# C&DFarming 2020 kidding thread❤️🐐



## Duckfarmerpa1 (Jul 11, 2020)

Ok, here we go!  A ton has changed on the farm since last year!  First, we went from 2goats to..well, at one point we had 16, now we have a nice 10.  3 does, 1 buck, 1 Wether and the rest are doelings from December and January.  So my 3 does are bred....looking at late September/October kids.  These guys will be bottle babies and sold??  Unless we get 1-2 really special ones.  My farm exploded over the past year..and although goats are my very favorite Animals, tge6 are also a ton of work..as you all know!  So, We plan to sell?  Last year we only sold one...🤣❤️🐐.
So, up first I have Honey..my ND, blue eyed girl....sweet as pie..but impossible to milk..ugh!  She only ha$ one kid last year.  We bought them as a set.  Sugar is the kid..white with tan moonspots and blue eyes.❤️❤️  My buck, Ferdinand is also a blue-eyed ND.  So, pretty sure the kids will be nice blue eyed.🤣❤️🐐

Then Busty..my Kinder doe...she’s my herd leader.  I love this goat sooo much.  She can be strong headed, Last year she had triplets...made wayyy too much milk, we had to milk he4 down and keep her in the stand so she would le5 them nurse...ugh.  But, she is an awesome mom....it was just she makes a ton of milk.  She’s still this way.  I have to stop milking her in August.  We have two calves so I’m taking advantage of her milk for them.  She gave me two agouti bucklings and a chestnut doeling.  Shes Busty’s mini me.  Fell in love the second I saw her.  We sold the one buckling because Kinder bucks are too big to breed to my girls.  We made the other into a wether...my ❤️Willy.

3rd is Brandy..mini oberhasli.  We bought her from a big dairy farm.  She was skittish and super skinny.  I grained her pretty good on the stand and now she’s a good milker.  Never had one issue with her standing for me.  She was a FF , one kid..doeling.  bought her niece.

So, I’ll be writing about the nex5 few months ...and if I’m forgetting anyth8ng..I’d love th3 tips!  I know it’s an odd time of year for kids....but many people were asking us for kids....so, we decided to go for it..since I’m for sure not selling mine!!


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## Wild Bug Ranch (Jul 12, 2020)

SOOOO CUTTEEEEE!!!


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## Wild Bug Ranch (Jul 12, 2020)

Mine


Blu
Dexter
Whiskey
Luke
Dixie(my only doe, rest or wethers)


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Jul 13, 2020)

Thanks for the nice comments...it’s starting to hit me that I’m going to be kidding very soon again.  I switched the grain to alfalfa for Busty and a Brandy while I milk.  Busty is such a stinker...she loves alfalfa when she’s....got no choice🤣.  But, after taste grain...she’s digging through the bowl.  I used to layer it..alfalfa on the top.   she always knew how to pick the good stuff out,.what a goat!🤣🤣. Now she’s throwing the alfalfa all over the place searching for the grain!🤣😩. Plus she’s kicking the bowl.  Yes, I milk old school.  We had..still have..milk machines.  One, super ex


Wild Bug Ranch said:


> Mine
> 
> 
> Blu
> ...


you better catch up!  Buy some does so you can go nuts during kidding season!🤣❤️🐐😩


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## Wild Bug Ranch (Jul 13, 2020)

Yes, we are looking for 2 registered boer does or doelings so we can use one for breeding and the other for 4H market goat


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 9, 2020)

Ok, soooo, here I am, about 10-12 days out from kidding day!  Yikes!!  I’m not really ready this year....so, I’m going to need a refresher course..,really quick.  Last year, we on,y had two does, and they kidded at the same time..  this year is different....I have 9 goats living together...2 are due on the 20th.   So, I’m putting back up my stalls from last year.  If I remember right....,I need to keep the new kids away from the rest of the herd??  At this moment, of this day, we on,y hav3 one goat barn...we buy semi trailers and convert them into barns.  Well we bout 4more.  one wS designated for my 2nd goat barn....but it got used to house calves temporarily.  Ugh!  So, chris has to do some fancy work...fast!!  So, I can keep all my normal goats, hopefully, in the goat barn...and keep the bpnew guys in the kidding stalls, with mama, etc.....  so. It’s hot here during tht day...but at NuStock it drops...to at least 50...is heat lanm good enough for tge bixec?


