# RainySunday Ranch '12 kids! bottles, weights, and reflections



## RainySunday (Dec 7, 2012)

Our three adult does are bred for December due dates!  They could all go anytime between the 3rd and 30th, based on when the buck was in with them, but we have a more specific due date (or two) for each doe, based on when we saw a breeding.

The first due date is Ali, she should be due 12/10, and last kidding she went 5 days "early" at day 145, so...any moment now.  Her ligs have been softening for two days, she's super poofy back there, her udder looks close to ready.  This morning at 5:30, she wasn't goopy at all, now at 9am, she is.  She also didn't get up to come greet me when i came in the pen...She's herd queen, so that never happens.  She is letting her little girl from the last kidding lay right by her, so i am curious to see how that dynamic works out once new babies arrive.  My guess for her is twins, sometime today/tonight...for sure by the end of the weekend though.

Next we have Lindy and Pluto both due 12/14. They are both poofy, udder not quite ready yet (although Lindy's is much bigger today), and been doing the weird tail arch and posty legs thing for a couple days.  I figure they will go sometime Mon-Wed next week, but we'll see how they progress this weekend.  Figure twins from each.  Lindy had a single last time (little Gizmo who had issues and didn't make it), and she is much much bigger this time.  Pluto is new to us, so haven't seen her pregnant until this time, but she is way too wide (compared to her normal) for a single.

I will add pics later, hubby has the camera at work today.


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## jodief100 (Dec 7, 2012)




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## 20kidsonhill (Dec 7, 2012)




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## Southern by choice (Dec 7, 2012)




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## RainySunday (Dec 7, 2012)

Ali has total mush around the tailhead now.  Udder still isn't fully "boom" yet, but it's close.


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## TigerLily Trail Ranch (Dec 7, 2012)

Cant wait to see pics!!!


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## PendergrassRanch (Dec 7, 2012)




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## bonbean01 (Dec 7, 2012)




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## 2goats8kids (Dec 9, 2012)

Well, isn't this a fun place to pop into between Christmas shopping clicking around? Soon there'll be baby goat pics


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Dec 9, 2012)

I subscribed.  Can not wait to see more babies.


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## RainySunday (Dec 9, 2012)

Well, I can say for sure she is loving all the attention, lol.  Her ligs firmed back up some, so now we are re-waiting for them to go squish.  The other two could go anytime from today on as well, but I bet it will be  closer to at least Tuesday.

I figure after watching her every 1-2 hours around the clock for 3 days, Ali will go today while I am at flyball for 4 hours.  Hubby has been given a verbal crash course in kidding and kid positions, and all that, so we'll see what happens. 

I will try to get some pics up, hopefully before I go though.


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## RainySunday (Dec 10, 2012)

Lindy had triplets this afternoon.  2 boys and a girl.  One of the boys is a tricolor, and so is the doeling.  Not sure on eyes yet, i'll have to get a better look in the morning.

Names and weights:

Fudge: buck, born at 2:32pm, 3lbs 11oz, tricolor
Gingersnap: buck, born at 2:33pm, 2lbs 15oz, gold and white
Spritz: doe, born at 2:34pm, 2lbs 14oz, tricolor

I am having issues uploading photos (they are jpg files, and this uploader doesn't seem to like that), so here is a link to my kidding album on facebook.  I think I made it public.  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100367971499220.2415978.25904533&type=3


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## Southern by choice (Dec 11, 2012)

FB wasn't coming up for me. But   !  Can't wait to see them.


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## marlowmanor (Dec 11, 2012)

Your link doesn't seem to be right. Definitely looking forward to pictures though.


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## Fullhousefarm (Dec 11, 2012)

I found the photos on your blog. Cute! Cute! Cute!

We're getting our first ND this month and I can't wait!


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## marlowmanor (Dec 11, 2012)

Fullhousefarm said:
			
		

> I found the photos on your blog. Cute! Cute! Cute!
> 
> We're getting our first ND this month and I can't wait!


Photos on the blog are old though, from the last kidding. Though all those babies are adorable too!


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## RainySunday (Dec 11, 2012)

Sorry about the link, I think I fixed it...maybe?

Pluto had her babies this morning, twin bucks.  No names yet, but the first one was the darker gold, second was lighter.  First weighed 4lbs 1oz, second 3lbs 10oz.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100367971499220.2415978.25904533&type=1&l=5fb97b3e59


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## BarredRockMomma (Dec 11, 2012)

It works!!!  

I want one soooo cute


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## marlowmanor (Dec 11, 2012)

Adorable babies!   

Sent a friend request on FB btw.


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## SDBoerGoats (Dec 11, 2012)

Oh my gosh they are so cute!   I just love kidding season!


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## RainySunday (Dec 11, 2012)

They are super cute for sure!  Just went out to check on them all, and Pluto is cuddling both her boys, AND Lindy's girl!  I have them all in the same stall, because it's plenty big enough, and we only have one.  I put a temporary gate up between them for the birth itself, but it isn't sturdy enough to leave up if we aren't out the watching.

