Another addition to our busy weekend

We thought our busy weekend was over... not so fast! On Sunday evening Jetta decided to go into labor with triplets! Yep, one of our first freshening Nubians gave birth to 2 does and one buck kid. She even tried to push 2 of them out at once. These kids are sired by our Jr herdsire: Silverwood Prince Merlin.

Twin does arrive!

Jasmine freshened today with twin does. We are so excited to actually have does! But so tired at the same time. This means that we have had a total of 5 doe kids and 16 buck kids born so far in 2010.

Eventful Weekend

Another eventful weekend around here. As the weather gets nicer and new kids arrive, more and more people want to come out and visit. This makes for some very busy weekends. We are not complaining! We love seeing friends and family, and the goats love company too. It's just that we do't get as much time to catch up on our sleep. If there is such a thing.

We knew Saturday would be a busy day. We had to get feed, go to our tax appt and we had 3 groups of people coming over in the afternoon to visit the babies. That all got a bit more hectic when Raven, one of our Nubian does, decided she was going to start kidding at 10 AM. So, Laura stayed home and Chris went to get feed and to our tax appt on his own.

Raven decided to take this process very slowly. Laura noticed the water bag emerging at 10 AM. Raven's first kid wasn't born until noon (a buck kid). Then a second one finally followed at 12:45 (another buck kid). As neighbors were getting the new babies dried off and taken care of (navel's dipped, etc.) Laura milked Raven to get colostrum. Then Raven got some nice warm water, grain and alfalfa hay. We got the babies fed and tucked in under a heat lamp. That was about the time that group of visitors #1 showed up.

As Laura was explaining about the goats, she noticed Raven grunting. Then another grunt. Thinking it was just Raven expelling the placenta, Laura didn't give it much thought. Until another grunt... that is when Raven pushed out buck kid #3! Shortly after that group of people #2 arrived. As we were drying off this kid and making sure he was taken care of... group of people #3 shows up.

All in all it was a wonderful day of visiting, but a lot of work and waiting as well. We did chores Saturday morning at 6 AM and got in about 8 AM. Then Laura went back out at 10 AM and didn't get back in the house until 4 PM. Then, both of us were back out at 6 PM for chores. Luckily Chris volunteered for the midnight feeding. We will laugh about this some day.

A Busy & Exciting Day

Lexus's buck kid

FSF Merlin Illusion

Today turned out to be a busy day at the farm. After Wylie kidded at noon, her daughter Lexus decided to kid at 5 PM. And... drum roll please... WE GOT OUR FIRST NUBIAN DOE KID OF 2010!!! So Exciting! Lexus had 2 lovely twins, 1 buck and one doe. That means that we have had 15 kids born so far this year, and had 3 doe kids out of the whole lot.

Lexus did a fabulous job: she milks out like a dream and is eating and drinking like a champ. We are so thrilled with our new kids! We have named the little doe: "FSF Merlin Illusion".

We own river front property

Doesn't that sound like a song from George Strait? "Oceanfront Property in Arizona..." Well, the MN River has engulfed our lower pasture. This pasture is the size of a football field and is usually our most productive pasture during the summer. We will have to wait ans see if that is the case this year, after the river recedes. Right now the water is above the 4-foot fence posts in some places. Our shelters for the animals will have to be re-built as the plywood that is used for sides wall is soaking up water as well. Oh fun! This must mean that warmer temperatures are on the way!

Wylie kids - 1 big buckling

It is beginning to sound like a broken record around here this kidding season... yes, we had another doe freshen... yes, we got another buck kid! Wylie freshened around noon today. One of our neighbors checked the goats today while Laura was at work. At noon she called Laura to say that one kid was out. So, Laura raced home... thinking that another kid would be on the way. After all, this is an experienced 4 year old, who has always had twins. She is pushing 200 pounds, and getting more uncomfortable by the day. She had to have at least twins, if not triplets. NOPE! One big buck kid. He was so big, that we decided to weigh him... eight pounds! Eight pounds for one Nubian baby is pretty large!

We waited and waited for 2 hours hoping that another kid would arrive, but no luck there. Guess we need to be happy that we have a healthy kid and healthy mama. And, the sun is shining.

Surprise... It's a buck year!

Well, it must be a buck year here this year... Claira freshened 2 days early with a set of quadruplet buck kids. She was sneaky about it - we didn't expect her until Saturday. When Laura came home from work in the afternoon, she found the kids (although one had died). Claira is our Nubian matriarch. She is 10 years old now, and this is her 9th freshening. She typically has triplets of quads each year, and until 2009... most if not all of those had been girls! I guess she had some making up to do!

Claira is a champ - and doing fabulous. Back to eating, socializing and producing lots of milk. All three remaining kids are doing great as well. These are the first kids from out new Jr Herdsire: Silverwood Prince Merlin. Boy, are the cute!