# 'You've Got to Be Kidding!' One More Down and One to Go- Honey Dreame Farms



## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 1, 2015)

I know, I know...'tis the season for kidding threads, but for those goat addicts like yours truly, what does one more hurt? 

We bred our 8 girls last year between Oct. 25 and the end of Nov.  We pasture breed, and we didn't get a chalk harness this year, so we have exact breeding dates for some of the girls, but only guesses on the others.  Based on behavior and belly size, we're pretty sure all the girls have at least one bun in the oven.  We have CDT boosters, hoof trimmings, etc. for everyone in the next week or so in preparation for the 1-2 months of waiting for kids, and I am cleaning up the birthing stalls in the barn and beefing up my kidding first aid kit.  

Our breeding bucks were both blue-eyed - Chewy is the black and white one and Jax is the tri-color:




Pictures of our girls in their cute pregnant, winter fluffiness are below:



 


 

Stats are as follows:

*3rd Year Freshener*
*  Holly* - (black and white) bred Oct. 25 to Chewy and Jax
              FF 2013 - twin doelings 
              2F 2014 - twins 1 boy/1girl

*2nd Year Freshners*
*  Queenie* (light brown tri-color; our herd queen) - bred Oct. 25 to Jax 
              FF 2014 - twins 1 boy/1girl
*  Nibley *- (dark brown tri-color) bred to Jax in late Nov
              FF 2014 - twin doelings (one stillborn)
*  Sophie* - (tri-colored; daughter to Holly) - bred to Jax Nov. 5
              FF 2014 - one doeling

_*First Freshners*_
*  Jayna *- (light brown with white; daughter to Holly) - bred mid Nov to ???
*  Ami *- (tan/light brown with dark brown 'racing stripe'; daughter to Sophie) - bred Oct. 25 to Chewy 
*  Lucy*- (reddish brown with white band and frosting; daughter to Queenie) - bred late Nov to ???
*  Snigglefritz *- (dark brown with white spots; daughter to Nibley) - bred late Nov to ??? 

None of our girls are registered, although they are full Nigerians.  We love Nigies for their size, temperament and coloring. One of the things I love most about kidding is seeing what color combos we get with each birth.  As for whether we want boys or girls this year, I'm actually ok either way.  Does are always a wonderful thing (and we were abundantly blessed with them last year), but since we have 8 great girls and we don't want a much bigger herd that that, I won't cry if we get a lot of bucklings this year.  Everyone here is just getting very excited and looking forward to all the fun of cute, bouncy goat kids!


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## Southern by choice (Mar 1, 2015)

Awwww I love the pics! Such fun... guessing though is so tiring 
 lol
You are going to have sooooo many babies!

Do you dam raise or bottle feed?
I love all the different colors too! 
Breeding the mini's is a lot of fun too, such variety!


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 1, 2015)

We dam raise when possible, but bottle feed when necessary.  Ami was a short-term bottle baby last year.  She was born a bit premature and Mom couldn't figure out the nursing thing for several days - keep pushing her away when she'd try to suck, because she wanted to clean her face.  After 3-4 days they both figured it out, and Ami went back out with the goats.  Even with just a few days of being bottle fed, she was easily the most friendly of our kids last year.  She still loves to try and sit/cuddle in your lap.  

My husband and I both work 40 hours a week and we have 3 very busy teenagers, so as much as I love how sweet and social bottle babies are, it is exhausting work, and I'm happy to leave as much of it as possible to the mamas.   Plus, I'm a sucker, and I hate hearing everyone cry when they get separated.


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## Sunny75 (Mar 2, 2015)

so cute. love the fluffiness , wish my Lamanacha's had that much color


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 6, 2015)

I was out checking on my girls this morning and the ligaments for Queenie, Holly and Sophie were very soft and their backsides are puffy and loose.  All three are getting the beginnings of good looking udders.  I think I know which 3 girls will be the first in the birthing stalls this year! 

