# Trixie's kidding thread.UPDATE: WE HAVE A BIG, SINGLE BUCK!



## madcow (Feb 17, 2013)

Well guys, got another doe that I don't know when she's due, but she's getting bigger.  She's Ginger's daughter and was bred before I got her.  Not sure of who the father may be, as I've asked the people I bought her from and got no response.  I'm a little worried she might be bred by her brother, because she was in with  him when I bought her, which might be a bad outcome.  I should have known, but really didn't think about it at the time.   They had another buck and I'm hoping he's the one who got to her.  She started showing to be pregnant with udder development about 4 weeks ago.  She doesn't look gigantic, yet, so I think she still may have a few weeks to go.  Anyway, I'm not as excited about this one as I was with Ginger.  I just really, really hope this one turns out okay.  Anyway, here are pictures of Trixie, and they are from last week.  So she's a bit bigger now.





Here's her udder.  She's gonna need a shave.  Kinda hard to see much, but before she had no udder whatsoever.  She's a FF:


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## bonbean01 (Feb 17, 2013)

More baby goaties to watch for


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## SheepGirl (Feb 17, 2013)

My ewe was bred by her twin brother. Everything turned out okay


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## Kitsara (Feb 17, 2013)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> My ewe was bred by her twin brother. Everything turned out okay


Must be some pretty good genetics there.  Not too many bad recessives to be brought out. If only things could be like that all the time. 

Can't wait to see the baby pics when they come.


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## rinksgi (Feb 17, 2013)

I have always heard that you can get away with sibling/sibling breeding on the one breeding, but can't continue it in breeding the offspring sibling/sibling.


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## madcow (Feb 18, 2013)

rinksgi said:
			
		

> I have always heard that you can get away with sibling/sibling breeding on the one breeding, but can't continue it in breeding the offspring sibling/sibling.


That's good information to be armed with in the future.  As soon as we get our big goat pen put together and a permanent shelter I will be getting a buck or 2 for future breeding.  Not in a real hurry, as Ginger won't be ready to breed again for at least 6 months.  I want to give her time to get back in condition before breeding her again, and of course Trixie won't be ready to breed again for at least another 8 months or so.  

I'm also a little concerned that Trixie is as young as she is and getting ready to kid.  If she hadn't been bred I would have waited until she was about 18 months old before breeding her, since she's a pygmy.  She's only 13 months old at this point.  A little young I think.  She's not as filled out as Ginger was frame-wise before kidding.  I've been giving Trixie extra feed and BOSS (which she absolutely loves) and I'm doing everything to make sure she won't be very underweight when she kids.  She eats the goat feed pretty well, but does anyone else have ideas on what to give a pregnant goat in order to help her beef up just a bit before kidding?  Would some extra treats that contain molasses help with that, and won't mess up her rumen in the process with too many dense carbohydrates?  Anyone got a good goat fatten-er-upper recipe?  I know that isn't usually a problem with goats, getting them fatter and all, but I just wanted her to be in top condition before giving birth since she has a few strikes against her from the get-go.  Maybe I'm being too much of a mother hen here, but can't help it.  Once a mom, always a mom!


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## SheepGirl (Feb 18, 2013)

Be careful you don't get her too fat--most of those nutrients will be going to the kid(s) inside her and she may end up with a large kid she can't give birth to on her own.


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## madcow (Feb 18, 2013)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> Be careful you don't get her too fat--most of those nutrients will be going to the kid(s) inside her and she may end up with a large kid she can't give birth to on her own.


Sure don't want to do that.  I guess I will just have to make the best of what she has going for her now.  At least she's really healthy.  I will take it slowly, but I don't have much time at this point to do much, I guess.  Oh well....


