# Our St Patty's day kidding thread



## Moody (Feb 12, 2016)

I have three does due March 15-17. I saw the breeding on each and none went back into heat so....

First is Ethel 3 years old and second freshener. Bred to young Nubian buckling so offspring will be 100% American Nubian. Last year she had a single doeling.


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## Moody (Feb 12, 2016)

Next is nearly 2 year old second freshener, Lamancha Lucy. She is bred to my registered alpine buck. She always looks thin to me. Last year she also had a single doeling.


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## Moody (Feb 12, 2016)

And last for the st. Patty's day party is alpine/Nubian mixed Betty. She is Ethel's doeling. She seemed big enough to purposely breed for this birthday kidding. Actually i wasn't going to breed her until December but there was some sneakiness going on out in the barnyard. Bred to the same Nubian buckling as her momma.


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## Moody (Feb 12, 2016)

They were devouring the hay like crazy but the last week or so aren't. This morning I emptied the hay feeder and put in all fresh in case that was their problem. They also in the past two weeks were reunited with the males (easier on me for awhile since they are all bred now and the boys have calmed down) and have free access to the upper field which doesn't have much but it does have lots of cedar to eat. So the pictures show an obvious stomach indent on the two second fresheners because they won't eat the hay at night anymore when in the barn. 

They just seem too thin now... I give alfalfa pellets and just a tad bit of grain twice daily. I could up their grain a bit slowly...and start some alfalfa hay tossed in with the other hay at night when the boys won't have access to it....


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## Moody (Feb 12, 2016)

I'm doubting they have more than one each. They don't look very big considering they are only about a month away from kidding. 

I was hoping for more since I must sell some to justify the feed bill. 

I do not plan on bottle feeding. They are good mothers and their kids grow well with them.


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## Poka_Doodle (Feb 12, 2016)

Exciting.


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## Latestarter (Feb 12, 2016)

Hope everything goes well! Looking forward to pics of the kids when they arrive!


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## Goatgirl47 (Feb 12, 2016)

Can't wait to see the babies (especially Lucy's, it will be exciting to see if the kid(s) will have Lamancha ears or not.  And I LOVE crossbreeds, they are my favorite)!

Betty's coloring is gorgeous!


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## Moody (Mar 7, 2016)

Betty is pretty. Her coat is always so soft and shiny.





This is Ethel. She is a little over a week out. She is looking large. Her udder is full, she Has had some goo and her ligaments are changing. I put fresh bedding down jic it is earlier than I thought.


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## Moody (Mar 7, 2016)

And this is Lucy. Her coat looks bad to me. Maybe deworming after kidding will take care of her coat. 



And this thing poking out of her left side I thought was a kid but I read it should be right side??


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## Moody (Mar 7, 2016)

See it a couple of inches down from her spine and about a hand away from hipbone. It moves around!


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## Moody (Mar 16, 2016)




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## Moody (Mar 16, 2016)

The hatched ducklings I set in the incubator a month ago not realizing the hatch would be at the same time as all the kidding. There are 3 in the brooder, 1 drying in the bator and 1 trying to emerge from its shell in the bator.


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## Latestarter (Mar 16, 2016)

You're going to need to update your signature file to include all the new critters you have


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## Moody (Mar 16, 2016)

It's 80 degrees. Spring is early. No hard freezes this past winter. It seems wormload is high so I'm really wanting Lucy to go first because I believe her wormload may be getting bad.  She looks...scraggly and thin, I guess. I should have gotten her 2 weeks ago with safeguard like I did the younger does.


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## Moody (Mar 18, 2016)




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## Moody (Mar 18, 2016)

Lucy went first. It seems she has another kid on the way. First was a boy!


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 18, 2016)

Congrats!!


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## samssimonsays (Mar 18, 2016)

Congrats! Beautiful baby! Alpine ears?


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## Moody (Mar 18, 2016)

At least I think that's another on the way. Not sure though.


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## Moody (Mar 18, 2016)

Yes alpine ears


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## Moody (Mar 18, 2016)




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## Moody (Mar 18, 2016)

Second was a girl


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## Latestarter (Mar 18, 2016)

Congrats! They're beautiful! Love the coloring!


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## HomesteaderWife (Mar 18, 2016)

Can't wait to see how your other girls do! Congrats on the two new babies  They are cute as can be!


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## norseofcourse (Mar 18, 2016)

Congrats!


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## Moody (Mar 19, 2016)




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## Moody (Mar 19, 2016)

Ethel kidded today! Triplets!!!

2 boys one girl. 

That gives me 3 boys 2 girls so far. 

