Wednesday, Jan. 10th is when it all started... I let my brood does out into the yard and front pasture every afternoon. (helps out with the mow'n) I went inside to change from work clothes to feed'n clothes. When I can back outside, I heard the cry of a newborn kid. I followed the cry to the storage build'n out back. There was Twinkle with her new baby. I helped her finish dry'n him off and moved them to a nice pen to themselves. The baby was so big. I had to get my scales right away. Twinkle had had a 4 lb. buck kid with no problems. "I love those easy kidders". When feed'n and penn'n my other does, Maggie was mov'n a lil' slow. She looked like she was gonna drop her babies any minute. (she had triplets last time) So I penned her, so I could keep a close eye on her.
Thursday morn'n I checked on Maggie and then I was off to work. At lunch, the first thing I did was check on Maggie. Noth'n had changed. I checked on all the other goats and then fixed me a bite to eat. Just before I was about to head back to work, I thought I'd check on Maggie one more time. Well... She was push'n. I waited about 10 minutes. I couldn't be late for work. So... I reached in and pulled out a big agouti kid. Then I went back in and pulled out a big caramel kid. I wiped off their lil' faces and high-tailed it back to work.
It rained all afternoon. I was worried about the new lil' ones. I didn't even get a chance to see if they were bucks or does. I was wish'n I hadn't pulled'em. Maggie had never needed my help. But, I just didn't want to take the chance. I was able to get off work a lil' early. I picked up a few groceries for supper and high-tailed it home. I drove around back to the pens and saw Loretta under the llamas hay rack with three tiny agouti babies. Llamas were danc'n all around them. I was so scared they would get stepped on. But the llamas were be'n real careful. I wrapped the three babies in my shirt and put them in a dry pen. When I put Loretta with her babies, I heard more babies cry'n. In another pasture was Ewok,(Ewok Babycakes) with three caramel babies. The rain was pour'n down. I wrapped these three babies in my now soak'n wet shirt to put them in a dry pen with their mom. One of the babies was lay'n stretched out and not mov'n much. She had no interested in nurs'n at all. I put my finger in her mouth and it was ice cold. I rushed her in the house and wrapped her in a towel. Then I used a blowdryer to warm her up a bit. Just enough to dry her a lil'. She was still cold but, she was mov'n a lil' more. I put a heat lamp up in the pen and put the chilled baby with her brother and sister. About 30 minutes later, she was up and nurs'n. Boy... what a day. Eight babies in one day. What a record.
Ahhh... Friday. My day off. I slepted in till 9:00... Checked on all the new babies and weighed them all. They weighed from 2 lb. to 4 1/2 lb. All healthy and happy. I finally had the time to check which were bucks and which were does. Three bucks and five does. Not bad...
I planned a nice relax'n day. Planned to cook my family a nice chicken fried steak dinner (we love our chicken fried steak here in Texas) But, first I had to pick up hay. The rain had held off all day. So, I just took my time. Enjoy'n the day off... Think'n about how nice is was to have had nine babies born with no problems. Life was good...
I got home with the hay about 4:00. I drove around back to park the trailer and headed to the pens to check on the new babies again. Under the llamas hay rack was Tambourine with two carmael babies. I just shook my head... Where was I gonna put'em... I guess I was gonna have to double up. After gett'n Tambourine and her babies settled, I let my does out to graze. Oasis looked like she was gonna pop. I'd be penn'n her up tonight when I feed.
As I called the does in to feed, I didn't see Oasis anywhere. I started call'n and look'n for her. I heard someth'n down the hill. It was gett'n kinda dark and I couldn't see much. As I walked down the hill, I spotted someth'n dark stick'n out of the grass. I ran down to check it out. There was Oasis, on her back. She couldn't roll over. There was a dead baby next to her. She must have lost her balance and rolled over onto the baby. There was noth'n I could do for the baby. My heart sank. I turned Oasis over and ran to the house for my kidd'n box. Oasis followed me. By the time I got back outside, Oasis had already popped out a caramel baby. She wouldn't try to clean up or talk to her baby. (sometimes this happens with first timers) So, I cleaned-up the baby and held Oasis for the baby to nurse. I had to set my arlarm every two hours all night to make sure the baby recieved enough colostrum. And I was hopin' Oasis would take to the mother'n thing.
Saturday I had a meet'n to go to. So, I asked my sweet hubby to hold Oasis for the baby to nurse while I was gone. I was still hopin' Oasis would come around and start feed'n the baby herself.
Saturday morn'n I was off to my meet'n to see all my goatie friends. I was bragg'n about the week I had had. We visited and played games. Had loads of fun. On the way home I was pray'n Oasis would take her baby. But, when I got home, noth'n had changed. So... it was time for the bottle. At feed'n time, Calamity Jane was not around. I walk to the back of the pasture and found her with two caramel babies. (this was her first time, too) All clean and nurs'n.
More babies... Just what I needed right now. Oh... well... The more the merrier... I guess. Fifteen babies in four days... What a week.
Check back here from time to time to see if I have any new stories... Or any old ones.
Ya'll come back now.