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## madcow (Feb 19, 2013)

Well we had a little goat drama around here this morning.  I've had Ginger and her 1-month-old doeling in a pen adjacent to the one Trixie is in, because the last time I tried to put them together to see how it would go (about a week or so ago) the baby wasn't being treated by Trixie too well, so we separated them again.  Well, Bruce goes out to feed them all this morning and Trixie and Ginger had been head butting each other through the fencing and tore a hole big enough for Trixie to get through and she just made herself at home! At the point he found them all together Ginger was setting a few ground rules with her oldest daughter, Trixie!  We just kind of let them stay together and they've pretty well worked it out.  Little ET was pretty shaken up with the whole affair while it was taking place, because she was up on the stanchion and butted Bruce in the rear when he leaned over to fill a feed bowl!  It was there and she butted it!  Haha!  Thankfully she only weighs about 8 pounds now and no harm done.  Things have pretty much calmed down for the most part in the pen, but ET is glued to her momma, not taking too many chances with getting close to the Trixie the infiltrator!  It was good timing because we're supposed to get heavy rain tonight with good size hail predicted and we plan on putting them in the chicken house with the chickens for the night (much sturdier structure)and we now won't have to make any different accommodations for any of the goats, if they can continue to get along.  

I've been feeling Trixie's ligaments and they seem really thin, and I'm not able to find them very easily.  Her udder hasn't expanded much as of late, but she is a FF.  She's probably kid tonight during the storm, knowing how goats are with their timing of kids.  I hope not.  I figure the chickens won't be too happy either.  It's always something on the farm, isn't it?


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## Tmaxson (Feb 19, 2013)

They just have to work out all the ground rules and then all is good.  I am also wondering how my pregnant moms first daughter is going to act with new babies that should be here in the next 3 weeks.  The first daughter is a year old this month and is so attached to her mom.  I have even caught her trying to nurse from her mom but the mom kicks her or runs away when she does it.  She smells the new milk coming in.  Good luck with Trixies kidding.


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## madcow (Feb 20, 2013)

Well, there's still drama in the goat pen, but nothing like it was yesterday.  Trixie is still challenging her mother and antagonizing ET when she sees the opportunity, but not very aggressively.  I guess her pregnancy hormones are in play here and I think that's why she broke through the fence.  Funny thing, she has the opportunity at any point to go back in with the chickens, but she has chosen to stay where she is.  She didn't seem to mind being in with the chickens and could see her mother and ET most anywhere from where she has been.  I also think she doesn't want to take back seat to ET with her momma.  Not sure how they are going to do once she kids.  I guess it could go either way, depending on how Ginger views Trixie's kids when they are born.  

Anyway, Trixie's ligaments are really thin.  I had a difficult time even locating them today, but they are still barely there.  Her udder is fuller than yesterday, but no real "boom," but she's a FF and there's always the possibility that won't happen until she kids.  She's going to be a dream to milk compared to Ginger.  I can touch her anywhere and she loves it.  Thank goodness!  Her hind section seems more slanted and she's beginning to have sunken in areas close to the tail.  She's not real big, so I would be surprised if she had more than a single.  A doe would be best, but a buck would be okay, too, as I need a wether for our buck when we find the one we like.  So I'm happy either way, just want it to be okay.

I just don't want her to kid tonight, because we are supposed to have about 6 hours of thunderstorms and hail.  The shelter is barely tall enough for me to sit down in on a 3-legged milking stool, and not very sturdy.  We can get some pretty strong winds with thunderstorms here.  Might need to move her to the hen house for her to deliver, but I will cross that bridge when we come to it.  But there's always the doe code, right?

So, everything is just status quo.  Just hanging around waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and........


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## madcow (Feb 21, 2013)

Just checked on Trixie and her ligaments are nonexistent.  Her udder is pretty full, but not basketball tight, but much larger, and she has a bit (a smidgen) of amber-colored goo, whereas it's been snow white up to this point.  So I see those as definite changes leaning towards going into labor.  She's much more vocal this morning, too.  Maybe today or tomorrow, hope, hope, hope.....


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## bonbean01 (Feb 21, 2013)

Good luck!


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## newbiekat (Feb 21, 2013)




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## madcow (Feb 21, 2013)

Just went out to weight ET and Trixie was definitely pushing!  We're having a baby today!  Will keep you updated! Oh, Trixie is 4 weeks old as of yesterday.  Birth weight 4 lbs, today day 11 lbs!  I think she's eating pretty darn good, don't you!