One more doe to kid. Her bag is still developing as s first freshener


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## Moody (Mar 19, 2016)

Oh and the 3rd kid born came out fully in its bag? I didn't know if the doe would bust it or the kid could bust out or if it would have died had I not be there to cut it open for her? 

I dried that one off, too. She was too busy still cleaning the other two instead of bothering with the little one who had some fluid it was working out of its lungs.


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## Poka_Doodle (Mar 19, 2016)

Sorry that the ratio isn't in your favor.


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## Moody (Mar 20, 2016)

I'm just happy it's not all boys!

And I'm so excited that they each had more than a single. 

I don't know when to start milking... Last year I had read two weeks but was told NOW. 

Also one of Lucy's kids has yellow all over her backside. It does not come off. sticky, sticky, sticky. Is there a magic tonic to get it off?


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## mysunwolf (Mar 20, 2016)

Moody said:


> Oh and the 3rd kid born came out fully in its bag? I didn't know if the doe would bust it or the kid could bust out or if it would have died had I not be there to cut it open for her?
> 
> I dried that one off, too. She was too busy still cleaning the other two instead of bothering with the little one who had some fluid it was working out of its lungs.



In my experience with sheep, lambs will _sometimes _flop out of the fluid sack on their own, and sometimes not. We have lost a few this way when there are multiples. With a single in a sack, mom can concentrate on licking that lamb. But with multiples, sometimes she'll be busy with another lamb and can't get to it in time. 

As to the yellow stuff, if mom doesn't lick it off right away I towel it off as best I can and then just leave it. Some moms have thicker "goo" than others too.

Those are some cute kids


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## mysunwolf (Mar 20, 2016)

Moody said:


> I'm just happy it's not all boys!
> 
> And I'm so excited that they each had more than a single.
> 
> ...



Unless the yellow stuff you're referring to is baby poo... in which case you can clean it with warm water or just let mom get it eventually.


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## Moody (Mar 20, 2016)

Thank you for your experienced answer! I was wondering if he would have made it had I not been there. I'm glad I was. 

I like to let them Take care of things. They are best at it after all. I don't want to intervene or meddle unless necessary. 

The yellow is the poo. She is not keeping the doeling clean.


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## Latestarter (Mar 20, 2016)

If she's not cleaning the kid, you'll want to watch to make sure it doesn't harden and cause a blockage. Warm water with a little dawn ought to help it loosen and wash away.


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## Moody (Mar 25, 2016)

I got that off yellow off finally a couple of days ago. Turns out it wasn't a girl after all. I don't know how I missed THAT. So Lucy had 2 boys. 

I disbudded those two on Wednesday at 5 days. The one had horn buds at birth and really needed to be done probably sooner. I'm certain I didn't get the ridge. It was only my second and third disbudding. These are mixed breeds. Alpine/lamancha. Their momma, Lucy, is bleeding a lot. I see bright drops on the ground, her kids, the milk stand had a small puddle. I hope she isn't hemorrhaging internally. I think that would have killed her sooner than 6-7 days after kidding?

I'm only concerned because Ethel, the Nubian, kidded one day later and doesn't have visible blood drops, a tail full of blood or anything even remotely close to Lucy. Ethel seems to have no bleeding.


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## Moody (Mar 25, 2016)

And I guess I was off on the dates for Betty. She hasn't fully developed her udder still but is huge. I still think she was bred by the non related buck. She showed interest in him but was a tad on the young side so maybe the first heat didn't take. She can't be more than another 2 weeks out.


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## Moody (Mar 25, 2016)

And I'm wanting to sell all but the Nubian girl. I will likely keep her.

So.. The mixed alpine/lamancha boys are likely to sell easier if I band them, right? I have no good resources, only craigslist. I would rather them not be for meat, but I'm not sure of the demand for dairy mixed breed bucks or bucks in general. So $100 sound fair in your neck of the woods? Hopefully no meat buyer wants to pay that much and I'm hoping to get the brush buster or needs a goat buddy market.

I know what I paid for my Nubians but I'm thinking I bought Nubians that didn't sell quickly. I've seen them anywhere from 200-500 but I know my Ethel was not show quality, according to the seller and I can only assume my buckling I bought wasn't either. She makes a medium amount of milk and I don't know what the buckling brings to the equation. I've no clue about show qualities except that a straight top line is desired and a show udder would have great attachment and a perfect full look when full. I'm thinking $200 each for those bucklings.

I want to sell at 3-4 months of age. Is there anything I'm missing?  I can't have 11 goats. I could manage to keep a wether and the Nubian female but the rest must go.


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## Latestarter (Mar 25, 2016)

Best way to gauge price is to check craigs list... see what others are asking, and for what, and go accordingly. You say you don't want them to sell as meat goats, but in reality, you'll never know... Many who buy wethers end up selling them later for meat just to unload them. If you price them too high, you won't sell them, or have trouble selling them regardless... 