According to their breeding dates, their 145 day is March 18. I saw Queenie and Holly bred on Oct. 25th  (the first day we had the bucks) and I saw Sophie bred on Nov. 5, although given how she's looking, there is a good chance one of the boys got her earlier and I missed it.

Queenie is the only one of the girls I look at and think, "she could be having triplets."  The pictures I posted don't clearly show how she's looking now - she's quite a bit bigger than she was when she had twins last year, and although she usually leads as the herd queen, the last few weeks she is waddling 10-15 feet behind the rest of the herd when they move.    I think Holly has twins again, although knowing her, she might sneak a 3rd in just to surprise us. 

Sophie is looking like she might be carrying twins, but possibly a singleton.  We're watching her closely, because she went at 136 days last year.  We know the math was accurate, because we calculated Sophie's breeding date as the very first day we had the buck in with the girls. A kid usually struggles to survive that early (Ami did have a few preemie issues, but she pulled through).  We're hoping we got the breeding date wrong this year, and not that she's going to go early on us again...
Ami was bred the same day as Queenie and Holly, and although she's progressing well, unlike her mom, her ligaments are still tight.

We're getting geared up and excited for babies!


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 6, 2015)

for your girls and you too


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 13, 2015)

My kids and I are making a fun bet this year: that I can guess the sex of the kids by holding them - before I look at their undersides.   

I'm convinced that bucklings are usually weighted a bit differently than doelings.  This is only our third year of kidding, and our first year was just a single doe that had twin doelings, so it didn't count.  Last year we had 12 kids, and only 3 were boys (the odds were definitely in our favor), but I guessed them all correctly before I looked.  Might have just been coincidence since we had so few boys, but they really did just feel different to me.  Anyone else have this experience?  It's almost like there's more weight in the chest area or something - kind of hard to explain. 

I'm guessing we'll have more bucklings this year (lol -3 out of 12 is not likely to happen again), so we'll see if my theory holds any water...


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 16, 2015)

I've got girls in the birthing stalls, and I'm hoping for kids in the next 24-48 hours!  Queenie and Holly seem to have lost their ligaments and have both been doing that soft bahhing and nibbling at their sides.  Queenie has had a few big contractions, but nothing consistent yet.  Time to bust out the popcorn...



 
I think this girl is ready to rid herself of all the excess weight!


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## frustratedearthmother (Mar 16, 2015)




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## Southern by choice (Mar 16, 2015)

I never really thought about the guessing because as soon as they are fully out of mom and wet and sac on them I am checking! 
No waiting even a minute for me!


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 18, 2015)

Well, the three does I swore were going first are still all stuck in the birthing stalls in the barn enjoying being waited on hand and foot, and other than looking extremely puffy and loose with the occasional contraction and tummy stretch, seem to be taking it easy.  Maybe...just maybe... one or more of them will pop tonight.  

On the other hand, Ami, whose due date was today, but whose ligaments had been very firm and very 'there' every time I checked her the past week, surprised us by becoming the first Mommy of the season last night.  Earlier in the day, I noticed her starting to holler a bunch and separate herself from the other goats.  I figured she was only one day away from her due date, her ligaments were softer than they had been, but she had no other physical signs.  I wrangled up some fencing pieces and made a make-shift birthing stall in the loafing shed, just in case, thinking she might go in a few days and the other girls would still be occupying the stalls in the barn.  After getting her settled, I went inside and took a shower (since I'd been mucking the loafing shed), and then ate my dinner. It was maybe 30-40 minutes tops.  I sent DD out to give the goats the extra cabbage from our St. Patty's dinner, and she called me on her cell to tell me that Ami had had twins and was cleaning them off.  I dashed out to help dry them and weigh them.

What a surprise! Two little doelings - a lovely way to start kidding season!  

I'll post pics later - I just wanted to share the good news! Got to run and go check on my maternity ward in the barn.


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## norseofcourse (Mar 18, 2015)

Congrats on the doelings - do you get the feeling they plotted all this out?