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## bonbean01 (Feb 21, 2013)

Wishing a smooth delivery and beautiful babies!!!!


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## TigerLily Trail Ranch (Feb 21, 2013)

For a smootih & easy kidding!


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## meme (Feb 21, 2013)

So excited for you! Pics are a must!


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Feb 21, 2013)




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## madcow (Feb 21, 2013)

OMG!  He's huge!  We've named him Waldo.  He looks just like little Ernie we lost when he and ET were born a month ago.  Man, was this was a tough one.  She did great pushing, but she delivered only his head at first and both his legs were bent backwards.  He was too far out (at the neck) and I couldn't push him back in and couldn't get ahold of his legs to rearrange them.  Bruce held Trixie by the collar and I had to pull him out.  She screamed like a banshee, and I really don't blame her.  He breathed pretty quickly, but had a hard time getting up on his front legs at first, but I think that was because they were a little traumatized by the delivery being bent back.  Probably over-bent them is my guess.  Anyway, it took him several tries for him before he could get up on his feet, but once he did he was standing like the big buck he is!  Trixie wasn't quite sure what this strange little, wet thing was at first, but once we put him in front of her and she sniffed him for a few seconds she started licking him clean.  I got some NutraDrench in him and milked out the teat plug and hopefully he can nurse here pretty quick.  She's a FF.  He looks really good.   Here are the new arrival pictures:











Here's one of ET checking him out:


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## marlowmanor (Feb 21, 2013)

How cute!  Glad you were there to help with the delivery.


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## madcow (Feb 21, 2013)

He weighs 4 lbs. 14 oz.  That's pretty darn big for a pygmy kid!


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## Tmaxson (Feb 21, 2013)

Congratulations, very cute.


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## bonbean01 (Feb 21, 2013)

Cute baby and good job helping with the delivery!


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## meme (Feb 21, 2013)

Adorable!  Glad all went well.


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## marilyn1 (Feb 21, 2013)

Love the white belly band and white leg very handsome little guy


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## SassyKat6181 (Feb 21, 2013)

He's adorable.  I love the black and white legs


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## madcow (Feb 21, 2013)

Waldo is doing pretty good.  I had to hold Trixie still to allow him to find and latch onto a teat, but he did finally find it and suckled for several seconds, with tail wagging 1000 miles an hour!  He's really a strong big kid.  Trixie calls to him constantly, so I would say she's going to be a really good mom.  We just gotta get this suckling thing down better and all will be good.  Trixie has a small, extra, blind teat on her right udder (located about 1-1/2 inches towards the good teat on the front of her udder) and since he's a single I will milk that side dry begining today so he won't try to suckle very much on that side and maybe he will avoid the blind teat.  I think I will just milk that side everyday and hopefully that will provide us and him with plenty of milk, because she's my main milker now.  We will see how that works.  Unless someone else has an idea of what to do about the extra-mammary blind nipple (teat).


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## Missy (Feb 21, 2013)

Beautiful boy! Congrats! I have an Ober with an extra nipple, I just taped it at first, then eventually the tape fell off and the kid didn't even bother with the little bitty thing (why would he when he had ginormous ones at his beck and call!!!


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## jodief100 (Feb 22, 2013)

He is cute!   I have some kiko kids that big at brith!    Poor Momma


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## madcow (Feb 22, 2013)

Waldo has a full belly this morning, so I think he's eating pretty well.  She's a good momma.


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## PotterWatch (Feb 22, 2013)

He's very cute, looks like a good sturdy kid!


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## madcow (Feb 22, 2013)

Well, being a FF Trixie doesn't always stand still for little Waldo.  Had to hold her and put Waldo up to the teat and he latched on really well and nursed for about 20 seconds, all the while with Ginger butting me with her head as I was leaned over to help the little guy!  She's so pushy sometimes when she wants attention.  She caught my hair once with her horns and almost pulled out a big bunch and then got tangled in some of my sweater!  She's a real mess that one is! Anyway, I think he's doing pretty good.  Gonna milk her other teat this evening to make sure she keeps making plenty to share with everyone, mostly us!


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