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## Jaime (Aug 10, 2020)

How exciting! Got any recent pics of the soon-to-be mamas? I'll definitely be following along  I wouldn't supplement them with a heat lamp, 50 f isn't that low, I'd kill for that kind of weather right now! It's been staying in the upper 90s and humid during the day and high 70s at night 
I've had newborn kids in stalls without a heat lamp in weather as low as 34F and they did just fine.  Just make sure they have clean deep bedding


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## Jesusfreak101 (Aug 10, 2020)

I agree the temperature should not cause an issue. However if you could make it when she gives birth I would dry off the kids in order to help them not get chilled but they should be fine I've had mine give birth in about that temperature if not a little bit lower and the kids do fine without any assistance


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 10, 2020)

Last kidding it’s was Jan 31...horrible temps...negative temps constantly...so this is better!!  Geez, I just reread my last post...what a mess!!  I’m sorry...when I’m tired, my typing is a mess, and I don’t reread...Ugh!  So, a. It more details....we have 4 semi trailers..2 are for goats...but one is full of calves right now, so chris has to move tge fencing, but, he’s not sure how he wants to set it up...because, the pathway to my rabbit barn,,....well, if we do it tge easy way, I’ll have two gate...that’s fine with me!!  So, instead of working on the goat barn he’s riding the tractor!!  Ugh!!  I did decide that I’m going to let the moms keep the kids for the whole 8 weeks.  I really didn’t want todo that...because I’m going to fall in love with these guys..and not want to sell them!!  But, I was looking aroun* in this area...not many people sell bottle babies....so, I’m not sure if that means people don’t buy them?  I don’t need the milk.  We are soooooo busy we don’t have time to make cheese or any..we typically let it go bad and feed it to the pumpkins.   So, I thought...geez, if no one buys these guys right off the bat...I’m stuck with goat kids....really stuck..because then I’ll really never sell them!  so I’m just going to do it the regular way.  So, we’re 10 days away...Honey is definitely getting a bag.  I had dried he4 up in the spring..because she’s a pain to milk...and her kid...born in Dec...was still fence nursing...I’ll keep getting more pictures..since with goats, they change daily!!  These pictures are a few days old?, Brandy is my m8ni oberhasli...I’m thinkin* she is having twins at least.  She was skinny as a twig.  Honey is my ND..she only had on3 last year..but he4 kid is big!!  She’s basically ready to be bred now....but I’m waiting.shes almost as big as her momma!

ok, any tips would be great!


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## Jaime (Aug 10, 2020)

They look good! You have some lovely goats~ Have you got your kidding supplies all ready? ❤ I'm so jealous, I have to wait a whole 5 months before we have kids on the ground again   Be sure to post lots of baby pics for us~ Fingers crossed for some easy deliveries !


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 10, 2020)

Yep, got the supplies ready, most are already in the barn, towels, hairdryer, a lot of the stuff we just used to deliver piglets...but, I also had a lot of stuff, that I bought For the goats..that I guess, you only need if things go....really bad....I have all of that stuff too, in a different bag..ready to go.  Last year both goats kidded on the same day.  We literally just finished drying up the triplets..and then Stormy, started screaming....we ran over...I didn’t have anymore dry towels...I never thought I’d have two go at the same time!!  But we managed!!🤣. Busty’s delivery was rough...1st was breach and stalled..tough....Stormy was the opposite..the twins came flying out!🤣. What a day!!  We were hooting and hollering!  Oh, yeah and throwing placenta in Walmart bags out of the barn🤣.   But, now things have changed...hubby doesn’t bother with the bags anymore...when our last Juliana mini pig, had her piglets...he threw the placenta at me🤣😩. He’s a riot...and like a 12 year old boy...but he keeps it exciting.  I was going to ge5 better pictures of Honey today...because she is sooo much bigger..but she wouldn’t keep still...🤣. They are hot and tired...poor girls...


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## Jaime (Aug 10, 2020)

Kidding time is always exciting Lol 😂 It's my favorite time of the year. I had one of my girls kidded with triplets as a FF. Took me by surprise, She barely had a belly and we all thought for sure she had a single or twins. She had the first kid with no problems but we ended up having to pull the last two since they were determined to come out at the same time lol. Pigs are a blast too 😁 How many goats do plan on breeding? Just the 3 or do you have plans for your juniors?


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 11, 2020)

Hubby wants to breed them alllllll...I want to wait and see.

Got two kidding on 8/20
Busty is in with my buck now..but she might have been exposed before?

 Definitely my ND born in Dec can be bred...She’s almost as big as momma...I might put her in with my buck after Busty, so I’ve got two kidding at the same time...

