Ruthie and Leona (above) give a big "Hello!" from the farm. They were born on Feb. 13 in the wee hours of the morning and are quite a pair! Leona, who has ears that go up, is an explorer and has figured out how to get out of her pen. She enjoys visiting the other kids and taking naps with them.I just wanted to share with all of you out there who enjoy babies the most recent additions to our goat herd. With 14 new kids around things are a little more lively and exciting around here. I enjoy watching them play with each other, climb up on their moms, chase the chickens, snuggle together, and then, of course, holding them nice and snug in my arms.
During the first 24 hours or so the moms produce milk called colostrum. It is high in antibodies that help the kid fight disease. After kidding they are standing up within about 5-10 minutes and learning how to nurse from their mama. The kids nurse while standing with their heads tilted up (as you see Leona doing) and this helps their digestive system develop properly. Goats are ruminants, meaning they have 4 stomaches (like cows). They do an excellent job of digesting tough plant material which we, as humans, are unable to do. They are quite amazing!!
Saturday was great with the rain we got (a total of 1 inch from Fri-Sat... seemed like a whole lot more than that!!) but made for a chilly day for the kids. I ended up bedding some of them down in 
another pen that was a little more out of the weather. With the sun shining today they were having a blast! I hope you all enjoyed it too and took the opportunity to do some of your own romping around in the great outdoors!
We have already named them all, thanks to the great input of those on the farm, and started doing some disbudding. Disbudding is the term used for the process of searing around where the horn starts to grow. The buds feel like a little bumps on their head in between their ears. Keeping their horns from growing helps prevent injuries that could occur from fighting with each other or getting stuck in brush or fencing. So, the orange holes you see on their heads are from the disbudding iron and a little iodine to prevent any sort of infection. After the whole process I was amazed at how they immediately got back to playing around as though nothing had happened. As their main caretaker I am excited about watching them grow. Please feel free to stop by the farm and see them. They will brighten up even the most dull of days.
5 comments:
Wow! That is amazing. They are stinkin' adorable. There is just something precious about baby goats. Your goats look so healthy and beautiful by the way!
We have a few pygmy goats that we think are pregnant and about to bust any moment, but we aren't for sure. Every day we run out there hoping to see a newbie goat.
Really. How do you tell if they are pregnant? And how do you know if they are about to deliver? Help a sista out please.
LEONA! I love her and feel our bond already. I mean, I also am an explorer and like to point my ears up, for example. I cannot express my complete and utter joy that I may share my namesake with an adorable kid goat.
Have yall ever heard the expression "having kittens?" I learned it recently, it means spazzing out in a big way, I think its a british expression. Anyway, I'm pretty much having kittens over these pictures of Leona the adorable goat. I love you all.
In reply to the comment by the kramer family....a sure way to know your goat is pregnant is to have an ultra-sound. if that is not a possibility, as they get closer to kidding you will notice their tummies bulge more than normal. i was also able to feel the kids by gently placing my hands on the goats side and underbelly (more on the left). this might not work if they are not very far along. if you have any idea when they were settled, they have a 5 month gestation. you will notice they may want to be by themselves when they are close to kidding, they will be sunken at the hip and tail, have heavy breathing and their udder will start to look very tight. i am by no means an expert and there are many goat websites you can check out for more info. many of ours were born about midday, but some were born very early morning when we weren't around.
Hi Jocelyne, I enjoyed hearing about your new babies. They sound like a fun hand-full. What is a kidding? Mom
Great job everyone. I miss those times. Yes, they are cute as ever. Thanks for sharing them with us. Go, livestock intern and Double kodoos to you.
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