretly a little happy that she was a little sore, I thought it may slow her down a bit. Nope. Up and over the gate. Twice. Sigh...

     

Lots of cuteness here.

     

Saanen is still a sable. Saanen on the left...

     

Sable on the right. 

     

Late night barn checks mean the lights are staying on around the clock. Which means the chickens are producing even more eggs! We're going to need another refrigerator. I've been googling quiche and soufflé recipes and eating lots of egg salad. 

                     

And the rooster is crowing. Non stop. All day. All night. 

Next project is to read about alfalfa species and plan our planting schedule. And to fill bottles. And wash bottles. Always washing bottles...

Lastly, this face. . . . . 

                          

    

Babies! Babies!

Maribel's babies are growing very well and Maple is showing the new girls the ropes. Wide load Emilene had triplets again, 1 buckling and 2 doelings without much Difficulty. Buck is staying with mom and the girls are being hand raised as usual. She is making enough milk to feed the whole barn but unfortunately she is afraid of the milk stand now after a minor slip so we have to lift her huge ass up there twice a day. Hoping she gets over that soon!

     

Luci, although huge and waddling, surprised us with a single doe of all things! I was sure 3 more would tumble out. After she was born I saw my mom rubbing her dry with a confused look on her face and I realized we had our first ever sable. 

                              

Whenever a full saanen produces a kid with color, that kid is registered as a sable, which is fully registerable  and "show-able" but as a separate breed. I have a bit of learning to do from a pedigree and registration standpoint. Sables most commonly appear as togg colored or sundgau. Ours looks like someone painted her very precisely. 

                             

                                      "Excuse me, I think you laid in something. "

Not sure what we'll do with her, I have a few young saanens yet to kid so we may offer her for sale, plenty of people seek out sables and breed them exclusively. 

Roger became a very proud grandpa yesterday as well. His special goat, Sabine, our lone Nubian gave birth to mixed twins yesterday. These kids are snubians, a saanen x Nubian cross. 

                               

We were worried about Sabine's mothering skills, we thought she might try to eat them! We also thought she certainly would have a single since she barely looked pregnant. 10 minutes of active labor, a buck was quickly followed by a doe and the buck was standing and eating without assistance a few minutes later. Sabine was very patient and stood still for him almost immediately. 

                              

The kids have "airplane ears"- Nubian in size but they stand straight out instead of dangling. They're also exceptionally cute. Rog gets to make the call on keeping this little girl. 

                             

Next up, Chicory and Isadora, they will kid later today, hopefully not at 2 am. Sofia and Charlotte tomorrow, Gemma and Carolina on Sunday then a short break before the yearlings are due.