Then I’ve got 2 Pygmy/ND..1Kinder/ND..they were all born 1/31...wayyyy too small...maybe in December?  Then I have a mini oberhasli..born in late February...she’s a twig...adorable...sooo sweet, obviously too small.  

I don’t want too many kidding at once, and don’t want alll that work for just one kid?  So, I’ll probably breed sugar..my big ND kid, soon, after I take Busty out.  Then wait until December..put the twins in with the buck....then in Jan...do my Kinder and ober?  Chris wants tgat alll moved up at least by a month.  He read they only need to be 60% of their future weight??  I want them to be big enough and mature enough.  But, with such a full farm, and just the two of us, two goats kidding at one time, I think will be just enough pressure...🤣😩❤️🐐🙏


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 13, 2020)

7 days to go!!  The girls are bigger than ever...Honey is starting to just lay around...Brandy just wants to eat and eat and eat....the bellies get sooo deceiving at this point...right now I’m guessing triplets for honey?but both only had a single last time??  Every time Chris tries to get the new goat barn fixed up..the goats decide to go to the other barn!!  Ugh!!too many choices!!i guess maybe I should check ligaments tomorrow? But it seems wayyy too soon?


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 15, 2020)

Ok....  @Jaime ...  @B&B Happy goats @rachels.haven @Mini Horses @Jesusfreak101 @chickens really @lalabugs 

ok..so, here we go...a few days to go...


i put an ad up on our farm page for “bottle babies “....woooosh.....my phone has been going off like mad!!  According to these texts, I’ve sold about..12 kids?  At least!  
so, here’s my issue, when I first was thinking of having them as bottle babies....I read on here that I could keep them a couple days to make sure they are healthy..and then take them off mom..give the new owners goat milk....to make the transition to vit D cow milk??  Is there more to it than that?  
so, do I leave them on mom for those two days?  Or do I pull them and then bottle feed right away?  Do I have to keep them two days?  They need fed every three hours at first?

so, I’m kinda glad that I won’t have kids here for 8; weeks, falling in love with them...but I’m super worried that I’ll screw up taking them off momma....

oh, and a Honey looks like she may go early?????  They are both due 8/20.... but she’s very uncomfortable....her ligaments are starting to loosen up a tad.  She lays in weird corners..and makes weird noises.  No goop.  Bag is still not quite full..but getting close.

worst part is..I need dental surgery...I have a consult on Monday morning...they are squeezing me in...you know what’s goin* to happen...I won’t be able to leave.....bu5 then she won’t do anything!!

Brandy is acting jus5 the same.  Not grumpy.  But they are both huge!  
Honeys bag today....

so, if you guys could give me some tips on getting a kid off mom..so I can sell them, faster the better...hate the way that sounds?  But, if they stay here, I won’t want to sell.....the only ones I really want to keep, are Busty’s kids.....


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## rachels.haven (Aug 15, 2020)

She's baggin up!
If they're going to be bottle babies they shouldn't nurse on mom or they will pick the "better" option. I've trained to the bottle older after being on mom and it's not fun and hit or miss.
They should sell no problem.


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 15, 2020)

rachels.haven said:


> She's baggin up!
> If they're going to be bottle babies they shouldn't nurse on mom or they will pick the "better" option. I've trained to the bottle older after being on mom and it's not fun and hit or miss.
> They should sell no problem.


Can I sell them the same day, or the next day..or is that too soon..I mean I know they need their colostrum, etc...but the one lady wants to try to be here, to help deliver them....the othe4 lady is sooooo excited...they want them as soon as they can possibly take them......can they nurse from mom, for colostrum...then stay here for a few hours or half a day, to make sure the6 are eating, etc?  The third lady wants allll the goats that are born...so if by chance, the first two...which I know the first one won’t back out, because she just bought a min8 piglet...but the third lady said if the others back out she wants allll our goats.  Weird?  I think we have stalkers?🤣🤣🤣❤️🐐. I just want to do what’s best for the kids, but also make the new parents happy too❤️❤️🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐


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## rachels.haven (Aug 16, 2020)

No, I wouldn't do the same day or let people on the farm to help deliver. The kids are still a little shaky then. It would be a good idea to make sure they will live and be healthy, plus I know the milk doesn't clear of colostrum for 2 weeks, but that doesn't mean that's the right amount of time. If you want them firm on the bottle with the least amount of work to you, I think no time on mom is the best ticket from what I've heard-no bonding to break also. Milk mom and bottle feed it. Some people give them two days for mom's attention but continue feeding them mom's milk until it's cleared out, and they have to work at getting them to take that bottle. After always having that one kid that won't take the bottle over a teat, I'm not sure I'm going to take that route, but to each his own.