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## Southern by choice (Mar 18, 2015)

Congrats! 

Love how they can surprise you!
So... do tell... were you able to tell they were does?


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## Sweetened (Mar 18, 2015)




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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 18, 2015)

Well,they looked like does to me at first glance - before I held them- built fairly dainty; however, the larger of the two was more top heavy, so she had me wondering before I checked.  Lol - the theory may turn out to be bunk , but I'm going to keep up the guessing game just for the fun of it.  

The pics aren't the best - terrible lighting, I was using the camera on my phone, and of course, no one wanted to stay still.

The larger doe is a very obvious tri-color, and the smaller is light brown with a black racing stripe (like mama), but she has a couple of small white spots on her side and a bit of white frosting on her ears.  In our alphabet naming convention - we are starting with "A," and we think we're naming the small one Aurora and the bigger one, Azure.  




 
Clyde, our youngest LGD, is adorable with the babies.  He was a puppy last year, and he loved them then too, but he has matured a bunch!  When I went out to take care of them last night, he came running up to me, so excited and trying to show me where the babies were.  He did a great job helping lick them clean, and now spends most of his time lying alongside the birthing stall or standing guard.  We did have to get after him when he got over-protective and tried to chase the other goats out of the loafing shed, but he responded well to the correction, and the herd is back where they should be.  However, we haven't been able to convince him that the cats are ok (they can usually come and go in the goat yard) .


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## Southern by choice (Mar 18, 2015)

So cute! and 2 does! That is a sweet dream here LOL!
Good boy Clyde! 
Something so special to see baby goats with their guardians. 
Always touches my heart!


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## babsbag (Mar 19, 2015)

My guardian is great with the kids and the mom, not so good with other goats that want to get too close to the new kids. After a few days he mellows out but it is a good thing my goats jump when he tells them to; he is very determined that no other goats are allowed near HIS babies. He lays right in front of the kidding pen making sure they are safe.

Hope your kidding season continues to be pink and uneventful.


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 20, 2015)

Holly had her twins last night and I'm happy to say our attempt to get black and white babies was successful!  My 'pick up the kid and guess the sex' was right for this one - two does, but I have to confess double-checking, because a second set of twin does seemed too good to be true. 

Holly's babies are always so robust and healthy (4.4 lbs and 4 lbs).  The larger was born first and was the fastest latch I have every seen!  Seriously, I showed her where the teat was and she latched in about 10 seconds or less!  The younger one kept trying, but she took some coaching.  The younger one (pictured in the first photo) is already very affectionate - she loves to be petted and likes to nuzzle. 

Thanks for the pink wishes...seems to be working!


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## Chytka (Mar 20, 2015)

Ah! Congrats on all the little girls! 
Can't wait for more pics!


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## Southern by choice (Mar 20, 2015)

Love the black and white!


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## OneFineAcre (Mar 20, 2015)

2 sets of twin does 
You're my hero
Or at least your buck is 
They are gorgeous by the way


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## Pearce Pastures (Mar 21, 2015)

Very very cute!!


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 21, 2015)

Congrats  what cuties!


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## Goat Whisperer (Mar 21, 2015)

Congrats on the kids! So adorable!!!! 

and DOES!?!? Give your bucks some extra lovin'!


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 24, 2015)

So Queenie FINALLY got her act together today.  She was 5-6 days past her due date and had been leading us on with random contractions and disappearing ligaments for more than a week.  She was big enough we were thinking triplets, but it was just twins - big ones, and  believe it or not...they were both does!!!  It about knocked my socks off (current count is 6 does, 0 bucks).

We had a bit of a scare with the first baby (the black and brown one).  She presented head first with one leg forward and one back.  I tried to reposition her, but she came too fast, so I pulled while Queenie pushed.  Poor mama was exhausted after that, and she didn't stand up at all until a little while after the second doe was born (the mostly white tri-color).  After Queenie took a breather, she was up and the girls were nursing like pros.




 

A little wet and goopy, but very cute! 



