22 February 2007

We're Kidding!

Went out to the barn about an hour ago to do the evening chores, and discovered a newborn kid at the feet of Queen Anne's Lace The Goat!



The other goat (Double Play) was bleating, and was clearly trying to take over some of the motherly duties (licking it off, etc.) as if it was her own.


I called my wife, and she and our children quickly came out to the barn to see. Soon after everyone assembled in the barn, the second kid dropped out.

Together, we moved Double Play out of the kidding stall and into the area where the sheep had been during/after the blizzard. She's been protesting loudly, and has jumped the stall a couple of times already; she clearly wants in on the kidding action.


We spread a deep layer of fresh straw into the kidding stall, and helped the first kid begin nursing. As it's fairly cold out (though not nearly as bad as last week), I set up one of the 250 watt infrared heat lamps we use for brooding chicks and parked both kids under it.

Right now, we've decided to clear everyone out of the barn so Queen Anne's Lace The Goat can finish licking off the kids and get them nursing. At least with the sheep, we've found that leaving a new animal family alone is the best thing we can do. God has given these mother animals very powerful instincts, and the less we interfere in the process the better. I'll check back in a little bit, just to make sure all is progressing and they're not shivering too much.


The best news is that both kids appear to be females. Given what a wonderful dairy animal QAL has been, we're hoping that at least one of these two will grow up to be an excellent milk producer.

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