I guess as long as one or the other of the does is feeding Spritz (the girl baby), it's all good.


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Dec 11, 2012)

They are so cute.


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## bonbean01 (Dec 11, 2012)

Awww...how cute!!!!  Congratulations!!!


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## RainySunday (Dec 11, 2012)

Yep, Pluto is feeding her two, and at least two of Lindy's as well.  Lindy is also still feeding at least her own.  As long as everyone is eating from someone, I am good with it.  Silly goats!


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## jodief100 (Dec 12, 2012)

They do like to keep you on thier toes!  Keep an eye on the one who is feeding everyone.  I had one that fed all the babies and they just drained her.  She needed extra feed.


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## bigmike (Dec 12, 2012)

Oh, such pretty babies and so much color....Good thing you are so far away or might be trying to acquire one of those pretty babies.....But, DW has an aunt in Oregon, maybe time for a road trip trip to visit with her dear loving aunt  .....


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## 2goats8kids (Dec 13, 2012)

Just adorable! Such sweet little fluffballs 

Did you make those little sweaters? We've just got a month to go before D-day around here and I'm going to hit Goodwill for some wool sweaters since we'll be doing January deliveries, but I wasn't smart enough to measure our ND's when they were new. I'm not sure whether to work with the sleeve of the sweater or what.


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## RainySunday (Dec 22, 2012)

Ali FINALLY kidded!  She made it worth the wait though with triplet girls born today.  Here is the facebook album link again, I've updated it with today's girls, and pictures from the last couple weeks. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100367971499220.2415978.25904533&type=1

Sweaters:  I bought wool sweaters from goodwill, and the ones that didn't get made into diaper covers for ds (yet), the sleeves are used for baby goat coats.  Super easy: felt sweater in washer/dryer, cut to correct length (starting at cuff; cuff goes around the neck), cut two slits for front legs.  If it's for a boy, make sure the belly part is cut to where the pee-er isn't covered!


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## 2goats8kids (Dec 23, 2012)

Awww, all your kids are so sweet - four and two legged variety . Thanks for the sweater advice - we have felted sweaters already about from inattentive launderers, so we'll get busy on those sleeves.

Congratulations on triplet does!


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## bigmike (Dec 23, 2012)

You have such colorful and beautiful babies..I'm hoping that I get some color from my one colorful goat..My other doe was just bred but she is kinda plain not very colorful..But I still love her..


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## RainySunday (Jan 1, 2013)

Thanks!

Last day of hubby's break, so we've been busy with goat chores.

One baby decided to take swim in the big water bucket...He managed to get himself out, but we found him soaking wet.  At a balmy 34F, I am glad we were at home, and headed outside to do goat chores.  Blitzen got to enjoy a brief trip to the in-the-house beauty shop to get toweled off and blow dried.  Silly goat.  They all got weighed, and most of them are growing really well!  Ginger, one of Lindy's boys, is not growing near as well, so since he is one of triplets, we are going to try and introduce a supplemental bottle for him, as he doesn't seem to be getting his fair share.  I'm sure that will go over fabulously at 3 weeks old  

2 of Ali's girls got disbudded today as well; the third needs to wait a few days, as hers are nearly undetectable.


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## RainySunday (Jan 1, 2013)

Well, Ginger was definitely hungry.  At 3 weeks old, he just very willingly guzzled 2ish ounces from a bottle (never even seen a bottle before).  I guess that answers that.  I will set aside more of tomorrow's milking for him.  The little bit tonight was all we could steal from the does, since they have had babies on them all day, and this morning's milk went into the cheese pot.


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## RainySunday (Jan 2, 2013)

Ginger guzzled a 6 oz bottle this morning, then had enough energy to try and fight his siblings for a piece of mama.  Of course, today was switch over day, as hubby went back to work.  So I was milking for the first time and the goats were not thrilled.

Lindy's udder is also being weird.  She has nice big teats with great flow, esp, for a nigerian, but right now, one side seems painful/irritated, and I can't get as much out from it.  Watching the babies yesterday, I think whoever is missing out on a teat is sucking n the side of that one as the sibling nurses.  I got as much from it as I could this morning, then gooped her up with udder balm stuff (our version, with peppermint EO and cloves in it).  Hopefully that will help.  Also thinking of trying to sell Ginger as a bottle baby, as he is willing taking a bottle.

We'll see.


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## RainySunday (Jan 12, 2013)

Good grief, if it's not one thing, it's another.  Two babies took a swim yesterday, but seem to be doing okay today.  They are a bit cold, but they all are; it's in the upper 20s here, and that is very cold for us.  We've been checking on them frequently, and they are holding their own.