 

We thought Sophie was going to pop tonight too.  She was definitely having sympathy contractions - I thought I might have to juggle two births at once, but the contractions eased up, and she went back to chewing her cud.


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## Southern by choice (Mar 24, 2015)

Does!

Stop hogging all the does! 

What are you doing to get all these does?


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## OneFineAcre (Mar 25, 2015)

WOW
All does 
Your bucks are my hero's
And to think I was happy with 50/50 at this point.

Congrats


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 25, 2015)

Congrats!  Glad you got 2 girls


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## Fullhousefarm (Mar 25, 2015)

Southern by choice said:


> Does!
> 
> Stop hogging all the does!
> 
> What are you doing to get all these does?


That's where all my does went!


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 25, 2015)

Southern by choice said:


> What are you doing to get all these does?



Not sure - it's really pure, dumb luck.  I guess our bucks were better than we thought they were.  They were both first time breeders, so we honestly had no idea how successful it would be. 

Lucy surprised us by popping this afternoon - we thought she had a few more days.  I got her into a birthing stall minutes before she went into heavy labor.  I'll give more details and pictures tomorrow, but she had a cute tri-colored doeling and our first buckling.


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## Southern by choice (Mar 25, 2015)

Awwww a buckling!   
Love me a buck. 
... But wishing I had your doe numbers! 

 pics


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 26, 2015)

As promised, here are the pictures and details about Lucy's babies.  Lucy is our most 'petite' ND, and she was a FF.  We weren't sure what to expect, although we hoped that by breeding her to a smaller buck she might not have birthing issues.  I'm sorry to say, I don't think we'll be breeding this beautiful girl again.   If I hadn't been there to assist, it's highly likely that she and the babies wouldn't have made it.  Her buckling came first, with excellent presentation, but she is just so small it was extremely difficult for them both.  When she was pushing for over 30 minutes with no visible progress, I went in her.  I felt the baby in relation to her pelvis, and was concerned that her pelvis might not be big enough to deliver.  Without getting too graphic, I had to pull/hold her open to create more room, and had to pull the buckling each time she pushed.  She was exhausted when he came out and struggled to clean him off, and he was so exhausted and dazed, he was more interested in sleeping than nursing.  

Lucy had looked like she was only carrying a single, so when the doeling came up right behind her brother, presenting with one leg forward and one back, it was a surprise for me, and almost more than Lucy could take.  I have NEVER heard a goat scream like that.  After the baby's head came out, Lucy fell forward and stopped pushing and bawling.  Freaked me out - I thought I'd lost her, and the baby was struggling to get out.  I held Lucy and talked sweet to her, while trying to keep things open for the baby.  Lucy rallied, and with a few more pushes from her and pulls from me, the doeling made it out.  I was very grateful to have my LGD, Clyde outside the birthing stall to help clean them both off, because Lucy did what she could, but just didn't have any energy.  After about 20-30 minutes, I was able to support her, so she could get up and nurse the babies briefly.  The buckling wasn't very interested, but I managed to get enough milk/colostrum in him to let him sleep and recover a little.  

Anyway, it took time and effort, but we got mom and babies taken care of, and although Lucy is still taking things slowly, you'd never guess the kids were having so many problems yesterday.  When I was in the barn this morning, they were bouncing around, nursing well, and being extremely cute.  I think one of the neatest things about the whole crazy endeavor was how it helped me bond with Lucy.  She has never been a goat that liked to be petted, lol - or even really touched, but after she got up to nurse the babies, she turned to me (I was still on the ground) and she licked my cheek 2-3 times! 

My kids decided to name the boy August and the girl April.  




 
I know it's early, but thoughts on whether August might make a good breeding buck?  I love his markings, especially his cute brown 'stockings.'



 
This picture really doesn't do April justice.  She is beautiful, but also very fast, and most of the pictures I have of her are blurry.


