All kids are on the Ground

We are done. #7 gave in and had her one on Thursday May 3. Go figure, she was as big as a house and has one small baby.

All are doing well. Total count from our herd is 14 kids, 9 does and 5 bucks. They all look good, are healthy and happy. Last night I went out to check on them about 11 and the moon was out full and I sat on the picnic table with kids crawling all over me and different goats coming up to have their ears scratched. What a blessed evening.

Two New Kids

Well, I was proven wrong (again). Number 30 had two little girls on May 1. One is solid milk chocolate and the other has traditional Boer coloring. Both are doing well. Number 7 who we have been believing was going to kid every day for the last two weeks is still fat and grumpy. She is normally over friendly but butted me this morning while I was feeding her. Pics to follow in a day or two.

If you are interested in a male that is show quality, I have a couple for sale and need to know requirements soon - debudding, whether, breeding stock, etc.

Forever Pregnant

#7 and #30 refuse to kid. They have been pregnant forever and we have penned them multiple times being sure they were ready. #7 is a pretty paint doe and follows me around like a puppy anytime I am at the Other Side. She wants to be fed but is just as happy having me scratch her head and neck. Still waiting for those two. I predict twins for 7 and single for 30.

Above are pictures of some of the kids. Guess which is Oreo and which is Half and Half?

11 Kids on the Ground and Happy

As of Sunday noon we were at 11 kids. 10 are out in the pasture with their mothers and doing well. The mothers hide the youngest ones while they graze so you only see the kids early in the morning and in the evening. We have 2 does left to kid in the next couple of days.

Two More at Noon Today

The first kids conceived and born at "The Other Side" arrived around noon today. Two of them in the pen with Mom doing fine. More probably later today or when Judy calls me with a status. Pictures at 10. ;-)

Boots has Triplets- First Goat Production

So we now we have 3 more from one mother. She was purchased pregnant so she is not having kids by our Billy Bob Buck. They should start any day. At least 8 does should have kids in the next two weeks.

We built pens and covers this last week just in time for the kidding season. We have been locking up the mom, Boots, and the 3 kids each evening and Anna, the Anatolian shepherd, is doing a good job of keeping the predators away. She really watches out for the kids and stays close to them. She will work the herd back closer to them if they get too far away. Her instincts are fascinating for an 11 month old dog. Below is a picture of Anna with her bud, Billy Bob. The billy is going to a new home next weekend and Anna is sure going to miss him.

Goat Pervert

So people have been hassling me about updating the blog concerning the goats. Well many of them are due in the next week and we are pretty nervous. All but one are doelings (first year, first kids) and I have been reading books and stuff, we are having pens built with birthing stalls, and we have been checking on them regularly. So what exactly does "checking" mean? Here's where the term perv comes into play. It means you walk around behind them and look at their teats/bag....how big is it? are they swelling, are they blocked? So now instead of looking at womens breasts like the normal american male, I am checking out goats...hmmmmm? Next you are supposed to look at their vulva and check to see if it is getting "loose". So once again instead of looking for loose women, I am looking for loose goats. Now we get down to the touchy, feely part. You feel their backbone to see if the kids have dropped and you are supposed to feel just above where all those little dark pellets come falling out, but I am not doing that. If that is a necessary thing then I will leave goat herding to someone else. However, I firmly believe these kids will come out without our help, but just in case, we bought:
gloves
goat drench - High energy drink for mom and kid
iodine for cutting umbilical cords to stop infection
direction manuals (Books)

So I think we are set. By my calculations the first kid should be here Monday... By the way wife, did I mention I was going to LA on a 6am flight Monday for three days??? Yes its true, Judy will have the big test first unless one comes tomorrow.

So, you might ask how the water system is going since the first blog. It works great. Everything is as it is supposed to be. We have plenty of water, the tank overflows regularly (which is good), and the water is pure.

That is all for now. Peace, love and if you see me sneaking around behind the goats for a better view, now you know why.