I would actually say/suspect if you want to have a better chance to sell them as pets, then you should train them to the bottle and sell them as bottle babies... A meat goat buyers isn't going to want to bottle feed an animal and raise it if they don't have to. Good luck!

As for Lucy, from my understanding a little blood/bleeding can happen for up to a couple weeks after a birth, but it should be getting less over time. Have you taken her temp to see if maybe she's fighting an infection or something? Did you see if she got the whole placenta out after birth?


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## Mini Horses (Mar 25, 2016)

Congrats on good kiddings, & nice save on that little one.

Realistically, most do not want to pay $100-200 for a pet wether.  I've sold my young wethers for $40-75, depending on age, looks, tameness, etc.   Often people will buy for forage pupose and sometimes keep, often sell off when needs are met.    Many go to meat and that's just it.   I've seen lovely wethered, full blood Nubians go at $25 each.  Yep.

Now a doe is different matter.   IF you keep them long enough to freshen and begin milking, you can get more $ for them.   I have pd $275 for excellent reg Nubian as a 6 mo old and $350 for excellent grade Saanen, in milk.    Have both, plan to keep them.  Saanen due to kid in Jun, so milking now and Nub freshened 3 wks ago, plan to begin milking this week.  BUT her twin bucks will be sold --  full Nub, so can go intact or wethered  & can be registered for a small increase.  I will likely get $100 intact, less wethered.   My 5th gen mini Nubians (registered parents, they can be) will bring as much -- trip boys.   I have 7 does, 1 buck, 11 kids, 1 more doe due June.

Just bringing this up for comparison. Some areas are different for pricing but, mostly bucks get far less.  Doe milking or bred and especially trained to milk/in milk and or trained/in milk & bred....that gets most $$$.    Just not a great number who want to milk, some just think so, until they begin the grind.  I love the ones who TRULY love the goat, the milk and the commitment.  They are out there.   If you specify that these ARE milk type goats you will get best results for a buyer who truly wants that.

Just "food for thought"......good luck with sales.


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## mysunwolf (Mar 25, 2016)

Around here goats are $100+ even for weaned wethers, and some people pay much much higher. I've seen average looking brush, pet, or young meat goat wethers go for $175. Really depends what your local prices are.


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## Moody (Mar 25, 2016)

If they go for meat, then at least they will fill someone's tummy. I just prefer not to lower the price so meat would seem more likely. Technically I could use the Nubians as weathers for my own meat. I would prefer not to do that though. 

I'm leary about folks taking care of bottle babies. I worry that they would not do well on goat formula or the person wouldn't have the desire to put THAT much into its care. Kind of like the Easter chick, bunny babies that so many think are so cute, then are done with after Easter. 

Ive seen goat give aways for free and $800 goats on Craigslist.


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## Moody (Mar 25, 2016)

So I may have to lower my price on my mixed breed soon to be wethers. 

I'm not seeing much on Craigslist now to compare. I'm going to have to keep and eye on it every day. 

I need to recoup some $$ on these guys though. 


Thanks for the input!


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## Moody (Apr 4, 2016)

Betty is not cooperating. She must not have taken when I observed her with my Nubian buckling.

Her udder is getting there. She seems huge. I got tired of waiting and was sidetracked by the Nubian bucklings injury so  the bucks are both up in the main pen where they are in the way while little guys leg is healing. So she hasn't been getting the attention I normally give when preparing for them to kid.


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## Latestarter (Apr 4, 2016)

Well shame on you! You're a baaaadddddd goatie mama! You better go collect Betty and bring her in the house with the family so you can "make it up" to her!   I'm sorry, but I must have missed it? What happened to little guy's leg? Is he going to be OK?


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## Moody (Apr 5, 2016)

Buck tore a 3 inch gash on his lower leg to the bone on his housing, I guess. I gave tetanus antitoxin since he wasn't vaccinated and a round of 
pennicillin since it was a bad wound. He wasnt putting weight on it a weeks ago but now he is. He seems to be doing better.


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## Latestarter (Apr 5, 2016)

Ohhhh OK, now I remember. Glad he's doing better!


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## Moody (Apr 11, 2016)

Betty finally kidded early this morning. (I figured she would keep them in forever). I went out to milk at 6 and was surprised to see a bsby goat. Looked around and saw another baby goat. She kidded boy/girl twins!!


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## frustratedearthmother (Apr 11, 2016)

Congrats!


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## Moody (Apr 11, 2016)




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## Latestarter (Apr 11, 2016)

Congrats! Very pretty coloring!


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## norseofcourse (Apr 11, 2016)

Congrats!


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