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 26, 2015)

Congrats!  Glad it turned out well for all


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## Southern by choice (Mar 26, 2015)

Oh my goodness. So glad that you stick around for kiddings! Ya just never know.
Poor Lucy, glad she is doing well today.

The buckling is a bueat!  I'd wait a bit and look at his "overall" make up. Straight rear legs, good shoulders, topline etc. 

The tri's are always pretty but I know what you mean it is hard to get pics that really show how striking they are.

Hugs for Clyde! Makes such a difference doesn't it. They do such a good job cleaning and caring for them.

So how are _YOU_ today. That kinda stuff wears me out. So draining!
The emotional and even physical toll seems to show up after our adrenaline rush wears off.


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## jodief100 (Mar 26, 2015)

The babies are so adorable!  Congratulations on such pretty babies.  7 does and 1 buck- QUIT HOGGING ALL THE DOE KIDS!!!!!!


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 26, 2015)

Lol - funny you mention it @Southern by choice - it does take a toll.  I'm actually sick with a cold or flu or something, although it was coming on before all of yesterday's craziness.  I'm sick enough that I wasn't able to go to the hospital yesterday to meet my new baby niece.  DD sent pictures of herself holding the baby, and I was a bit jealous.

I'm glad human illnesses don't normally spread to goats, and I'm hoping we either won't have any more goat kids for a day or two, or that if we do, they are normal, uneventful births, so that I can get myself better.

Speaking of which - how are _you_?  I hope you've recovered from your LGD collision.

Makes me want to start a poll about how many of us get sick/injured during all the craziness of kidding season...


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## Southern by choice (Mar 26, 2015)

Now that is the worst. Sick at kidding time. 
Last year everyone was sick and I didn't get sick then I did... at kidding. This year I told everyone to go quarantine themselves if they were sick because I had kidding and I couldn't be sick!
Yeah. I am a great mom. 

This year we had so many at once by the time the last one went I was just ready for it to be over and sadly I didn't even enjoy it toward the end. I learned from how we did things this year though.

I have recovered from my collision. Thank You. 

Farm injuries are a real issue. That glorified idea of the pretty pastures and the peacefulness and the serenity... yeah RIGHT!
That would be a great thread!

Remember when thhe children were young and we all were so happy when we didn't have to clean poop anymore? Potty training was awesome!  Then we get older... children get older... we have a farm and spent way more hours cleaning poop than when the kids were in diapers.  AND it will never end. 

What are we thinking?


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## SheepGirl (Mar 29, 2015)

I've had the same luck! 8 ewes, 3 rams. Didn't get my first ram until the 4th ewe to lamb.


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## samssimonsays (Mar 29, 2015)

Wow Congrats on all the does! The lady We are getting our goats from had 36 Babies when We went to look, only 7 does! she said it is unheard of for her I'll have to tell her I know where they all went Lol!


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## Marge23 (Mar 29, 2015)

Congratulations on all the does!!! And healthy kids! Do you still have more to kid? Whats the doe to buck count?


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 30, 2015)

My girls took pity on me and gave me a day break when I was feeling my worst with this nasty virus I've got, but they started back up again on Saturday.  Jayna, one of our FF, had doe/buck twins.  She needed just a bit of help with the buck, because he had a large head , but she popped the doe out like a pro.  She was a goat that definitely bonded with me through labor.  She had never liked to be petted - not even as a kid, and she generally didn't like people in her space.  While she was in labor, she became extremely affectionate, wanted me to pet her, nuzzled me, and for nearly 12 hours before she gave birth, she would bellow and cry every time I had to leave the barn.  I thought she might return to her 'can't touch this' self after the babies were born, but apparently she decided that being petted isn't so bad. 




 
This is Jayna nuzzling my hand.  I took a picture, because I thought it might never happen again. 



 
Jayna's big-headed blue-eyed buckling.  He's got a super cute personality.  His sister (below) is pretty sweet too!