Bottle babies...yes babies now, not baby.  Ginger still takes 4-9oz 2x/day, ad he is making great strides in his weight/growth.  I am very glad we made that decision, and he accepted it so willingly.  Two days ago, his sister, Spritz, decided she wanted one too, so now she is chugging 8oz 2x/day as well.  They are both still eating voraciously from Lindy too.

Ali's babies... all eight babies got weighed today, and they are all doing really well...except Ali's babies.  Her triplet does are all either barely gaining, and one lost weight this week (this is all in the last week).  Compounding factors: it's been really really cold, and they are the youngest, two of them are the ones who went swimming yesterday, and this is their first week being separated from mama at night.  All that said, the others have gained well this week, cold temps aside; the one that didn't go swimming is also not gaining well; and Ali isn't milking much for us in the morning anyway (less than a pound), so I don't think we are stealing much.  She has always been a terrific milker (quite a bit of quantity, and a long lactation), but she is almost 7 and this is her first year ever with triplets (always had singles and twins).  Add to that, it wouldn't surprise me if she was still letting her junior doe from last year steal a sip here and there (she never really dried off in between, because she wouldn't wean Birdie all the way.  She was still occasionally stealing a sip).  Knowing all of this, I think we are going to try and offer a bottle to these three as well, just as a supplement, see if they will take it, and if that helps.

Going forward...I much prefer bottle raising.  This is our first time dam-raising, and as nice as it is to not have to milk twice a day, and as great as it was to have some freedom to leave the house around the holidays and not be tied to a bottle schedule...It is more stressful to not be sure if they are getting enough.

Helpful notes...weighing babies weekly really helps catch potential issues early, as does knowing how to do some of the calculations (average daily gain, % increase over birth weigh, %increase over the previous week, etc).

I realize they'd probably all survive even without my help, but especially in the winter, I want them to thrive, and we are finding we are more comfortable with more hands on management, for our farm.


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## 2goats8kids (Jan 12, 2013)

nurturingnaturally said:
			
		

> Helpful notes...weighing babies weekly really helps catch potential issues early, as does knowing how to do some of the calculations (average daily gain, % increase over birth weigh, %increase over the previous week, etc).


Do you have a resource that speaks to what kind of percentages are normal? When I do run across numbers, it seems to be for standard goats, not Nigerians, and I'd love to educate myself here before I've got babies on the (frozen) ground.


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## Roll farms (Jan 12, 2013)

I've always thought bottle raising was easier (for us) than dam-rearing.  I just fret wayyy more when they're left w/ mom....are they warm enough, being fed enough, etc.

Sounds like you're doing a stupendous job of managing things.


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## madcow (Jan 12, 2013)

It sounds like you are really on top of things with those little ones and they can be thankful you are that caring.  It must be a lot of work, but I see how it would be better not having to worry as much about those babies getting enough.  Do you feed each one individually or as a group with a bucket and nipples?  Lots of time involved feeding little ones around the clock.  But at least it doesn't last forever.


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## SkyWarrior (Jan 13, 2013)

Adorable!


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## RainySunday (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback.  We usually start out with them on individual bottles, then eventually transition to a bucket feeder with nipples/tubes that extend into canning jars inside it.  This time, since they are also on mama, I don't think I am going to introduce the bucket.  Also, since they are being raised by both mama and us, I like the closeness/bonding that is reinforced by individual bottle feeding.

This weekend was tons of fun overall...not.  In addition to the swimmers, and low gainers, one got poo'd on, by a sibling with a goopy butt, and had to get a tiny trim on her neck to get it out.  A different one got her head pee'd on (heading under to nurse at exactly the wrong moment it seems).  The one the was pee'd on also lost one of her disbud scabs, so it was urine in a goopy/raw wound.  She got brought in for a head scrub, thorough wound clean, and blow dry.  The one that pooped on her sister had watery dark scours by the evening, so she is now on dimethox for cocci.  Oh, and Lindy's udder/milk have been plentiful but a pain in the butt the whole time (lots of milk, but varying degrees of painful, clumpy, bloody.  I will just decide to treat for mastitis and it will clear up and read neg on CMT); now it's back to thick and reducing amount.  She is getting a round of LA200 starting tonight, and will get ToDay in a couple days if the LA200 doesn't take care of it.

Between all that fun, I got double-layer fleece, adjustable with velcro, baby goat coats done for all 8 babies, as so many days below 30 was getting hard for them to withstand.  Again, they'd probably be okay, mostly, but I would rather them use their calories for growing.  The one that has been coldest has been in the house a few times, and she loves to sleep in our lap while we're doing something else (she's also the cocci one, so that helps explain why she's having such a  hard time regulating her temp/being bouncy/growing well).

I sure hope the next group of babies (the three junior does are due in mid march) behave a bit better, as I will be about a month from my own due date.


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## RainySunday (Jan 14, 2013)

2goats8kids said:
			
		

> nurturingnaturally said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I don't, but I have some of our own data from this group, and the previous group.  If you'd like to see any of it, pm me, and I can get it to you.


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