Mystery, our first goat kid born on our farm is growing like a weed! She is doing amazing. She received her first CD &T vaccination last week, which she was not so fond of. She stays close by her mama but is willing to venture out and explore. For now they are being kept in the baby goat pen probably until the fair. She will be shown at our county fair by my daughter who loves her immensely! After the fair she will be weaned and go out to the pasture while her mama, Dazzle, goes straight out to pasture with the billy.
We also have had a set of twin boys to report. The are both doing great and for now are in the barn with mom. The day they were born mom was especially friendly that morning, which made me a little curious as to whether it would be that day or not. She did not, however, have any of the signs our first time doe had, no hind end swelling or drainage. She was as wide as she was long -almost. We had been gone for a few hours and went to check her when we got back in the afternoon. The goats were in our old barn in the back pasture. When my daughter got close she said " uh, mom, there is something white outside the barn". Well, it was a newborn goat. He had slid under the door and when we looked inside his brother was with mama. The other big goats were with her while she had them and even Billy was standing near with a kind of watchful fatherly eye. We hauled mom and babies up to the "good" barn in a large stall (actually one whole side of the barn). We had been kind of hoping for girls to increase our herd. They have done well there and love to run, jump and climb on our junk in the barn. Some days Billy and the others lay just outside the barn gate as though they miss her and want her to come play.
Last week the boys were vaccinated and banded. I always feel sorry for the animals that get banded, but it looks so funny the way they walk just after. They cried for mama when they got their shots! They will eventually be butchered and sold as meat. I have to keep myself from thinking about it for now, as they are so adorable and I love to play with them, but that is why we started raising goats!
I do think the other 2 girls with Billy have bellies that are looking a little pudgy and hopefully they are pregnant as well. The more, the merrier! All the bottle babies in the baby pen are about ready to go out to pasture and hopefully be bred. I am a little nervous that they will attempt escaping the different fencing, but all our goats will go anywhere following a bucket of grain, which makes it easy to get them coralled. We will then move the newest mama and boys to the baby pen with mystery and her mama. Our little billy is also ready to get to work!
I would like to build one more nursery pen, but haven't decided where it will be yet. It has been so busy around here that I find it hard to find time to write, but after the county fair I will have more time! Hopefully anyway!
As always HAVE A GREAT DAY!
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