Where's a real bottle feeder out there? I'm just getting into this info because going to be bottling this year because one of my does has rejected her babies routinely at 3 weeks and hates motherhood. I'm just going to be giving them mom's milk for two weeks with ALL the colostrum until it clears up, then continue feeding it until they have deposits and pickup dates (very important on the pickup date part) and other instructions.

I'd be leary of any lady who wants "all" the babies born. They are a lot of work. She'd be better off to start with one or two, imo, and definitely worried about the person who wants all your goats. That is weird-on the scale of weirdness somewhere between someone who wants all your cars and someone who wants all your kids. YOU don't even want all the kids born. Imagine starting your herd like that-a crowd of nonhuman bottle suckers screaming your name 4-6x daily. Nope. I'd side with my motherhood hating goat there. Sheesh, take care out there.

If you can't find another answer, maybe bottle feed for two weeks to be on the safe side? No one can drink the milk then anyway, as you know. They may as well be eating it.


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## chickens really (Aug 16, 2020)

I'd do as I told you that my friend keeps them between 1 and 2 weeks. They will get the colostrum from the bottle if your using the mother's first milk. Keeping them ensures they are strong, healthy and nursing properly. I would definitely be skeptical about a person that wants all the kids. Possibly for eating I'm thinking. 
Good luck with the deliveries..👍🏼❤️🐐


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## B&B Happy goats (Aug 16, 2020)

Two weeks on the bottle,  and NO WAY on selling all to one person let alone someone  wanting to be there for the birthing....she sounds like a nut job to me lol...
I have taken kids that have nursed on their mom for a week and changed over to bottle feeding.....but we kept the kids in the house away from the herd (in large dog crates).....it can be done, but adds to the work load....


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## rachels.haven (Aug 16, 2020)

...or she wants them for resale. Flippers.


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 16, 2020)

Lol...geez...you guys make very good points..first, the lady that wants to be here..yes, she is a tad on the goofy side..she bought one of our mini piglets...she’s from Maine, and has a tattoo of a   chandelier on her ankle..🤣. Wears kitty cat glasses, and a funny hat..but, she is a new “homesteader” who just wants to dive in head-first!  I think she wants to be here, because she got last pick of the piglets....so, I’ll just, not call her until it’s over...no issues there.  BTW..her name is Lovey...🤣.  The other lady, wants one doeling, to raise her grand on goat milk tge way she raised her kids.  The third caller, yes, she said she wanted all the goats born...because she just loves our farm. I feel confident she wouldn’t eat them...not much to eat on skinny dairy goats?  But, now that you mention the flipping...that could be a factor.  I think all I’ll have left to sell to her would be bucklings...I have two other people on my list...I’ll call them before I call her.

i don’t think I undercharged..I looked at other goat prices around here...250 was the going rate for doelings, 225 for bucklings...not registered.  I could’ve tried for more..but, I really don’t want them here long...and then fall in love and never want to sell!

ok..soooooo...if I milk the moms and bottle feed..Do I do this the second the6 are born?  I mean..last time, moms weren’t really able to stand?

ok, so, it seems as though I’ll be milking Honey..ugh, ugh, ugh...worst goat to milk!!!  And then bottle feeding the kids.  Ok, so that also means we have to burn the horns...ugh.....Chris says he’s ready...but I’m not, and will never be???


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## lalabugs (Aug 17, 2020)

If you're set on selling bottle babies. Pull them the second they are born. They will take the bottle much easier. Milk mom right away. You need to get the colostrum into the kids asap.
I never sell kids until they're 2 weeks depending on how they are doing. Bottle babies are A LOT of work! I always send them with goat milk. If they can not get goat milk, I suggest whole milk from the store. I have heard some really bad stories about baby goats being put on milk replacer then go down hill.

Dams should be able to stand right after labor. I have had FF that had the shocked look on their face, that took a bit to stand. With a little coaxing they all stood up. 

Bottle babies are time consuming. Like new born children. Around the clock feedings. If you have the time to do that, no problem. My breeding plans have fully changed from what I was first thinking the beginning of the year. I do not have the time in my schedule to do what I wanted. Putting off the minis for a couple years. I only have 3 does bred. That is all that will be bred until fall. The only ones that will be bottle fed are the ones we decide to retain, if we retain any.


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## Jaime (Aug 17, 2020)

Just 3 days away...  How are the mamas doing?