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Mar 30, 2015)

Our other girl that kidded over the weekend was Sophie.  Sophie is our tease. We thought she would be the first to go based on loose ligaments, puffy vulva and various 'close to kidding' behaviors, but apparently my breeding date on her was actually correct, and she officially went into labor last night.  Instead of being the first, she was the sixth of eight - I think she just wanted to take up a birthing stall so she could get waited on. 

Sophie's labor was unusual.  She was having hard contractions and pushing, and then she'd have a big break - bigger than I'd ever seen for a goat in hard labor.  Everyone seems to say intervene after about 30 minutes of hard pushing, but because the pushing was spaced out more than usual, I gave it nearly 2 hours before I sanitized myself and went in.  Although I'm far from an expert, I felt what I was pretty sure hooves a little ways down the birth canal.  It felt like a good presentation, and it was far enough down the birth canal that pulling would have been tough.  Because of my limited experience, I didn't want to do anything drastic, and the only goat vet nearby doesn't do middle of the night calls.

DH gave some sage advice when I went to him with my concerns after nearly 3 hours of this craziness.  I would hate to lose any of our does, but Sophie is one of our sweetest girls, and is a personal favorite.  It was 1:00am, and when he saw how exhausted and upset I was, he simply said, "Honey, let life surprise you."  It struck a chord for me.  I set my alarm for 3:00am, and got a few hours of much needed rest.  I woke up to two beautiful, strong, nearly-dry bucklings, who only needed a little bit of coaching on how to nurse.   Not that I recommend leaving the side of a heavy laboring doe, but in this case, it proved the best medicine.

For those of you asking about the current count - does 8/bucks 4.  Two more girls to go...




Both of these boys are blue-eyed too.


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## OneFineAcre (Mar 30, 2015)

Beautiful
Congratulations


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## Pearce Pastures (Mar 30, 2015)

Very cute.


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## goats&moregoats (Mar 30, 2015)

Just catching up. Congrats on all the beautiful babies.   Glad the struggles all came out with good endings.


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## Onyx (Mar 31, 2015)

Such adorable little babus.  I cannot wait to get mine!


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## Hens and Roos (Apr 1, 2015)

Congrats!


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## HoneyDreameMomma (Apr 2, 2015)

One of our FFs, Snigglefritz, gave birth yesterday afternoon.  I had checked on her around 3:00 pm, and she seemed like she had several more hours to go - I was thinking 7 or 8 at the earliest, but when the kids went out to feed animals at 4:30pm, they ran back in to tell me she'd had twins and something was wrong with one of them.  Snigglefritz was in a bit of shock and wasn't doing a very good job cleaning things up. DD was trying to help dry off baby #1, but thought baby #2 was stillborn, because when they went out, it was still in the sac and wasn't moving, it's umbilical cord was still connected to mom, and she wasn't acknowledging it, wasn't trying to clean it off or anything.

I lifted the baby and felt it was warm, so I hurriedly cleaned off the sac and other goop and low and behold, the little fighter started to breath!  As soon I could see the baby's airways were clear, I went to work tying off and cutting the umbilical cord.  Fortunately, Snigglefritz held still through the whole process, and neither she nor the kid were hurt.  The first baby was a tri-colored buckling and the little fighter was a tri-colored, blue-eyed doe, which brings our count to 9 does and 5 bucks. 



 
In spite of the few little bumps we've had, I feel like we've been very fortunate this kidding season.  We have one more doe to go, and I'm guessing she's a few days out still (she was a little shy with the boys ).


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## Onyx (Apr 2, 2015)

Oh gosh they are just so adorable!!!!   My jealousy is mounting by the minute!


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## samssimonsays (Apr 2, 2015)

Beautiful! so glad all turned out ok!


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## Goat Whisperer (Apr 2, 2015)

I am so far behind! Congrats! They are all adorable. I'm so happy the little fighter made it thru! 


I am so jealous of your buck/doe ratio


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## BlessedWithGoats (Apr 11, 2015)

Glad everyone is okay and Snigglefritz's doe made it!  Congrats on all the new kids!!


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