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 18, 2020)

They are uncomfortable...Honey is laying around a lot, and I worry it’s keto sis, last year Busty got it...but her eyes aren’t spacey and no teeth grinding, so I think she’s just uncomfortable.  Brandy is sailing through it!  She’s huge!  But doing great!  Checking ligaments, definitely getting looser.  Bagging up nicely.  Today we got a new stall put up.  I told the people that want to buy the kids about the change in plans, to keep the kids about 10-14 days.  They were all fine with that.  the One that wanted to be there for the birth, has calmed down and just asked if she could come after...❤️  She’s already asking about getting them bred to our buck next year..❤️   But, she’s been our customer for awhile.  Chickens and a Juliana mini piglet.  Double checked all my supplies..and I’m good to go...but here it is, 1:18, and I’m up?  Guess I’m nervous??  Chris made wall feeders for the calves.  I’ve asked him to do the same for the kids.  Tomorrow we have to make a nice pen in the house barn.  We have a barn attached to the house, I open the den door, and I’m in the barn.  It’s nice except I track in a ton of hay from my pants!🤣😩. But, that way they’ll be right with me, and that’s not the goat barn, so they won’t be by moms.  Saturday we have a family picnic state my MIL, lucky they live a mile down the road!  So I can run home constantly!  Just in case they are late,...Chris thinks I should dry off both goats after the kids leave...what???  He thinks I do too much work.  Which, yes I do.  But, I don’t mind the milking...well, honey is awful.  But Brandy is easy and fast for the volume.  So, we’ll see.  He just thinks I could use a break, since it’s time consuming and ties us down.  We’ll see.....what’s a dairy goat farmer who doesn’t milk???  Lazy?🤣🤣🤣🤣. Yeah right!  Very few farmers can be called lazy!!  Ok, going to TRY TO GET SOME SLEEP.....🤣😩😩😩😩😩🙏


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 18, 2020)

lalabugs said:


> If you're set on selling bottle babies. Pull them the second they are born. They will take the bottle much easier. Milk mom right away. You need to get the colostrum into the kids asap.
> I never sell kids until they're 2 weeks depending on how they are doing. Bottle babies are A LOT of work! I always send them with goat milk. If they can not get goat milk, I suggest whole milk from the store. I have heard some really bad stories about baby goats being put on milk replacer then go down hill.
> 
> Dams should be able to stand right after labor. I have had FF that had the shocked look on their face, that took a bit to stand. With a little coaxing they all stood up.
> ...


I’m only bottle feeding because after the last kidding, after 8 weeks, it broke my heart to sell the one!  So, I figured that, even with the hard work..I can do it...I won’t be near as attached?  Praying at least??  Plus, now these guys are already promised to others...so I’ve got no choice....which will help.  That’s the way it was with the Juliana mini piglets.  The two moms dried up after one week.  We had to bottle feed them for a week, then get them on a bowl, then spoon feed, until then could eat the mash....we had 14.....but they weren’t mine...so, no matter how sweet they were....didn’t matter.  One was really sick...had to feed her every 45 minutes.  Had to set my alarm for shots every 6 hours, etc...she lasted a week that way.  Broke my heart.  I poured my heart into her.  But, that was a lot more intense than bottle feeding every 3 hrs....


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## lalabugs (Aug 19, 2020)

If you think she has ketosis please get the pee strips and check her. It's easier to start treatment before it gets bad. If she does not have it, then no worries.
How are they doing today?


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 20, 2020)

Oh noooo, it’s NOT keto sis...after you helped me with it last kidding, I can clearly see the difference...she not acting at all the way Busty was.  She’s active, but grumpy, not spacey, she doesn’t sit like Busty did..Busty limped and sat there...Honey doesn’t do anything like that.  I think she’s just tired of it alllllll.  And I’m just tired too...it’s kinda like you last year, was it Nalla or Luna that wouldn’t go at all, but I think you might’ve got the date off?  Well, my date is good, I saw the buck with her 145 days ago, but you know how that goes...Ligaments are totally loose....her bag is getting there, but, that’s still not a great indicator....so, we’re just putting life on hold...and on hold, and hold. Ugh!


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## rachels.haven (Aug 20, 2020)

...but if you put your life on hold they will never kid...

She does look close though.


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## lalabugs (Aug 20, 2020)

It was Nilla. I was off by 3 weeks. Goats love to keep you guessing. Then she kidded a couple days earlier than 145 with triplets.  

Honey's udder doesn't look quite ready yet. She looks like she's dropped.  Love kidding time.


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## lalabugs (Aug 22, 2020)

How are they doing?


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